New Works - Pop Up Dances Festival

Pop Up Dances Festival - a festival of new dance works popping up in surprising spaces

New Works is thrilled to bring back Pop Up Dances to the Central Library for two spectacular days of live dance and movement in unexpected spaces. Co-presented with the Vancouver Public Library, this site-specific festival invites audiences to experience the library’s iconic, colosseum-inspired architecture transformed through dance and movement.

Running September 18 – 19, 2026, this year's Pop Up Dances Festival takes audiences on a unique, vertical walking tour of VPL’s Central Library. Guided performances start on the North Plaza at the Georgia Street Promenade entrance, and continue through the library floors, all the way up to the beautiful rooftop garden. Coinciding with the opening weekend of BC Culture Days, Pop Up Dances invites audiences of all ages to experience five brilliant, site-specific dance works completely free of charge.

With three tour times per day, audiences are invited to drop in for a single performance or stay for the full, guided experience. The tour runs rain or shine.

• Friday, September 18, 2026 - tours start at 12pm | 2pm | 4pm
• Saturday, September 19, 2026 - tours start at 1pm | 2:30pm | 4pm

Guided performances start on the North Plaza at the Georgia Street Promenade entrance

📍 Vancouver Public Library, Central Library (350 W Georgia St. Vancouver)

🎟 FREE for audiences of all ages

This year, the Festival features five captivating site-specific performances by celebrated artists and collectives:

• Elizabeth Louie & Denae Harpham (former Ballet BC Annex dancers) at the North Plaza 
• Juolin Lee at Level 5 Escalator Landing
• Sarah Hutton & Aiden Cass (Generous Mess) at Level 8 Grand Staircase
• Rita Spirit (Rita Barieieva) at Level 8 South Terrace
• Action At A Distance & All Bodies Dance Project at Level 9 Rooftop Garden

Full performance schedule and artist details: https://www.newworks.ca/

Registration is not required, but we ask that you register so we can anticipate audience size, and communicate with you about any updates or changes. Please register here.