Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival’s mission is to perform, explore and celebrate the genius of William Shakespeare. Our mandate is to provide Vancouver residents and tourists with affordable, accessible Shakespearean productions of the finest quality, with a vision to create an enduring contribution to the cultural fabric of our community as an inspiring centre of Shakespeare performance, education and understanding. Established in 1990, Bard attracts over 100,000 visitors annually and has welcomed nearly 1.9 million patrons since our inception. Bard on the Beach has grown into the largest Shakespeare Festival in Western Canada, an integral part of the cultural landscape of Vancouver and one of the largest cultural employers in the province. The Festival takes place under tents in Vanier Park with a spectacular natural backdrop of the mountains, sea and sky. In 2019, Bard celebrates our 30th anniversary season.