Winter Solstice Lantern Festival

On the longest night of the year, the Secret Lantern Society fills Granville Island and Yaletown with handmade lanterns, drumming and candlelight. The Winter Solstice Lantern Festival is a gentle, community-made alternative to commercial Christmas events. On Granville Island, drop-in workshops at False Creek Community Centre let you make a last-minute lantern or an ivy-and-cedar headdress. Three processions with samba and drum bands then wind toward the Water Park, followed by Squamish Nation dancers, Morris dancing, Baltic singing and a community dance. The ticketed Labyrinth of Light is a quiet candlelit spiral walk at Performance Works and at the Roundhouse in Yaletown. Entry is in timed slots, and tickets are sold online until noon on the day. Door sales at the Roundhouse are cash only. Bring a lantern from home if you have one, dress for rain, and use transit or walk, as Granville Island parking fills early.

Winter Solstice Lantern Festival: dates and details

• When: Monday, December 21, 2026: lantern processions on Granville Island from about 6 pm, performances 7 to 9:30 pm, and Labyrinths of Light from 5 pm
• Where: Granville Island (False Creek Community Centre, Performance Works) and Roundhouse Community Centre (Yaletown), 1318 Cartwright St (False Creek CC); 181 Roundhouse Mews (Roundhouse), Vancouver
• Cost: No admission is listed for the processions and performances. Labyrinth of Light: adults $20, ages 6–13 $5, under 5 free. Lantern workshops $15–$30, headdress making $5.
• Official site: secretlantern.org
• Tickets: Book tickets

Dates, hours and prices can change, so check the official site before you go. For more festive outings, see our Christmas events in Vancouver guide and the list of Christmas tree lightings.