Symphony in the Park is a free outdoor evening concert with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra at Deer Lake Park in Burnaby.
In 2026, the event takes place on Saturday, July 18th, from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm. The concert is one of Burnaby’s best-loved summer events.
The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra returns to Deer Lake Park in 2026 for another free outdoor performance. It usually takes place in either late June or mid-July. This year, Symphony in the Park takes place on July 18th.
No tickets are required. The City also has family-friendly programming that begins at 3:00 pm. Visitors can learn about musical instruments from the VSO team before the evening concert starts.
The following day, on Sunday, July 19th, Opera in the Park takes place at the same venue.
(TIP: Another event you might be interested in is Symphony in the Park in Abbotsford. It’s with a different symphony orchestra that plays on August 14th, 2026. It too is free, lovely and highly recommended.)
Where and When
Symphony in the Park happens on the Festival Lawn at Deer Lake Park, which is located at 6450 Deer Lake Avenue in Burnaby. The lawn is in front of the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts. A special outdoor stage is normally set up for the day at the far end of the field, near the water. It’s a beautiful venue.
The concert in 2026 happens on Saturday, July 18th, from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm.
What to Expect
Weather permitting, at the Symphony in the Park event you can expect a beautiful evening of classical music outdoors in the fresh air.
Expect a large outdoor crowd, a relaxed summer atmosphere. The event is family-friendly and easy to enjoy as a summer outing. As it takes place on the lawn at Deer Lake Park, most people bring their own blankets or chairs and settle in before the orchestra begins.
SYMPHONY IN THE PARK IN ABBOTSFORD
The event at Burnaby’s Deer Lake Park isn’t the only one in the Lower Mainland that involves classical symphony music at a beautiful outdoor venue. It’s also not an event with a completely unique name. Symphony in the Park in Abbotsford is another fabulous event, and it’s also free to attend. The Fraser Valley event usually takes place at Mill Lake Park in mid-August.
The Repertoire
The program for the 2026 event is below. This year’s concert features a mix of classical favourites and well-known music from films.
- Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67 (by Beethoven)
- Enigma Variations (Variation IX: Nimrod) (by Elgar)
- Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso with Corina Deng (by Saint Saens)
- Letter from the Afterlife (by Wijeratne)
- Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92 (by Beethoven)
- Symphony No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 36 (by Tchaikovsky)
- Symphony No. 2 in E Minor (by Rachmaninoff)
- Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi Theme (by John Williams)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (by John Williams)
- Hook: The Flight to Neverland (by John Williams)
- Flying Theme from E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial (by John Williams)
- Eugene Onegin: Polonaise (by Tchaikovsky)
Tips & Advice
Below are some suggestions and important things to know to help make your experience at Symphony in the Park as enjoyable as possible.
TIP #1: Take a lawn chair, blanket and your picnic or other (non-alcoholic) refreshments.
TIP #2: Arrive early! If you hope to get parking anywhere remotely near the venue, get to Deer Lake Park at least a couple of hours before the show. There will be thousands of people and parking is limited.
TIP #3: If you can’t arrive early then get someone to drop you and your friends off at the park and then have them go find parking. Wish the driver luck, remind them in advance to wear good walking shoes, and then hope that if they do find parking somewhere that you’ll be able to find them later among the crowds. If the driver has a car with a bike rack, then taking a bicycle for the ride back to the park can be a good idea.
TIP #4: If you do arrive early, then explore the park. It’s a beautiful place.
TIP #5: If you’re ever in the City of Victoria on the BC Day long weekend, you might want to check out Victoria’s Summer Symphony Festival (which used to be called Symphony Splash). It’s a similar event, but with the Victoria Symphony Orchestra performing in Victoria’s Inner Harbour. That event is also highly recommended and includes a short display of fireworks at the end.
Other Things to Do
While at Deer Lake Park there are plenty of other things to do before the concert begins.
There are some beautiful gardens between the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts and the Burnaby Art Gallery just steps from the concert venue.
The walk around Deer Lake itself is exceptional. You can stroll along the trails and wooden boardwalks for as long as you like in one direction and then turn back when you’re done, or walk the whole way round. At the east end of the lake there’s a small sandy beach.
The Burnaby Art Gallery houses a small collection of art in a beautiful heritage building. It’s usually open from around noon until 5:00 pm on Saturdays.
Burnaby Village Museum is just a 10-minute or so walk from the Festival Lawn at Deer Lake. It’s an exceptional museum with free admission and open from 11:00 am until 4:30 pm.
Other Information
Visit the City of Burnaby‘s website and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra‘s website for more information about this event.
Another similar event to this is Symphony at Sunset, which is also a free Vancouver Symphony Orchestra concert, but at Sunset Beach. Yet another free event hosted by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra is VSO Day of Music which usually happens in early June. There’s Symphony in the Park in Abbotsford too at a different location and with a different orchestra. Opera in the Park also takes place in mid-July with Vancouver Opera.
Click Burnaby for details about the City of Burnaby.
Click Free Summer Concerts for a list of other free concerts taking place in the Lower Mainland.
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