2026 Season Announcement
The 2026 Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival will return to Sen̓áḵw/Vanier Park in Vancouver from June to September, 2026.
The 2026 Season offers a thrilling journey through comedy, tragedy, and myth, presenting bold new visions of timeless stories. Playing in repertory on the BMO Mainstage, The Merry Wives of Windsor sparkles with trickery and fun in a lively musical treatment, while the dark, relentless intensity of Macbeth provides a stark and bloody counterpoint. In the Douglas Campbell Theatre, the wildly successful Goblin:Oedipus, created by Rebecca Northan & Bruce Horak, with Ellis Lalonde, transforms one of Greek theatre’s darkest tales into a riotous, irreverent escapade. This production will play in repertory with Antigone, adapted by Kate Besworth, which brings a raw and urgent contemporary lens to a classic tragedy.
2026 Premium and Regular Season Packs are available to purchase now. Lock in your Season Pack at our lowest price until Saturday, October 4.
BMO MAINSTAGE
The Merry Wives of Windsor
Shakespeare’s laugh-out-loud comedy comes to life with a spirited musical treatment. This classic farce follows the roguish Sir John Falstaff, who sets out to fix his financial woes by wooing two married women so that he can steal their husbands’ fortunes—only for his targets, Mistresses Ford and Page, to come together and turn the tables on him. With lively musical numbers woven throughout, this production guarantees an evening of laughter, mischief, and merriment.
Macbeth
“What’s done cannot be undone.” A thrilling exploration of ambition, desire, and downfall, Macbeth tells the tragic tale of a victorious general who learns from a prophecy that he will become King. Spurred on by his own desires and the ruthless encouragement of his wife, Macbeth murders King Duncan and seizes the crown, before descending into paranoia and tyranny as he tries to hold onto his throne. Recognized as one of Shakespeare’s darkest and most popular tragedies, this production grounds the story in a harsh, dystopian world. Stark design and stylized visuals heighten themes of power, paranoia, and fate, drawing audiences deep into a world that is as haunting as it is unforgettable.
DOUGLAS CAMPBELL THEATRE
Goblin:Oedipus
A riotous reinvention, Goblin:Oedipus is performed by the wildly popular Goblins—Wug, Kragva, and Moog—whose irreverent take on Macbeth delighted audiences at Bard on the Beach in 2023. This time, the trio takes on Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, adapted by John Murrell, bringing their chaotic curiosity and hilarious audience interaction to a fresh retelling of this tragic myth. Amid a deadly plague that grips Thebes, Oedipus vows to uncover the murderer of the previous king, only to set himself on a path of shocking self-discovery. Determined to delve deeper into the Dionysian degeneracy of the human race, three Goblins offer up a cautionary tale of patricide, incest, and eye-gouging comedy that you won’t forget.
Antigone
This bold new adaptation by local playwright Kate Besworth presents Sophocles’ classic Greek tragedy for a contemporary audience. Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus, defies King Creon’s decree by burying her rebel brother in the aftermath of a civil war, setting off a chain of events that pits family loyalty against political authority—leading to devastating consequences. Exploring themes of resistance, voice, and generational reckoning, Antigone is raw, timely, and emotionally potent, offering a story as relevant now as it was in ancient Greece.
Bard on the Beach gratefully acknowledges the corporate sponsors and donors who support and sustain the Festival and its programs, including returning Mainstage sponsor BMO and Production Sponsors Lawson Lundell LLC and Polygon Homes.
2026 Premium and Regular Season Packs are available to purchase now. Lock in your Season Pack at our lowest price until Saturday, October 4.