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What began as a one-time celebration has become one of Vancouver’s most beloved annual summer traditions. The Powell Street Festival was established in 1977 to mark the Japanese Canadian Centennial, what was then understood to be 100 years after the first Japanese immigrants arrived in Canada.
The festival organizers in 1977 expected the celebration to be a single community event. But the gathering was so impactful that it continued the following year, and every year after that.
Now in its 50th year, the 2026 festivities will take place from Aug. 1 to Aug. 2 at Oppenheimer Park and Paueru Gai, also known as the Powell Street area in Vancouver. Featuring over 88 programs spanning music, film, dance, workshops and more, this year’s lineup reflects both the festival’s roots and contemporary Japanese Canadian expression.
A highlight of this year’s programming is the Shig Hirai Sumo Tournament, named after Shig Hirai, a longtime community supporter and devoted sumo fan whose dedication to the Japanese Canadian community made him a beloved figure at the Powell Street Festival. The Hirai family has honoured his legacy with a generous donation to the festival’s Next 50 Years Campaign, ensuring many more festivals to come.
Beyond the arts and cultural programs, the festival’s Craft and Marketplace is a destination in itself, a vibrant gathering of local makers and artisans offering handcrafted goods and one-of-a-kind finds that reflect the creativity and diversity of the Japanese Canadian community and beyond.
And of course, no Powell Street Festival experience is complete without the food booths, where the air is filled with the smell of salmon barbecue and sweet treats. A carefully curated lineup of vendors brings together traditional Japanese favourites and returning community staples that strengthen the memories of a summer weekend at Powell Street Festival.
Taking place in Oppenheimer Park and the surrounding Powell Street area, the festival returns year after year to a place with deep history. Powell Street, or Paueru Gai, was the heart of Vancouver's Japanese Canadian community before the Second World War in 1942. The neighbourhood was a thriving hub of Japanese Canadian businesses, homes and cultural life.
Holding the festival in this space is an act of reclamation, honouring what was lost during internment while celebrating what has endured.
Whether it’s your first time or your 50th, this year’s Powell Street Festival is a weekend you won’t want to miss.
Feeling nostalgic about your first festival memories and want to be a part of the milestone 50th festival? The Powell Street Festival runs on the dedication of its volunteers to keep this festival free and accessible. If you want to be part of what makes the festival happen, please sign up on our website.
For the full schedule of events and accessibility details, visit the festival online. ![[Tyee]](/design-article.thetyee.ca/ui/img/yellowblob.png){kind=small}
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