Victoria Events Jan 28 - Feb 4

Lunar New Year celebrations, the Hot Chocolate Fest starts this week, lots of concerts, workshops, and more!

Author

Amelia Acedo
January 28, 2025

In partnership with

Happy Tuesday, friends. Welcome to another edition of TWIV, your weekly compass to what makes our city tick.

On our radar

🎨 Paint and Cider Night: Head to Sea Cider Farm on Feb 13 for a unique paint night experience creating your own canvas that forms a larger, beautiful masterpiece when brought together.

🤣 Sara Pascoe: The British comedian and writer will bring her standup to McPherson Playhouse, Feb 14.

🤴 The Little Prince: See the emotional opera, based on the beloved French novella, at the Royal Theatre on Feb 19, 21, 23 and 25. 

🥘 Savour Sidney: Exclusive prix-fixe dining experiences at participating restaurants in Sidney from Feb 21-March 15. 

🍽 Culinaire: Vancouver Island’s finest food and beverage event will return to the Victoria Conference Centre on Feb 26. 

😂 Nikki Glaser: The Emmy Award-winning comedian—and recent Emmy host—will bring her standup to the Royal Theatre, Feb 27 & 28.

🏆 A night at the Oscars: An evening of glitz, glamour, and movie music at the Royal Theatre on March 8 & 9. From The Wizard of Oz and E.T.: The Extraterrestrial to Chinatown and Chariots of Fire, relive some of cinema’s most magical musical moments.

🎭 Hot Flash Comedy: See comedian Cory Mack and Island funny woman Syd Bosel at the McPherson Playhouse on March 22. 

🎵 The Beach Boys: See the popular band’s Endless Summer Gold tour at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre on March 22. 

🎪⛸️ Cirque du Soleil Crystal: A breakthrough ice experience, where world-class ice skating and unexpected acrobatics fuse to create the first on-ice experience from Cirque du Soleil, coming to Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre, May 8-18.

Happening this week and weekend

Saturday | Mayfair Shopping Centre | 8am-6pm

Celebrate and welcome the Year of the Snake with a lion dance, face painting, choirs, dance, magic, arts, crafts and more, at Mayfair Shopping Centre.

Begins Saturday | Various cafes

Taste the warmth of Victoria’s community with this month-long festival running Feb 1-28, where participating businesses showcase their creative hot chocolate experiences to support the BC SPCA Victoria Community Animal Centre.

Fairmont Empress featured hot chocolate. Hot Chocolate Festival Website.

Sunday | The Farquhar at Uvic | 2:30pm

Join conductor Christian Kluxen and violinist Blake Pouliot for a beautiful night of music, featuring Violin Concerto in D major composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1878, one of the best-known violin concertos. [$40]

Karuara, People of the River | Tues & Wed | 5:20 & 7pm

The documentary, playing at Cinecenta, covers the fight to get legal personhood and protection for a river in the Peruvian Amazon. [$9]

Cake Decoration Workshop | Wednesday | 6:15pm

Visit Flourish BeauTea in Langford for a fun and creative evening learning new techniques, meeting fellow cake enthusiasts, and unleashing your inner artist. [$91.86]

International Guitar Night | Wednesday | 7pm

See the world’s premier touring guitar festival, bringing together the most interesting and innovative acoustic guitarists to exchange musical ideas at The Farquar at UVic. [$47]

Lulo Reinhardt. International Guitar Night Website.

Celebrate the Cannonball Adderley Quintet with an all-star lineup of virtuoso Cuban trumpet player Miguelito Valdez, the swing and alto saxophone of Roy Styffe, the essential piano stylings of Dr. Tony Genge, the outrageous bass playing with Peter Dowse and the legendary Kelby MacNayr on the drums at Hermann’s. [$25]

Experience the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience and discover the music of Coldplay and Imagine Dragons, performed by Listeso String Quartet, at Christ Church Cathedral under the gentle glow of candlelight. [$50+]

See the Listeso String Quartet take on the music of Adele, with hits like “Hello” and “Rolling in the Deep,” at Christ Church Cathedral under the gentle glow of candlelight. [$54.50+]

Valentine Card Making Class | Saturday | 9:30am

Spend a lovely morning creating one-of-a-kind Valentine cards at the Arts and Culture Colwood Centre. [$10]

Moss Art Workshop | Saturday | 9:30am

Visit VI Plant Shop for a fun and creative workshop where you'll learn how to create your very own vibrant moss art piece. [$54]

Composting Basics Workshop | Saturday | 10am

Learn to make your own backyard compost, a living soil amendment rich in nutrients and micro-organisms. This workshop will cover the six factors for composting success, how to choose the best composting system for your needs, and how to increase the rodent resistance of your compost pile at the Compost Education Centre. [Free]

Handtied Bouquet Workshop | Saturday | 4:30-6pm

Learn how to make a beautiful hand-tied bouquet in this workshop at Poppie’s Floral Art. [$65]

Winter Concert | Saturday | 7:30pm

The Choir, The Chorus, Sound Dragon and The Mini-Choir are excited to share their original choral and piano arrangements of songs by Aurora, Beach House, Florence and the Machine, Cyndi Lauper, and more at The Farquar at UVic. [$25]

See the vibrant community choir and experience an evening of captivating pop, R&B, indie-folk, rock, and jazz music at the McPherson Playhouse. [$30]

Latin Funk Night | Saturday | 8pm

Get ready to enjoy all-time funk, soul, and R&B hits in a Cuban and Latin style by The West Coast Cuban Orchestra. [$26]

Dear Rouge | Saturday | 9pm

See the alternative rock duo of Drew and Danielle McTaggart at Capital Ballroom. [$41]

Wassail Day at Sea Cider Farm | Sunday | 11am-4pm

Join a wonderful winter celebration with multiple activities and experiences to enjoy, with 25 specially artisan vendors, food from Bicycle Pizza and Working Culture Bread, Hot Churros from Churros + Mor, live music, a craft station for kids, and more. [Free]

Hispanic Tradeshow | Sunday | 12-3pm

Discover hispanic businesses and their offerings in Vancouver Island at the Ukrainian Cultural Centre. There will be unique products and handcrafted items, food, innovative services and business solutions, networking opportunities, and community connections. [Free]

Enjoy traditional jazz at Hermann’s with CanUS, celebrating 25 years performing. [$25]

Welcome the Year of the Snake with the Wong Sheung Kung Fu Club at the Esquimalt Town Square. [Free]

Phil Hartnoll Orbital | Sunday | 7:30pm

See one of the leading bands, and pioneering producers of UK’s electronic music scene, at Capital Ballroom. [$53]

Visit The Churchill for a night of friendly competition as bartenders battle it out to create the best cocktail using Sheringham's Raincoast gin and their newly released whiskey. Sample unique creations and cast your vote for the winning drink. [$6]

Trivia at Ross Bay Pub | Monday | 7pm

Test your knowledge and win prizes during Monday trivia night presented by Sixty Watt Trivia. [Free to play]

Trivia Night at Swift Beer | Next Tuesday | 7pm

Test your knowledge and grab a drink. [Free to play]

Peach Pit | Next Tuesday | 8pm

Join the pop band on The Magpie Tour at the Royal Theatre. [$49+]

Miguelito Valdés and Band | Next Tuesday | 8:30pm

Visit Bard and Banker for a fun night of live Latin music. [Free]

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Ongoing events

Dine Around and Stay in Town | Daily | Jan 24 - Feb 9

The city’s favourite foodie festival of the year is back from Jan 24-Feb 9, with more than 50 restaurants highlighting their best dishes through three-course menus set at deliciously low prices. [$25+]

Sidney Museum 19th Annual LEGO Exhibit | Daily | Dec 20 - March 30

Hundreds of LEGO creations are on display at the museum until March 30. [By donation]

Oaklands Outdoor Art Tour | Daily | Any time

Experience the self-guided outdoor walking tour of art displays in the Oaklands, inspired by and reflecting the local culture, social events, and environment of the neighbourhood. [Free]

Weekly Cloverpoint Parkrun | Saturdays | 9am

Join a fun and friendly 5K run starting at Cloverpoint. [Free]

See the restored home, built in 1865, and learn about the family who lived there. [$8.50]

Moss Street Winter Market | Saturdays | 10am-1pm

Discover local vendors, get farm-fresh produce and listen to live music at this weekly market. [Free]

Drag Brunch at Vicious Poodle | Saturdays & Sundays | 11am

Enjoy a hearty brunch while Victoria’s top drag performers put on a show. [Free entrance]

That’s it!

Thanks for checking in this week. Hope you found something good to add to your calendar. If not, reply back and let us know what you’re looking for. Consider us your concierge to good times.

See you next week? Same time, same place.

✌️ TWIV

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