21 things to do in and around Victoria this weekend – September 11th to 13th 

Everybody’s working for the weekend, and it’s finally here!

Whether you’ve just gone back to school this week and need some relief from classes, have just picked up the kids from school and need some peace and quiet or just want to hit the town this weekend, there are plenty of events to keep you busy!

From theatre and concerts at Victoria’s biggest venues to festivals, fairs and markets, make sure to get out and get involved in the community this weekend.

For just a taste of what’s to come this weekend, here are 21 things to do in and around Victoria this weekend – September 11th to 13th:

ALL WEEKEND

Esquimalt Ribfest

Get ready for the smokiest, sauciest, tastiest Esquimalt Ribfest yet!

Head down to Bullen Park for three incredible days of mouthwatering BBQ, live music, local food trucks, family-friendly activities and fun for all ages and abilities.

Whether you’re coming for the award-winning ribs, great entertainment or community spirit, there’s something for everyone.

Best of all, every bite helps make a difference.

Esquimalt Ribfest is a fundraiser supporting local charities and community organizations, so while you’re enjoying some tasty ribs, you’re helping give back to the community.

Admission to the festival is free, however VIP tickets can be purchased here. 

• Where: Bullen Park, 1229 Esquimalt Road

• When:

• • Friday, September 11th and Saturday, September 12th – 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
  • Sunday, September 13th – 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Women of the Fur Trade at Belfry Theatre

Set in “eighteen hundred and something”, three very different women with a preference for 21st-century slang sit in a fort on the banks of the Reddish River, sharing their views on life, love and that hot nerd Louis Riel.

In this lively historical satire of survival and cultural inheritance, playwright Frances Koncan shifts perspectives from the male gaze onto women’s power—in the past and present—through the lens of the rapidly changing world of the Canadian fur trade.

The show will be on until October 4th. Tickets for this weekend are selling out fast, so be sure to get yours soon!

Tickets are pay-what-you-can and can be purchased here.

• Where: The Belfry Theatre, 1291 Gladstone Avenue
• When: September 8th to October 4th

Lagoon Arts & Culture Festival at the Goldfinch Arts Centre

Head to the Lagoon Arts & Culture Festival!

The festival will feature a Latin orchestra and dance party as well as an Indigenous showcase and food trucks on Friday.

On Saturday, the event will feature activities all day long, including an Indigenous showcase, artisan market, art exhibit, food trucks, live music and more!

Go support your local artists!

The festival is free and everyone is welcome to attend.

• Where: Lagoon West Park and Goldfinch Arts Centre, 170 Goldfinch Road
• When:
  • Friday, September 11th – 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Saturday, September 12th – 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day at IMAX Victoria

Catch the newest in the Spider-Man series on the big screen!

Four years have passed since the events of No Way Home, and Peter is now an adult living entirely alone, having voluntarily erased himself from the lives and memories of those he loves.

Crime-fighting in a New York that no longer knows his name, he’s devoted himself entirely to protecting his city—a full-time Spider-Man—but as the demands on him intensify, the pressure sparks a surprising physical evolution that threatens his existence, even as a strange new pattern of crimes gives rise to one of the most powerful threats he has ever faced.

Tickets are $18 for general adults, $16 for seniors, youth and students and $10 for children 12 and under. Purchase your tickets here.

• Where: IMAX Victoria, 675 Belleville Street
• When: 
  • Friday, September 11th – 7:15 p.m.
  • Saturday, September 12th – 7:15 p.m.
  • Sunday, September 13th – 7:15 p.m.

FRIDAY

ThunderFest Day Festival at the University of Victoria

Vikes Nation is hosting the kick-off festival of the school year at UVic!

Join thousands of UVic students, staff and faculty for ThunderFest and see what Vikes Nation is all about.

Meet some of the UVic Vikes Varsity teams, make some new friends, learn about Vikes Recreation clubs and programming, listen to live DJs, officially join Vikes Nation and have fun with over 90 great booths with giveaways, food trucks and lots of games to play!

Be sure to fill out your official Thunderpass to receive your Vikes Nation t-shirt.

Last year saw a record crowd of more than 4,000 at the soccer games and more than 5,000 at the afternoon festivities at the UVic Quad!

The festival is free and everyone is welcome to attend. Tickets for the soccer game can be purchased at the gate, as pre-game tickets are sold out.

• Where: UVic Quad and Centennial Stadium
• When:
  • ThunderFest On the Quad – Friday, September 11th – 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
  • ThunderFest Soccer Games – Friday, September 11th – Men’s game at 5 p.m. and women’s game at 7:15 p.m.

Transformers Pinball Launch Party at Pinhalla

Prepare to experience the newest generation of pinball based on the first generation of Transformers!

Pinhalla will be rolling out a premium edition of Stern’s newest release, Transformers: More than Meets the Eye!

The machine will be available for play at 11:30 am, with a mini-tournament at 7 p.m.

Sign in at 6:45 p.m. to win prizes and status!

DJs start at 9 p.m.

There is no cover fee required for this event.

• Where: Pinhalla, 516 Fisgard Street
• When: Friday, September 11th – 11:30 a.m. to 12 a.m.

Improv Against Humanity at Theatre SKAM

An enormous hit in Toronto and Vancouver, Improv Against Humanity is based on the game Cards Against Humanity.

This adult-only show will feature selected audience members playing the game, with improvisers performing scenes based on their horrible, hilarious card combinations!

Doors for this show are at 8:15 p.m. with no late entries permitted.

Tickets are $25 and can be purchased here.

• Where: Theatre SKAM, 849 Fort Street
• When: Friday, September 11th – 8:30 p.m. to 9:40 p.m.

Besties R&B Party at Lucky Bar

Grab your bestie and head to Lucky!

Strictly R&B and Slow Jams all night, with music by SZA, Summer Walker, Kehlani, Tinashe, Leon Thomas, Brent Faiyaz, Frank Ocean, Usher, Mario, Aaliyah, TLC, Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Rihanna, PND, H.E.R., Ciara, Brandy and many more!

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here.

• Where: Lucky Bar, 517 Yates Street
• When: Friday, September 11th – 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.

SATURDAY

Autumn Lantern Festival at the Gordon Head Recreation Centre

Celebrate the coming of fall with lanterns, lights and community.

The event will feature cultural entertainment, illuminated lantern displays, food trucks and a lantern-making workshop.

Come dressed up in an illuminated costume and your own battery-lit lantern creation, or make one at the lantern workshop for $5 per lantern kit.

Attendance is free and everyone is welcome.

• When: Saturday, September, 12th – 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• Where: Gordon Head Recreation Centre and Lambrick Park

Land, Language & Songs with Pacific Opera Victoria

Land, Language & Songs invites audiences on a unique afternoon of music, storytelling and discovery as downtown Victoria becomes a living performance space.

Part of Pacific Opera Victoria’s Found in Translation initiative, which celebrates Indigenous languages alongside those brought to Canada by newcomers, this free walking event explores how language, music and place connect us to one another and to the land we share.

Beginning at Songhees Point, audiences are invited to follow a guided walking route linking four Spindle Whorl public art installations.

With Opening and Closing gatherings by Songhees Knowledge Keeper Yuxwelupton Qwal’ qaxala (Bradley Dick), the journey features Pacific Opera Victoria artists performing works in Cree, Anishinaabe, Nuu-chah-nulth, Dakota, Toisan, Hindi, Japanese and more, alongside stories and songs that celebrate the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of our community.

The afternoon concludes at Beacon Hill Park, where artists and audiences gather for a shared musical finale.

The performances are free, and attendees may choose to catch one  of the performances or follow the procession through downtown Victoria.

• Where: Multiple locations, downtown Victoria
• When: Saturday, September 12th – 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Harvest Fun Fair at Little Fernwood

Join the Fernwood Community and Arts Association at Little Fernwood, Fernwood Square and Gower Park for a celebration of autumn, local harvest and community fun!

The Harvest Fun Fair will be a day packed with hands-on activities, live entertainment and friendly competition.

Highlights of the day include outdoor games and prizes, a blue ribbon baking and harvest competition, live acoustic music, hands-on arts and crafts workshops, a live portrait “photobooth” and an iSpy park scavenger hunt!

Admission to the fair is free!

• Where: Little Fernwood, Fernwood Square and Gower Park
• When: Saturday, September 12th – 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Highwaymen tribute at McPherson Playhouse

In 1984, Johnny Cash invited Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson to play on his Johnny Cash Christmas TV Special that was filmed in Switzerland.

When they got back to the hotel, they started jamming and hanging out and that was how the Highwaymen came to be.

The Highwaymen Show pays tribute to the great American Outlaws of Country Music—Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson.

The show covers all of their individual greatest hits including “Mama Don’t Let Your Babies Grow up to be Cowboys”, “Always on My Mind”, “Me and Bobby McGee” and “Folsom Prison Blues”

Don’t miss this trip down memory lane with the look and sound of these iconic superstars. The entire show will feel like an encore!

Tickets start at $59.25 and can be purchased here.

• Where: McPherson Playhouse, 3 Centennial Square

• When: Saturday, September 12th – 7:30 p.m.

Garden City Soul Club at the downbeat

Garden City Soul Club is back!

Head down to the downbeat for a night of great music and infectious energy with DJ I-Lot.

Expect a carefully curated selection of Soul and Funk from the 1960s-1970s—Northern Soul, Motown, funk and timeless classics—all played on vinyl 45s.

DJ I-Lot is an expert at delivering big grooves, deep cuts and crowd pleasing favourites that set the tone for a lively night at the bar.

• Where: The downbeat, 1325 Government Street
• When: Saturday, September 12th – 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Moss Street Market

Moss Street Market is in full swing!

This year, Moss Street Market is celebrating its 35th season of offering local and organic farm-fresh produce, local foods, handmade crafts, artisanal clothing, inspiring services and community education.

The market takes place May through October, every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Sir James Douglas school grounds—rain or shine.

Enjoy the sunshine and grab some local produce and crafts.

The market is free and everyone is welcome to attend.

• Where: Sir James Douglas school grounds, surrounding boulevards and Porter Park
• When: Saturday, September 12th – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Luna Turns 9! at Luna Collective

Celebrate 9 years of Luna Collective!

They’ll be cooking up a grand ol’ time with a storewide sale, a market with more than 15 makers and friends of Luna, the return of Objects with Meaning tees and flash tattoos by Acacia (@acaiiiberries)!

The event is free and everyone is welcome to attend.

• Where: Luna Collective, 1048 Fort Street
• When: Saturday, September 12th – 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Para Mi Familia at Lucky Bar

After bringing more than 300 people together for the last Para Mi Familia, it’s happening again!

Para Mi Familia means ‘for my family’—and this party is about exactly that: bringing people, cultures, sounds and communities together under one roof.

Expect an open-format dancefloor moving through afrobeats, dancehall, amapiano, baile funk, throwbacks and more, with DJ’s  Lala Haus, SUAR3Z and friends keeping the energy high all night.

Remaining tickets are $12 and can be purchased here.

• Where: Lucky Bar, 517 Yates Street

• When: Saturday, September 12th – 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

SUNDAY

The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus at Capital Ballroom

Catch a show at The Cap!

Blending the raw intensity of post-hardcore with the emotional pull of melodic, emo-infused alt-rock, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus emerged from Florida as one of the defining bands of the late 2000s alternative scene.

Their breakout 2006 debut album, Don’t You Fake It, made an immediate impact, fueled by the multi-platinum hit “Face Down”—a track that connected with audiences worldwide through its powerful message and emotional honesty.

Known for their high-energy live performances and anthemic sound, the band delivers a dynamic mix of heavy riffs, soaring melodies and unforgettable hooks that keep crowds engaged from start to finish.

Over the years, they’ve built a dedicated global fanbase, continuing to evolve while staying true to the passion and authenticity that first put them on the map.

Whether you’ve been a fan since day one or are just discovering them, this is your chance to experience The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus live—bringing energy, emotion and a show you won’t want to miss.

Tickets are $40 plus fees and can be purchased here.

• Where: Capital Ballroom, 858 Yates Street
• When: Sunday, September 13th – 8 p.m.

Pacific FC versus Calvary FC at Starlight Stadium

Catch Pacific FC take on Calvary FC!

The club recently snapped a 385-day winless streak and is hoping to build on that momentum.

Following draws against Atlético Ottawa and Inter Toronto, Pacific appears to be finding its form.

Cheer on the home team this Sunday!

Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased here.

• Where: Starlight Stadium, 1089 Langford Parkway
• When: Sunday, September 13th – 3 p.m.

Vic West Community Corn Roast

The 25th annual Vic West Corn Roast is back!

Meet your neighbours and enjoy a late summer afternoon outside as the roast closes off Raynor at Craigflower.

Attendees will enjoy all day live music, freshly grilled corn, an apple pie contest, a dog show and zucchini car races.

The event is open to all, pay-what-you-can and will be accepting donations for the Vic West Little Free Pantry.

• Where: Raynor Street and Craigflower Road

• When: Sunday, September 13th – 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Birdsong: Evening Concert for SALT New Music Festival at Philip T. Young Recital Hall

An immersive musical journey where birdsong, instruments, electronics, movement and space come together.

For centuries, composers have listened to birds—not only imitating their calls, but finding in them new ways to think about melody, rhythm, freedom, nature and the act of listening itself.

Birdsong: Evening Concert brings this long musical fascination into the present.

The SALT Experiment—an ensemble of established and emerging professionals dedicated to expressive experimentation and artistic exchange—creates an immersive evening of music with and about birdsong.

There is a morning and evening concert. Tickets are by donation and can be reserved here.

• Where: Philip T. Young Recital Hall, MacLaurin Building, University of Victoria
• When: Sunday, September 13th – 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Kluxen & Hetherington – Beethoven Symphony No. 7 at Royal Theatre

A festive Danish curtain-raiser by Friedrich Kuhlau (Beethoven’s contemporary and a composer central to Denmark’s musical identity) sets the tone for a season that celebrates place and belonging in a time when national songs resonate more than ever.

Berlioz, another nineteenth-century visionary who expanded the orchestra’s expressive range, turns that brightness inward with Les Nuits d’été, a tender farewell to summer sung by mezzo-soprano Alex Hetherington.

Britta Byström’s A Walk to Beethoven, commissioned by Christian Kluxen during his Arctic Philharmonic tenure, answers across time with a luminous bridge leading naturally into Beethoven’s radiant Seventh Symphony—a “celebration of humanity being unworried and free.”

Tickets start at $42 and can be purchased here.

• Where: Royal Theatre, 805 Broughton Street
• When: Sunday, September 13th – 2:30 p.m.