Concerts in Vancouver

For those not local to Metro Vancouver, I strongly advise against attending a concert in this area. There's really only one reason: Location, Location, Location.

Before you ask, yes, I know you are not shopping for real estate. But the location of the concert can make a big difference in the experience.

Most of the big-name artists that come to Vancouver either perform at Rogers Arena, BC Place, or the Orpheum. All of these locations have their quirks (I'm talking to you, BC Place), but they are certainly a step up from the Vogue Theatre or the Commodore Ballroom, where I spent a good chunk of my childhood listening to pop punk.

Additionally, while Vancouver is quite well-known around the world (hopefully not just for our stupid expensive real estate prices), it does not have a large enough population to draw out significant crowds. I've seen instances where artists I love come to perform, and the venues aren't sold out. That's not to say the general population doesn't come out of the woods now and then.

For example, when Ed Sheeran came in 2023 for his Mathematics Tour, he performed at BC Place to a sold-out crowd of 65,061, breaking BC Place's attendance record.

This brings me to another issue: Vancouver's infrastructure is not strong enough to support crowds of this size. The night Ed Sheeran performed, traffic was horrendous. The peak was when the Range Rover in front of me decided they had it with waiting in traffic and drove right on the sidewalk to get to the parking lot.

Now, if you're like me and Metro Vancouver is your home, let me share some parking wisdom that my friends and I gained the hard way.

For BC Place and Rogers Arena concerts, we rarely park in the venue's designated parking areas. Traffic going in before a concert and out after the concert is equally painful. There's also a pretty large handful of bad drivers in British Columbia, so we try to stay away from crowded places. Instead, park at the Chinatown Plaza parking lot located at 106 Keefer St, Vancouver, BC V6A 1X4. Parking for concert nights is only CAD 14 (making it heaps cheaper than the CAD 30 you have to pay at the closer parking lots). The good thing about this parking lot is that it is only a five-minute walk from these two venues.

Now, if it is absolutely pouring rain, or if walking's just not your thing, then park at the designated parking areas. But if you want to get home at a reasonable hour, then book it the moment the encores are over. I'm saying to channel your inner Olympic-level speed walker and you might just make it out fast.

If you've made it this far, I'll share one quirk of BC Place that makes me like Rogers Arena more. BC Place has a policy where they keep the cap when you buy any drinks. That means you better chug that drink or keep an eye on the opening the whole time to prevent anything from happening to it.