Free Olympic Events in Vancouver

There are many fun things to do for free during the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. Here are just a few ideas. For more information on what's happening in the city during the games, visit the host city's website or VANOC's website.

LiveCity Downtown

 LiveCity Downtown is in a former bus depot site in the heart of downtown (next to Stadium SkyTrain station). Adjacent to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre complex, it will be a primary site for the 2010 Cultural Olympiad, and is minutes away from both BC Place Stadium (site of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies) and General Motors Place (the Olympic hockey venue).

Throughout both the Olympics and the Paralympics, LiveCity Downtown will host a full slate of entertainment and big screen-based events. For a list of what’s being offered, visit their programming site. You can pop by anytime during the Games (February 13 – 28, 2010, daily 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 a.m.) and the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games (March 12 – 14 and March 18 - 21, 2010 from 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.). For more information on the site, click here.

LiveCity Yaletown

LiveCity Yaletown, located on the waterfront in David Lam Park in False Creek will be a great spot to stop by if you’re in Yaletown. It’s just a few minutes from BC Place Stadium, and like LiveCityDowntown, will host a variety of sport and cultural programming along with nightly closing shows suitable for the entire family. The site will be able to accommodate thousands of people every day and will be open during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games (February 11 to 28, 2010), along with a pre-Games kick-off event in early February 2010. For more information on LiveCityVancouver you can visit the city's Frequently Asked Questions webpage.

The Spirit of 2010 on “The Drive"

Spirit of 2010 will launch at Il Mercato Mall on the eve of the 2010 Winter Games, with artists in attendance. Self-guided art tours will take place from February 11 - March 21, from 1-3pm and will be promoted by a unique passport distributed with a map of The Drive. Art locations will be marked by a special poster in store windows and visitors who get their passports stamped will be placed in a draw for a special prize. For more information, you can call Nancy Keough or Coreen Douglas, 604-251-9828/604-307-5611

Sochi World and the Russian Pavilion

The doors of Science World open February 11 – 28, 2010 and the Russians are welcoming anyone wanting to join Russia’s celebration of the 2010 Winter Games. Inside, visitors will find booths providing information on both Sochi 2014 and the Krasnodar Region which will help familiarize guests with the setting for the 2014 Winter Games. The cultural program presented will include tastings of Russia’s cuisine and performances by renowned artists from both Canada and Russia.

To find out more about Sochi 2014, you can visit their website

BC Hydro Power Smart Village

BC Hydro’s Power Smart Village is touting itself as the unofficial sustainability hub of the Games. Located on Dunsmuir Street between Homer and Hamilton the village will feature a dance floor that generates electricity as people dance, as well as a series of showcases displaying the newest innovations in conservation and energy-efficient outdoor theatre. The site will remain open throughout both the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. To watch a video on the new village click here.

 

 

Saskatchewan Pavilion

The Saskatchewan Pavilion will consist of a business centre and an entertainment venue where visitors can sample Saskatchewan entertainment and foods. The pavilion will be located on the shore of False Creek opposite the Olympic Village on what will be a major pedestrian and rapid transit thoroughfare during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. For more information on the pavilion, you can visit their website here. For a fly through of the pavilion, click here.

 

 

Atlantic Canada House

The Atlantic Canada House will be situated at Granville Island and will showcase East Coast culinary delights, Atlantic performers and entertainers. Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador along with the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency are pleased to present Atlantic Canada House in Vancouver from February 13 to 28, 2010. For more information, check out their site

 

 

 

The French Quarter

Place de la Francophonie 2010 will exude all the Latin flavours of a French Quarter during the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.

Located in the heart of Granville Island, this little "French Quarter" will offer visitors a cornucopia of activities including shows featuring Canadian and international performers, a sports pub, a farmer’s market, tourism circuits and trails and many exhibits of works by francophone artists. The performances presented at Place de la Francophonie 2010 are part of VANOC’s Cultural Olympiad. Visit their website to find out more.

 

Four Host First Nations Pavilion

The pavilion will be located on the plaza of the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in downtown Vancouver and will be centered on a 65-foot high inflated multi-media sphere. The pavilion will use the latest technology to showcase the diversity of Aboriginal art, business, culture and sport from across Canada. Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal visitors will be able to enjoy this experience in the relaxed, informal setting of the Pavilion. Special “theme” days will showcase Aboriginal groups from all regions of Canada. Live events will include Inuit throat singing, Métis jigging, hoop dancing, as well as spotlighting contemporary Aboriginal performances and other fields of achievement. The pavilion is being hosted by four First Nations including the Lil'Wat, the Musqueam, the Squamish and the Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. For more information, you can visit their site

Alberta Place

Alberta Place will sit on the corner of Robson and Beatty Streets immediately west of BC Place. Alberta House and Alberta Plaza will be central spots for visitors and international guests to meet, gather, and learn about Alberta as a place to invest, work, live and visit.

The pavilion will be an architectural expression of Alberta’s identity by combining function, sustainability and innovative design - offering a genuine Albertan experience.

Alberta Plaza – open to the public, the plaza will highlight Alberta tourism and industry sectors during the day and showcase Alberta artists for national and international visitors in the evening. Click here to learn more.

Vancouver House

The City’s home during the 2010 Winter Games, Vancouver House is designed to tell the story of Vancouver’s new business brand ‘Vancouver Green Capital’. Visitors will understand that Vancouver Green Capital is a logical extension of Vancouver’s past successes, a meaningful and authentic position for the city given both its geographic nature and its human nature. People will leave Vancouver House and understand why our city is a magnet for sophisticated human capital and why it is an idea capital where people are thinking, planning and bringing to life the economic future of the city. Vancouver House will be located at LiveCity Yaletown.

 

Ontario Pavilion

The Province of Ontario is planning on spending almost $9 million on a pavilion by northeast False Creek. The ministry has suggests the facility will feature a striking design, showcase made-in-Ontario products and services, and be state-of-the-art but also environmentally sustainable. Ontario is expecting 75,000 visitors daily at its pavilion on the former Expo 86 site.

Robson Square – GE Ice Plaza

Robson Square’s outdoor ice rink is open for the Games thanks to the sponsorship from the Province of British Columbia and General Electric. The GE Ice Plaza will be primary gathering point for the Games and will feature athletic demonstrations and other musical programming. Click here to see where it is.

 

 

 

Vectorial Elevation

Twenty robotic searchlights make crisscross patterns of light from either side of English Bay. The pattern, which changes every eight seconds, is controlled by individuals around the world who input designs at their website. Prime viewing location: the crest of Burrard Bridge.

Attend a Cultural Olympiad performance

Culture is the second pillar of the Olympic movement and Vancouver will be celebrating it big-time during Cultural Olympiad 2010, running from January 22 to March 21. Over 600 ticketed and free performances of music, dance, theatre, visual arts and digital programming will be held in 60 venues that range from traditional theatres to unconventional locales, including a concrete plant. Take a look at this site to see what’s happening around the city.

 

 

Visit the Art Gallery for Free

The Government of British Columbia’s pavilion will be housed on the fourth floor of the Vancouver Art Gallery. Thanks to this arrangement, admission to the Gallery will be free during the Winter Olympics. In addition to the usual exhibits, the Art Gallery will be hosting three special exhibits including “

 

Community Living Rooms

Each community centre and Neighbourhood House around the city has been equipped with a 50" plasma television where neighbours and families can come together to view the 2010 Winter Games free of charge.

These community living rooms will open on February 12, 2010 (the day of the Opening Ceremonies). For more details contact your local neighbourhood or community centre. 

 

Community Happening Festivals

Join your neighbours for a series of festivals around Vancouver aimed at highlighting the city's commitment to sport, culture and sustainability. Each festival will feature family fun activities, crafts, arts, games and sports, as well as cultural performances and food aimed at celebrating Vancouver as the Host City of the 2010 Games.

Festival Event Dates:

  • Saturday, February 6, 2010 at Sunset Community Centre (6810 Main St)
  • Saturday, March 6, 2010 at Kitsilano Community Centre (2690 Larch St)
  • Sunday, March 21, 2010 at Killarney Community Centre (6260 Killarney St)