Victoria’s vibrant arts and culture scene, free outdoor festivals and live music performances make our downtown the ultimate summer destination for gathering with friends and family.
Kick off the season with Summer at Ship Point. Most Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays until September 19, Ship Point transforms into a lively downtown community hub, offering free one-hour wellness classes such as yoga and a full-body bootcamp between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Drop by from 4-8 p.m. to enjoy an array of food truck cuisine and live music performed on the new OUR DWTN stage. Experience this enhanced green space with Adirondack seating, planters, shade umbrellas and new overhead lighting, complete with outdoor lawn games such as giant chess, hula hoops and giant Jenga for the whole family to enjoy. Pick up a Summer at Ship Point stamp card from the site host to collect stamps to enter to win an OUR DWTN gift card or prize pack.
On select evenings, special performances and programming will be offered, such as free dance lessons by the City’s Artist in Residence Kemi Craig, Bad Rabbit Radio broadcasting live with DJ Nova Jade and family programming presented by the Royal BC Museum.
Beat the heat by grabbing a cold one with friends at the Victoria Beer Society’s beer garden at Ship Point on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4-8 p.m., with the spectacular Inner Harbour nearing sunset as your backdrop. For Summer at Ship Point details, visit victoria.ca/OurDWTN.
Known for being a “Music City”, the City of Victoria is excited to support and host an incredible line-up of free summer concerts, showcasing Latin rhythms, Motown, R&B, jazz and blues to folk, swing and classical – and everything in between.
Groove to live music at Summer at Ship Point from 6-7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and from 5-6 p.m. on Wednesdays.
Soak up Victoria’s picturesque Beacon Hill Park with the ever-popular Music in the Park concert series, Fridays to Mondays from 1:30-3:30 p.m. and the Folk Music series on Tuesdays from 6-8 p.m. at the Cameron Bandshell.
Enjoy a courtyard picnic accompanied by free tunes on Thursdays from noon-1 p.m. at the Fort Common Music series or an outdoor meal at the Eventide Music series on Wednesdays from 6-9 p.m. in Centennial Square.
You’ll also find free, outdoor beginner lessons for Chinese Lion Dancing, Zumba, Swing and Ballroom dance offered throughout the summer. For details, check out CityVibe, the City’s go-to guide for free summer events, festivals and arts and cultural activities at victoria.ca/cityvibe.
These programs and more are brought to you in part by the City’s OUR DWTN Revitalization program, which invests in beautification, cleanliness, safety and placemaking/programming focused on food and arts and culture – year-round.
Now in its second year, the OUR DWTN team is working on a number of new initiatives, including a review of the City’s Street Entertainers program to improve the quality of busking performances and establish a range of busking locations, some with scheduled performance times. Watch for an opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed improvements in an online survey at engage.victoria.ca and at pop-up engagement stations downtown this summer.
In addition, a new program is being developed to activate vacant storefronts downtown with an array of creative programming and incubating business ventures. Look for more details coming this fall.
Returning this summer is the OUR DWTN Feet on the Street program, which provides City Bylaw officers a presence downtown and the opportunity to engage with businesses to resolve nuisance issues.
Victoria’s downtown is one of the cleanest in Canada due to the hard work of City crews, a designated Public Works team that responds to downtown calls for service and the Downtown Victoria Business Association’s (DVBA’s) Clean Team. In May, the City and the DVBA co-hosted the 2024 OUR DWTN Scrub-Up, which brought together local businesses, members of Council and City staff to give their blocks of downtown a fresh face.
Whether it’s live music you’re craving, a free dance lesson in the park or a craft beer by the sea, OUR DWTN has something to offer every resident and visitor.
Downtown awaits you this summer. See you there!
