The Vancouver International Burlesque Festival is returning in-person this April 6-9th, for the first time since 2019.

After the cancellation of the 2020 festival due to COVID-19, VIBF held a successful series of digital events in 2021. The 2022 weekend marks a triumphant return to stage and will feature two evenings of performance at the historic Vancouver Playhouse, as well as skill-based workshops, social events, and the educational “TIT Talks” series — a TED-talk-inspired evening which offers unique perspectives on issues relating to burlesque. 

Headliners and features for the 2022 Festival include: Lola Frost, a BC- and Alberta-based performer and staple of the burlesque community, who boasts over ten appearances at The Burlesque Hall of Fame; Foxy Lexxi Brown, a Montreal-based performer and producer who was the first Canadian to be crowned Miss Viva Las Vegas; and local Legend Judith Stein, who has been a burlesque artist since the 1970s and paved the way for Vancouver’s modern burlesque culture. The 2022 festival events will additionally feature over forty performers, hailing from Victoria to Newfoundland, as well as digital submissions from the international community. 

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.

The return to in-person events for the 2022 Festival gives audiences a much needed opportunity to celebrate glamour, decadence, and comedy, as only the Vancouver International Burlesque Festival can — no ifs, ands, but plenty of butts.

Tickets for the two showcases are available at: https://www.vibf.ca/tickets

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