3 big events announced for Victoria in 2026

We may have had snow warnings across the Island this week, but events for the warmer season are not too far away. Three massive celebrations coming to Greater Victoria this spring and summer were just announced, and there’s plenty of fun to be had for fans of sports, music, and food.

Canada Celebrates the FIFA World Cup 2026

Vancouver may be gearing up to host the World Cup of soccer  this summer, but a little slice of the fun will be coming to Victoria later this month.

The capital city will host a first-of-its-kind program from FIFA, transforming the grounds of the BC legislature into a vibrant soccer hub on March 31.

The Canada Celebrates event will bring two of the four European playoff finals to the big screen on the legislature lawn, allowing fans to share the excitement as teams vie for a spot in the World Cup.

The viewing party will start at 11am that Tuesday, kicking off with live coverage of the game that will determine Canada’s opponent in its tournament opener, scheduled for Toronto on June 12. The match will feature the winners of the upcoming Wales vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina game and the winners of Italy vs. Northern Ireland.

Following that, fans can catch a full rerun of the match to determine who will play Australia in the Vancouver opener on June 13. Depending on tournament results, it’ll be Slovakia or Kosovo taking on Türkiye or Romania.

At 4:30pm, a friendly match between Canada and Tunisia will be live-streamed.

The Canada Celebrates events are a new initiative that FIFA said it plans to bring to cities throughout the country. The Victoria festivities will act as a test-run for future screenings. The full Canada Celebrates route will be announced at a later date, and Victoria’s entire program will be announced during the week of March 23. FIFA organizers were unable to confirm whether another Canada Celebrates event will return to the city this summer.

The 2nd Annual Great Canadian Bash

Get an early start on Canada Day celebrations at this Westshore festival, happening June 27. For the second year, Starlight Stadium will host a lineup of popular music alongside a BBQ bash—all of which will be Canadian.

The concert will be headlined by Our Lady Peace, one of Canada’s top-selling groups, and alt-rock heavyweights The Tea Party. Both bands were founded in Ontario and have gained worldwide acclaim over the last three decades.

Island acts will warm up the crowd, with Duncan pop-rock multi-instrumentalist and producerDarrian Gerard kicking off the show, followed by Victoria’s pop-rock duo Cold Fame.

A pre-party BBQ will serve up a variety of dishes, all featuring Canadian-raised ingredients from local eateries. DJ Devlin will provide some tunes during the feast.

Tickets go on pre-sale today and will be available to the general public on Friday.

David Foster Foundation Inner Harbour concert

To celebrate 40 years of the David Foster Foundation, the Grammy winner’s charity that was founded in his hometown of Victoria, a weekend of festivities will come to the capital in August.

On Aug. 7, a black-tie gala event at the Victoria Conference Centre will draw big-name performers, including Jay Leno and Josh Groban. Foster and his singer-songwriter wife Katharine McPhee will also take the stage.

The festivities will move outdoors on Aug. 8, with a concert at the Inner Harbour, featuring the Victoria Symphony accompanying Foster on stage. The charity is promising appearances from “legendary guests” and other surprises.

The David Foster Foundation, founded in 1986, provides financial support for children in need of organ transplants, helping families cover the cost of non-medical expenses like travel and accommodation.