FAQ
During the warmer months, Burnaby comes alive with open-air performances. You can catch Summer Cinema at Civic Plaza or enjoy concerts and seasonal festivals on the Deer Lake Park festival lawn, which often provides free, family-friendly entertainment in a stunning natural setting.
Propane barbecues are permitted in all parks. Charcoal or open-flame only in specific parks. Campfires and fireworks are strictly prohibited.
Yes, adults (19+) are permitted to consume alcohol responsibly year-round in most City parks, from dawn to dusk.
Most individual picnic tables operate on a first-come, first-served basis. However, some larger group picnic areas can be booked in advance for events.
The SFU Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology stewards significant ancestral belongings, including Northwest Coast carvings. Its displays offer insight into millennia of Indigenous presence and stewardship on these lands, stretching back over 10,000 years.
Burnaby has a diverse gallery scene, ranging from the university-based Gibson Art Museum to community-focused spaces like the Deer Lake Gallery. Peruse contemporary exhibitions, research-based installations, and curated collections that highlight both local and international perspectives.
Yes. The City of Burnaby sometimes hosts exhibitions in accessible public spaces beyond traditional gallery walls. You can find rotating displays at the Bob Prittie Metrotown and McGill libraries, as well as various public art installations throughout the city’s civic centres and parks.
The Shadbolt Centre for the Arts is an excellent place to start, as it hosts seasonal markets and exhibitions featuring original works by local makers. Additionally, the Nikkei National Museum and the Burnaby Art Gallery often carry unique pieces and prints by regional artists in their gift shops.
Absolutely. Burnaby’s galleries are designed to be welcoming, social spaces. Whether you are visiting solo for quiet reflection or meeting a group for an artist talk, these spaces provide a relaxed environment to engage with creative ideas and visual storytelling together.
Burnaby is internationally recognized for its focus on works on paper. The Burnaby Art Gallery stewards a prestigious permanent collection dedicated to this medium, making it a unique destination in Canada for printmaking, drawing, and photography.
The Shadbolt Centre for the Arts is the city’s premier destination for professional theatre, dance, and music. While the James Cowan Theatre is under redevelopment until 2027, the Studio Theatre offers a polished, intimate setting to experience high-calibre performances and regional storytelling.
The Michael J. Fox Theatre is the go-to venue for large-scale events, from vibrant multicultural dance festivals to full-stage musical theatre. It has a 613-seat capacity and professional acoustics that offer a big-theatre experience with a local feel.
Head to the SFU Theatre on Burnaby Mountain to witness the next generation of artists. This campus venue hosts a variety of cutting-edge student and faculty productions, offering a first look at experimental works and contemporary performance art.
The most reliable way to plan your evening is through the Tourism Burnaby What’s On Burnaby calendar. It provides up-to-date listings for everything from major touring acts to hidden community gems across all our local stages.
No, smoking (including tobacco, cannabis, e-cigarettes, and vapes) has been banned in all Burnaby parks and multi-use paths.
Yes. Many trails, including Deer Lake Park and Burnaby Fraser Foreshore Park, are flat and accessible for casual walkers and families.
Yes. Dogs are welcome in most parks but must remain on leash unless you are in a designated off-leash area.
Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area offers some of the best views in the city, with trails leading to viewpoints overlooking Burrard Inlet and the North Shore Mountains.
Yes. Most park trails are open year-round, though conditions may vary depending on weather.
Yes. Many routes, including Central Park, BC Parkway and sections of the Central Valley Greenway, are flat and separated from traffic, making them comfortable for families and casual riders.
Yes. Bikes are allowed on SkyTrain outside of peak weekday rush hours. This makes it easy to extend your ride or return to your starting point by transit.
Most urban trails and greenways are paved and accessible. Some routes, such as Burnaby Mountain and sections of the Trans Canada Trail, include gravel or natural surfaces better suited for hybrid or mountain bikes.
The City of Burnaby offers a detailed bike map outlining routes, connections and trail types across the city. It’s a helpful planning tool before heading out.
We’re closer than you think. Burnaby sits just east of Vancouver, right at the heart of Metro Vancouver. Get here by SkyTrain, with 11 stations across the city, or by major roadways with multiple highway access points. However you arrive, it’s a smooth trip.
Burnaby brings together distinct neighbourhoods, diverse cuisines, and everyday access to nature. With more than 150 parks and trails, two major lakes, a busy calendar of arts and performances, and shopping that ranges from familiar names to unexpected finds, there’s a lot to do in a day here. What are we known for? That’s up to you.
Getting here is quick and direct. The SkyTrain runs directly from Vancouver to Burnaby, with multiple stops throughout the city. You can also arrive by car, bike, bus, taxi, or rideshare, with major roads, transit lines, and cycling routes linking Burnaby from every direction.
Stretch your legs on forest trails or paddle across local lakes. Get inspired in galleries and museums, catch a live show, or grab a bite at one of many mouthwatering restaurants. Shop malls, markets, and neighbourhood spots, wander city streets, then finish the day on Burnaby Mountain for wide-open views.
Of course, we’d say yes, and most visitors agree. Burnaby is welcoming, well-connected, and full of experiences worth your time and energy. Eat well, move around easily, relax in a park, or catch something unexpected. Set your own pace, and don’t be surprised if you stay longer than planned.
Sport Burnaby is the City’s dedicated sport hosting office. We work alongside event organizers to provide practical, on-the-ground support, including venue access, introductions to community partners, grant guidance, accommodation coordination, and volunteer connections. Our team helps streamline the process so you can focus on delivering a strong event.
Burnaby hosts a wide range of sport events across field, court, arena, aquatic, and indoor cycling facilities. We welcome community tournaments, regional championships, national competitions, and international events year-round, supporting everything from grassroots sport to high-performance competition.
We offer practical planning support, venue coordination, hotel information, guidance on sport hosting grants, volunteer alignment, and local promotion. Think of us as your local point person, helping you line up the right pieces early so event week runs smoothly and participants feel genuinely welcomed.
Organizers choose Burnaby for its depth of facilities, more than 200 sport surfaces across the city, its central Metro Vancouver location, and direct SkyTrain access. Add in experienced hosting support and funding programs, and you have a city that understands what it takes to deliver a well-run event.
We’ve got a great mix of indoor and outdoor fields, courts, arenas, aquatic centres, and high-performance training spaces. Regional qualifiers, national championships, annual tournaments, multi-day competitions, we’ve hosted them all. The infrastructure is here. The layouts work. The athlete flow makes sense. And our venues are built to perform year-round.
Start by connecting with Sport Burnaby Hosting Assistance and sharing your event scope, anticipated attendance, and venue requirements. We will walk through facility options, partnership opportunities, and available supports. If funding is part of your plan, the Sport Hosting Grant program accepts applications during quarterly intake periods, and we can guide you through the process.
Meet in Burnaby is the city’s meetings and events team, part of Tourism Burnaby. Think of us as your local connector and problem-solver. We help planners navigate venues, logistics, suppliers and local partnerships so corporate meetings, educational events and sport gatherings run smoothly from first call to final wrap-up.
Burnaby handles a wide mix of gatherings. We’re flexible and fully equipped. Corporate conferences, board meetings and workshops. Social celebrations like weddings and galas. Sport championships and tournaments at every level. Creative productions, festivals and outdoor performances. If people are gathering with a purpose, there’s likely a space here that will work for you.
Because it’s practical and memorable. Burnaby sits in the centre of Metro Vancouver with direct SkyTrain access and fast links to Vancouver International Airport. Venues are close to hotels, restaurants and green space, so your attendees can move easily between sessions and downtime. It keeps travel simple and the experience strong.
You’ll find full-service hotels, academic campuses, cultural centres and flexible event spaces across the city. With more than 80,000 square feet of combined meeting space, Burnaby accommodates everything from intimate strategy sessions to large-scale conferences without sending guests across town between events.
We assist with venue sourcing, site visits, local supplier connections, promotional support and budget guidance. We also help shape itineraries and delegate experiences that make your event feel considered, not cookie-cutter. You get clear communication and a local team that stays responsive throughout the planning process.
Start by submitting an online inquiry through Meet in Burnaby Hosting Assistance. Share your event details, timelines and requirements, and our team will follow up to discuss next steps. Prefer a direct conversation? Reach out to the meetings team directly and we’ll get things moving.
Burnaby’s shopping scene spans the full spectrum. Metropolis at Metrotown anchors the city with BC’s largest mall and an anything-you-need energy, while The Amazing Brentwood leans contemporary, with fashion-forward brands, dining, and a sleek, urban feel. For something more specific, Crystal Mall delivers a traditional Asian market experience packed with food stalls and specialty shops, and Burnaby Heights rewards wandering with independent boutiques, bakeries, and long-standing local businesses along one of the city’s most character-rich stretches.
Burnaby’s premier retail hubs include Metropolis at Metrotown, BC’s largest mall with 330+ stores, and The Amazing Brentwood, a 28-acre destination at Lougheed Highway. The City of Lougheed serves the northeast with 160+ shops, all featuring direct transit access via the SkyTrain’s Expo and Millennium lines.
Burnaby Heights on Hastings Street is the city’s primary destination for shopping local, boasting more than 100 independent merchants and legacy businesses like the century-old Valley Bakery.
Absolutely. Crystal Mall is the go-to, known for its fresh seafood and butcher counters, hard-to-find ingredients, and more than 100 stalls selling herbal remedies, regional snacks, and packed food court. It’s the place locals-in-the-know go to shop.
Burnaby’s biggest shopping destinations sit right on the SkyTrain, so you can step off the platform and straight into Metropolis at Metrotown or The Amazing Brentwood without braving the weather. A frequent TransLink network fills in the rest, linking malls, neighbourhoods, and local shops across the city, all without needing a car.
Deer Lake Park is Burnaby’s main cultural hub. The walkable area around the lake brings together the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, Burnaby Art Gallery, and Burnaby Village Museum, along with outdoor performance spaces that host concerts, festivals, and seasonal events throughout the year.
Connect with the ancestrall and contemporary stories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Peoples at the Indigenous Learning House at Burnaby Village Museum. For a deeper look at the long-standing heritage of these lands, the SFU Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology also stewards cultural belongings and works alongside First Nations.
With so much culture here, cultural festivals fill Burnaby’s calendar. Highlights include Culture Days, Nikkei Matsuri, Hats Off Day in the Heights, the (Filipino) Pinoy Festival, the Fiji Festival, and the Bubble Tea Festival, alongside many other community-led celebrations.
From street art to gallery exhibits, public art appears across Burnaby’s streets, parks, and town centres. You’ll find large-scale sculptures at the Burnaby Mountain Eco-Sculptures, murals and installations in Metrotown and Brentwood, and smaller works woven into neighbourhoods throughout the city.
Burnaby’s annual music events span a wide range of genres. Signature highlights include the Burnaby Blues + Roots Festival, the Caribbean Festival, the Scandinavian Midsummer Festival, the International Festival, and Symphony in the Park with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
Metropolis at Metrotown is BC’s largest mall, with 330+ shops and services, a wide range of dining options, and a multiplex cinema, all under one roof.
The Rec Room at The Amazing Brentwood delivers high-energy indoor fun with arcade games, virtual reality, bowling, live entertainment. It’s generally a 19+ venue but minors are allowed until 10pm, but only with a legal guardian or parent or responsible adult who’s with them at all times.
Wander Burnaby Heights for bakeries, boutiques, and cafés, visit Charlie’s Chocolate Factory to see the famous chocolate river, or explore Crystal Mall for indoor Asian shopping and food stalls.
Christine Sinclair Community Centre and Edmonds Community Centre keep things active year-round with indoor pools, fitness centres, and double gyms for drop-in basketball or badminton.
Absolutely. Shadbolt Centre for the Arts offers hands-on fine arts classes and drop-in programs, while Burnaby Public Library hosts workshops and creative sessions that make staying inside feel as good as being out and about.
Burnaby Village Museum remains a community favourite. This 10-acre open-air site explores the many layers of local history, from the Indigenous Learning House to a 1920s village featuring heritage buildings and the iconic 1912 C.W. Parker carousel.
Yes, several are free or very affordable. The Burnaby Village Museum currently offers free admission (carousel rides are extra), while the Burnaby Art Gallery and the Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre welcome visitors by donation, ensuring that heritage and the arts remain open to everyone.
Yes. The Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre honours the history, resilience, and living culture of Japanese Canadians. Exhibitions thoughtfully preserve the history of the 1940s internment and dispossession, honouring the community’s resilience and their dedicated path toward healing and social justice.
The Burnaby Art Gallery offers a unique experience. Housed in Fairacres Mansion—a 1911 heritage home on the shores of Deer Lake—it pairs contemporary and historical exhibitions with the character of one of the city’s most distinctive historic buildings.
Bringing your dog along for a visit? Burnaby loves dogs, but we’ve got a few quick rules to keep everyone comfortable. Leashes are required in most areas, off-leash parks are clearly marked, and dogs aren’t permitted in picnic areas or on beaches.
Sharing space with wildlife is part of life in Burnaby. From deer and beavers to bats, fish, coyotes, bears, and a wide range of local and migratory birds and owls, let’s respect our local wildlife. Enjoy them from a distance. NEVER touch, feed, or approach wildlife, and ALWAYS take photos from far away, no matter how cute they look.
Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area is a go-to for mountain biking. It features 26 multi-use trails ranging from gentle urban routes to challenging, rugged terrain, allowing riders to choose their level.
Yes. Most Burnaby parks and trails are open year-round from dawn to dusk. Some areas may close temporarily for maintenance or during severe weather, so it’s a good idea to check ahead before you go.
The 2025 Canada Summer Games were held in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, over an 18-day competition period. Athletes from across Canada gathered in the host city to compete in team and individual sports, with events staged at multiple venues throughout the region.
The Canada Games are a national multi-sport event held every two years, bringing together the top amateur athletes from across the country to compete for their province or territory. The Games feature a wide range of sports and provide an important development opportunity for athletes aiming to compete at higher national and international levels.
The Peak International is considered a key kick-off event for the season and draws strong participation due to Burnaby’s central location and strong judo community. It also helps athletes gauge their early-season form while connecting competitors, coaches, and officials from multiple countries.
The tournament was held October 24 to 26 at Scotia Barn. The indoor soccer field was transformed into a competition space featuring four judo mats, welcoming more than 600 athletes over three days of competition.
The Peak International is an annual judo tournament that brings together athletes from B.C., the United States, Germany, and Japan. It serves as an early-season competition where judokas can earn points, assess performance, and prepare for upcoming events in their competitive calendar.
Ringette is a fast-paced Canadian ice sport where players use sticks to shoot a ring into the opposing team’s goal, and it’s often described as the fastest sport on ice. Anyone interested in trying the sport can connect with the Burnaby New Westminster Ringette Association to learn about programs and “Come Try Ringette” sessions for new players.
This year’s tournament featured 60 teams, around 900 players and coaches, and 126 games played over four days. Matches were hosted across five venues in Burnaby and New Westminster, including the Rosemary Brown Recreation Centre, Bill Copeland Sports Centre, Kensington Arena, Moody Park Arena, and Queens Park Arena.
The IceBreaker Tournament is an annual event hosted by the Burnaby New Westminster Ringette Association that marks the start of the ringette season in the Lower Mainland. Now in its 27th year, it brings together hundreds of players from across the region for a weekend of competitive play across multiple age divisions.
The championship runs from May 12 to 17, 2026, at the Simon Fraser University West Gym. All matches will be held at this venue over the six-day event.
It is an international volleyball tournament featuring eight national teams from the NORCECA region, including Canada and the United States. The event is part of the athlete development pathway toward senior national team programs and also contributes to qualification for the next U19 World Championship.
Fans can purchase single-day tickets or full event packages through Eventbrite, with options for both adults and youth. In addition to attending, community members can also get involved by volunteering, helping deliver an exciting international sporting event in Burnaby.
The championship runs from May 12 to 17, 2026, at the Simon Fraser University West Gym. All matches will be held at this venue over the six-day event.
It’s an international tournament featuring eight top youth national teams from across North, Central America, and the Caribbean. The event is part of the athlete development pathway and a qualifier for the next U19 World Championship, showcasing future volleyball stars.
Tourism Burnaby is offering a Watch Party Grant Program to support local activations. Businesses and organizations can apply for funding to help bring their ideas to life, and approved events may also be featured on the Burnaby United website to attract both local and visiting fans. The application deadline is April 30.
Businesses and community groups can take part by hosting watch parties, decorating their spaces with country flags or generic soccer themes, offering themed menus, or creating non-branded merchandise. All activities must follow FIFA World Cup 2026™ branding and licensing guidelines, but there’s plenty of flexibility to get creative and engage fans.
Burnaby United is a one-stop online hub created by Tourism Burnaby to help local businesses and organizations get involved in the excitement surrounding the FIFA World Cup 2026™ matches at BC Place. It provides ideas, resources, and guidelines for hosting events, activating spaces, and welcoming visitors during the tournament.
The meet features a mix of local, national, and international athletes, including Olympic competitors and rising stars in track and field events such as sprints, distance races, and race walking.
The event takes place at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby, a scenic venue known for its forested surroundings, mountain views, and strong spectator atmosphere.
The Jerome Classic is an international track and field meet held annually in Burnaby. It attracts elite athletes from Canada and around the world, including Olympians, and is one of the longest-running track events in the country.
The event took place at the Christine Sinclair Community Centre in Burnaby, a modern facility that provides ample space for competition platforms, warm-up areas, and spectators.
Powerlifting is open to a wide range of participants. Athletes compete across different age, gender, and weight categories, with competitors ranging from youth to seniors.
Powerlifting is a strength sport where athletes compete in three lifts: the squat, bench press, and deadlift. Competitors aim to lift the maximum weight possible in each category within their division.
Games take place at multiple venues across the city, including the Rosemary Brown Recreation Centre, Kensington Arena, and Bill Copeland Sports Centre.
Jack Crosby was a highly respected figure in B.C.’s lacrosse community. As president of Burnaby Minor Lacrosse, he made lasting contributions as a player, coach, and builder, and the tournament is named in his honour.
The Jack Crosby Lacrosse Tournament is an annual youth lacrosse event held in Burnaby each July. Now in its 38th year, it brings together teams from across British Columbia and beyond for a multi-day competition.
The Northern Super League is Canada’s first professional women’s soccer league, launched in 2025. It features six clubs across major Canadian markets and is focused on advancing excellence, equity, and opportunity in women’s sport.
Yes. Fans can attend home games at Swangard Stadium throughout the season. Attending a match is a great way to experience professional women’s soccer and support Canada’s growing sport scene.
Vancouver Rise FC plays at Swangard Stadium, located in Burnaby, British Columbia. The stadium serves as a hub for professional and international sporting events in the region.
Vancouver Rise FC is one of the founding clubs of the Northern Super League and plays its home games at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby. The team won the league’s inaugural championship in 2025.
The Northern Super League is Canada’s first professional women’s soccer league, launched in 2025. It features six clubs across major Canadian markets and is focused on advancing excellence, equity, and opportunity in women’s sport.
The Pat Quinn Classic features dozens of teams across multiple divisions, ranging from Female U11 to Integrated U17. In 2025, 55 teams are competing across eight divisions.
The tournament dates back to 1962, making it one of the longest-running minor hockey tournaments in the world. It was relaunched in 2015 as the Pat Quinn Classic, continuing a long-standing holiday tradition in Burnaby.
The Pat Quinn Classic is an annual international-calibre minor hockey tournament held in Burnaby each December. It honours the legacy of Pat Quinn, a legendary NHL player, coach, and executive who made a lasting impact on the sport in Canada and beyond.
Yes. Games are open to the public, making it a great opportunity for visitors and locals to experience high-quality minor hockey and the vibrant community atmosphere that surrounds the tournament.
The tournament offers high-level competition along with a unique cultural exchange experience. Visiting teams, like the Kushiro Blue Stars from Japan, have the opportunity to compete, connect with local teams, and explore Burnaby and the surrounding region.
The Pat Quinn Classic is an annual minor hockey tournament held in Burnaby during the holiday season. Featuring teams from across Canada and around the world, it has grown into a premier event on the minor hockey calendar and a long-standing local tradition.
Visitors can watch local tournaments throughout the year or connect with one of Burnaby’s table tennis clubs to play recreationally. The city offers a welcoming environment for both spectators and participants interested in the sport.
Athletes qualify through a combination of international rankings and national selection events. The Burnaby tournament brought together top-ranked Canadian players competing for the final spots on the national team heading to London in 2026.
Burnaby is a growing hub for sport in British Columbia, with strong community infrastructure, accessible venues, and support from organizations like Sport Burnaby. Its central location in the Lower Mainland also makes it an ideal destination for national-level competitions.
Burnaby is directly east of Vancouver. While Burnaby is not technically within Vancouver, it is still a part of the Metro Vancouver Regional District (GVRD). It’s right in the middle of this Metro Vancouver area, bordered by Vancouver and Port Moody to the west, and Coquitlam and New Westminster on the east. The Burrard Inlet forms the northern border and the Fraser River runs along its southern border.
The 2016 census notes the Burnaby population at 232,755 people, which makes it the 20th biggest city in Canada and the 3rd largest city in British Columbia.
