Community, culture and competition, all in one boat.

The Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival is the continent’s flagship and original dragon boat festival! Join us to explore the intersection of culture and sport with racing, music, cultural demonstration and exhibits, and food on the shores of False Creek.

The roots of the dragon boat festival run through thousands of years of evolution and tradition. The festival has multiple historical roots including in: fertility rites, worship of the gods, prayers to avert disease and sickness, harvest rituals, ancestor worship, and  commemoration of an ancient epic poet.

However, common through all of these threads is the community uniting to share its different stories through displays of culture, and competitions in dragon boat racing.

The Festival has significantly evolved since dragon boat’s Canadian debut in Vancouver at Expo 86, when the local Chinese community sought to unite the community and build a space for intercultural dialogue.

In 1989, the community formalized its efforts and founded the Canadian International Dragon Boat Festival Society to run the Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival (formally, to this day, known as the Canadian International Dragon Boat Festival). The Festival is run as one of the flagship programs for the non-profit Society today.

For more information on the roots of the dragon boat festival, visit dragonboatbc.ca/history.

The Festival is free for the general public to attend!

For team race registration fees, please go to our registration page for more details.

To join an existing team, please email [email protected] for assistance. Teams typically recruit new members in the Spring for late Spring or early Summer races.

To learn to paddle and race, visit our paddling club website for information on our 4 and 8 week learn to paddle programs.

The Festival schedule varies from year to year. The 2025 Festival runs from June 20-22 (race days June 21-22) at Concord Pacific Place and Creekside Park. For the most up-to-date schedules, please visit the following links

• Dragon Boat Racing: Race Grids in Downloads section (grid issued 1-2 weeks prior to Festival. Update for Sunday issued approximately 9:00-10:00 PM Saturday evening)
• TD Main Stage: Stage schedule published Tuesday after Victoria Day on the TD Main Stage page
• Cultural Programs: Cultural program schedules for the Chinatown, Indigenous, and Pride Pavilions published early June on the Cultural Programs page. Roaming performance and demonstration schedules on-site.
• Concord Community Zone: Programming schedule published in early June on the Cultural Programs page.
• Exhibits and Other Pavillions: Tents open approximately 10:00 AM and close approximately 30 minutes before the end of the last show on-site.
• Food and Beverages: Food service begins approximately 9:00 AM and runs to the end of the last show on-site. Beverage service begins approximately 12:00 PM and runs to 30 minutes before the end of the last show on-site.
• Shopping: Tents open approximately 10:00 AM and close approximately 30 minutes before the end of the last show on-site.

Make it a weekend at the Festival! From world-class racing, food and drinks, cultural programs, live music, visual arts, and roaming performances for all ages, you’ll discover the spirit of our community right along the shores of False Creek.

• Dragon Boat Racing: Held Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 AM-6:30 PM, approximately every 10-11 minutes. Most races are 500 M races starting from around Cambie Bridge and ending near the Main Stage. Look for our on-site screens for the livestream and race commentary, and visit the Race Result towers to see the day’s schedules and results.
• Live Music: The TD Main Stage celebrates artists from our community, from emerging talent to local headliners. Best of all, it’s all free to enjoy! Follow the sounds from the street, or head to the North East corner of False Creek to find the stage directly facing the Race Course.
• Cultural Programs: Learn about our community’s heritage, and how it intersects with the story of our modern dragon boat festival. Located near the TD Main Stage, hear from the original inhabitants of these territories, and hear myths behind the dragon boat festival’s foundation and arrival in Vancouver. With all the magic going on at the Festival, you might even see a few dragons along the boardwalk!
• Food and Beverages: Enjoy one of the province’s most scenic patios- right in the heart of Vancouver! Pick up a drink (photo ID required) from our beverage garden, and enjoy a bite from one of our many food trucks located in the TD Main Stage Zone.
• Shopping: Pick up a souvenir of the Festival, or support a local vendor across the entire site!

While we’re fans of our four-legged friends, there’s a lot going on at the Festival. From the sounds of the main stage, to the crowds moving around, it can be easy for your pet to get hurt. As well, as much as your pet is adorable, it just is a fact that some of our attendees may be nervous around animals, and we ask you to respect their boundaries.

If you choose to bring your pet down, please ensure that they are on a leash at all times, are comfortable around large crowds, can tolerate loud sounds and tight spots, and keep an appropriate distance to other people. You may also want to have a friend with you so that you can share responsibilities on the day of the event.

There are large green spaces for you and your pet to safely enjoy the Festival. Under no circumstances should you leave a pet in an enclosed area like a car, or without supervision.

However you’re arriving to enjoy the Festival, you’ve got plenty of choices! Take transit to Main Street Skytrain Station, bike down to False Creek and Concord Pacific Place, or carpool and park at one of the many lots in the area.

• Public Transit: We’re across the street from Main Street-Science World, 5 minutes from Stadium-Chinatown, and 10 minutes from Olympic Village. The first train on Saturday will get you here by 6:45 AM, and by 7:45 AM on Sunday. If you’re taking the bus, hop on the #3 Main, #8 Fraser/Downtown, or the #19 Metrotown/Stanley Park. Go to www.translink.ca to plan your trip.
• Biking: Bike lockups available outside Science World and Creekside Community Centre. Due to the high number of visitors, we strongly encourage you to lock your bike before going into the Festival. Please do not ride your bike through the site.
• Parking: Parking lots available off of Pacific Boulevard, Main Street, or in Chinatown at the Chinatown Parkade.

• Info Stations
  • General Public: Blue Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival tents at Main Stage, TD Main Stage Zone, and Creekside Park South
  • Racers and Teams: Racer Services at Racer Village/Concord Community Park, and Race Registrar by Creekside Paddling Centre
• First Aid Services
  • Staffed First Aid Stations: Top of Creekside Paddling Centre and to the North of the main stage
  • AEDs: Creekside Community Centre and Creekside Paddling Centre
  • Mobile First Aid attendants on site- ask staff/volunteers for assistance if you require aid

• Washrooms: Located throughout site and at Creekside Community Centre

• Baby Change Room: Creekside Community Centre
• Family Zone: Concord Community Park

• Red Truck Patio: TD Main Stage Zone
• Drinking Water Stations: Red Truck Patio, Racer Village, and Creekside Community Centre
• Food Trucks: Behind the TD Main Stage Zone

• Festival Merchandise: Concord Community Park
• ATM: Red Truck Patio in Main Stage Zone

Find us online on Facebook at Dragon Boat BC and Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival, or  Twitter and Instagram at @dragonboatbc.

Looking for race livestream videos or videos from previous Festivals? Visit our Youtube channel at Dragon Boat BC.

Have a general inquiry? Email [email protected] with any questions you may have.

Whether you’re a team that’s been around since the teak boats, or a new team making your mark on the racing scene, we’re honoured to have you join us as we promote and build up dragon boat for our community. If you haven’t already, visit our Race section for more information.

Click here for team registration information. Registration typically opens in mid September of the preceding year, and closes when a division is full or in mid May. Divisions typically begin filling up in early Spring each year.

An early bird discount is typically available until the end of December. We recommend planning early to take advantage of discounts and other special offers.

We’re excited to welcome you to the Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival alongside teams from across Canada and the world!

Technical info is available here. Main races for each division are 500 M long. Only invited teams in main divisions (Premier Mixed, Premier Women, Premier Open) are invited to participate in the 2,000 M Guts and Glory.

Specialty Cup races are a 100 M knockout race, and are either open for registration online, or are by invitation.

Races are held in IDBF 1222 BuK boats. PFDs are mandatory.

For race grids or race rules, please visit our downloads section.

The races are held on False Creek, which is a tidal salt-water course. Races take off from Creekside Paddling Centre, and start from approximately Cambie Street Bridge, heading North East towards Science World.

Race categories are broken either into Divisions (full race program) or Specialty Cups (one-off races).

Your registration fee is based on what you are registering in, and if you qualify for a Junior, All Access discount, Composite, or Visiting Team discount.

Our system at register.dragonboatbc.ca will determine what category you fall in based on a series of questions you will be asked as you set up your team.

• Race Divisions (changes from year to year, but typically consists of)
  • Standard Divisions: Premier Mixed, Premier Women, Premier Open, Junior Mixed
  • Specialty Cups: 24U Cup, Senior Cup, Breast Cancer Cup, All Access Cup
  • Invitational/Qualification Races: International Cup, Guts and Glory (in all standard division except Junior Mixed)
• Registration Categories
  • Standard: adult teams
  • All Access: 24U teams, Senior teams (60+), Cancer survivor teams, medical issue teams, or other accessibility teams approved by the Society
  • Junior: Team meets Junior age rules
  • Composite: All racers already listed as a racer on a roster for a Standard, All Access, or Junior Team at the same overall Festival. Composite teams are a discount category to recognize teams who want to take advantage of their time at the Festival and fit in more races!
  • Visiting Team: Outside Metro Vancouver but in Canada or US; or Overseas if outside of Canada or US.

Since Expo 86, the Festival has welcomed international teams to Vancouver, with more and more coming especially after we hosted the first Club Crew World Championships in 1996. We look forward to seeing your team at the Festival soon.

Go to our visiting team page for information on what to expect.

All visiting teams enjoy registration discounts. Visit our registration page for information. Visiting teams are those in Canada or the United States, but outside of Metro Vancouver.

Overseas teams (outside of Canada or the United States) enjoy free registration from our title and founding partner, Concord Pacific.

Hotel offers are published in July the year prior, but are organized as early as the March the year prior. By planning early, you enjoy Festival discounts for hotels, as low as the mid to high $200 mark. Teams should plan early, as June Vancouver hotel rates go upwards of $500+ for last minute bookings.

If you require visas, please submit information as listed on the visiting team page for letters of invitation. We will only issue letters if registrations and proof of sufficient planning is received.

Plan your Vancouver trip early! Contact us at [email protected] if you require any assistance with getting to Vancouver and the Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival.

If you are looking for accommodation for future years, please contact us, as special offers have begun to be secured for our future events.

• June 20-22, 2025
• TBA 2026

Stationary first aid stations are positioned at the top of the ramp going to Creekside Paddling Centre, and between the Main Stage and Racer’s Village (marked with red signs and flags). First aid kits are available at all information tents for the public and racers.

If you aren’t close to any of these locations or can’t get to one of these locations, flag one of our staff, volunteers, or security down to have our mobile first aid station come to you.

Key Reminders

• If you have allergies, make sure you double check your allergens against what a sampler or food truck declares. If you are not sure, ask!
• Stay clear of any moving vehicles, and remember to not run in highly congested areas of the site. If your team incorporates sprints into a warmup, please use the designated warmup zones only.
• Please keep an eye out for those around you, and don’t hesitate to ask staff or volunteers for help.

Your safety is our priority. If you require immediate assistance, please flag any volunteer, staff, or security guard for assistance.

If you witness any unsafe situation or concerning situation, please let us know as soon as possible. If it is a non-emergency situation and you would prefer to report it electronically, please email us at [email protected].

Coming together safely is possible by mitigating risk. On site, you can expect the following:

• When possible, tent walls kept open to increase air circulation
• All public programs held outdoors
• Masks and hand sanitizers available at any info tent
• Hand sanitizer stations available around Festival site
• Racers, volunteers, and staff are encouraged to take all proper health precautions given their constant presence on site.
• Designated racer zones separated from the general public

Full health protocols are subject to change at any time. Please visit dragonboatbc.ca/covid19 for more information.

Community, culture and competition, all in one boat.

The Canadian International Dragon Boat Festival Society (dba Dragon Boat BC) is the non-profit organizer of North America’s flagship dragon boat festival – the Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival, and runs Dragon Zone Paddling Club – Canada’s largest paddling club.

The Society also produces a series of races, cultural programming, and community initiatives centred around the traditional Chinese cultural sport of dragon boat. Through its All Access and youth programs, supported by the Milton K. Wong Legacy Project, the Society makes paddling experiences accessible regardless of any barriers to participation. 

The Society became a registered non-profit in British Columbia in 1989. Visit dragonboatbc.ca/cidbfs for more information.

Thank you for your enthusiasm and for being interested in supporting our Festival! Over 500 volunteers each year help deliver our programs and events. Visit our volunteer page for general information and application information.

Lead volunteer positions typically open for applications in the winter, and general volunteer positions typically open for applications in early Spring.

You may also be provided with additional volunteer opportunities at our other events beside the Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival.

For media statements, please visit dragonboatbc.ca/media for our latest press releases and statements, or contact [email protected] for availabilities or comments.

On-site, please go to the Media Check In tent by the Concord Pacific Presentation Centre (88 Pacific Boulevard) to receive media accreditation to enter backstage zones, media boats, and to be scheduled for interview availabilities.

Thank you for your interest in being part of the Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival. Our festival showcases the region’s local culture, and in the spirit of the original dragon boat festival and our founding mandate, aims to create an intercultural meeting place.

If you believe your group meets this criteria, please visit our applications page for information on how to submit information to our staff to review.

Thank you for your interest in supporting the Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival. The Festival is produced by the non-profit Canadian International Dragon Boat Festival Society (dba Dragon Boat BC).

For general information, please visit our applications page. A full sponsorship deck and customized package is available by emailing [email protected].