Guided by the theme Threads of Connection, our 21st annual Festival offers a feast of cultural events and artistic activities to attend and participate in. And simply enjoy.

The 2024 Festival features over 100 live and online events over twelve days at over 40 venues, including music, stories, poetry, theatre, ceremony, films, dance, readings, forums, workshops, discussions, gallery exhibits, art talks, history walks and more.

For twenty-one years, the Heart of the City Festival has been grounded in the Downtown Eastside and focused on listening and learning from the community’s cultural practices. The Festival works with, for and about the Downtown Eastside community to carry forward our community’s stories, ancestral memory, cultural traditions, lived experiences, and artistic processes to illuminate pathways of resistance and resilience.

Check the Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival website for the complete lineup, including venues, dates and times.