The Vancouver International Burlesque Festival is back! We are bringing all the glitz and glam to celebrate 19 years of showstopping burlesque. This year's festival runs from April 2 to April 7, 2024, showcasing a dazzling array of local and international burlesque talent.
Artistic Director Androsia Wilde continues to highlight what makes burlesque such a special art form. The festival remains a showcase for radical transformative art with that special sparkly flair that burlesque teases out of everyone.
"I'm excited to return as Artistic Director to once again present a tantalizing cross-section of the talented performers from both our city and across the continent,” shares Androsia. “We are highlighting both the glamour and glitter inherent to our artform, as well as the myriad stories and perspectives that these performances are capable of telling."
Our two-night showcase will take place at the historic Vancouver Playhouse and features headliners that embody everything this showcase has to offer. Moscato Sky, who was awarded 2nd Runner Up in the Mx Exotic World category at the Burlesque Hall Of Fame Weekender in 2023, has been voted on the 21st Century Burlesque Top 50 List of the most influential burlesque figures in the world since 2020 and is currently ranked at #16. Red Tongued Raven, a five-time award-winning performer known for their stunning stage presence and wry humor, has performed all over North America, including at the New York Burlesque Festival, the 40th annual Pride Toronto Festival, and the IMPACT international theater festival closing party. The festival also honors burlesque legends; people who paved the way to make burlesque what it is today. This year, we will be celebrating Shawna, the Black Venus. She was recognized for her work by the Burlesque Hall of Fame in 2018 and performed in Legends and Icons at the all-Black Burlesque Revue in 2023.
Accompanying the live showcase is the virtual showcase, allowing artists to use the medium of film to take their burlesque in a new, daring direction. A series of skill-based workshops, taught by some of the best burlesque artists in North America, will also be available. Finally, the educational “TIT Talks” series — a TED-talk-inspired evening offering unique perspectives on issues relating to burlesque and our ever-changing world — will unfold. Five amazing speakers will take the stage, followed by a Q&A session between Androsia Wilde and our living legend, Shawna, the Black Venus.
All events are curated to ensure the visibility and inclusion of those who identify as performers of color, performers of size, performers over 40 years of age, performers with disabilities, and performers belonging to the LGBTTTQQIAAP (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Transsexual, Two-Spirit, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Agender, Pansexual) community. The Festival’s final curation reflects the full spectrum of bodies and identities enriching and defining burlesque today.
Tickets for the two showcases are available at: https://www.vibf.ca/tickets.