Latin Expressions 2026 celebrates Latin American cultures October 1-27 across Metro Vancouver
Vancouver Latin American Cultural Centre presents month-long festival with live music, literary readings, guided gallery tours, and family programming at multiple venues.
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The Vancouver Latin American Cultural Centre presents Latin Expressions 2026, a multidisciplinary festival running October 1-27 at various venues across Metro Vancouver. The celebration includes live music, dance, literature, film, visual arts, and community experiences designed to create connections across cultures.
"Latin Expressions reflects the extraordinary diversity of Latin American cultures and the many ways our stories continue to evolve across borders," said Lili Vieira de Carvalho, VLACC executive director. "We want audiences to discover exceptional artists and experiences, but also to meet one another, exchange perspectives and recognize something of themselves in stories that may come from somewhere else. That sense of connection and belonging is at the heart of the festival."
October 1 kicks off with a celebration of Mexican-Canadian writing at Vancouver Public Library Central Branch, featuring editor Antolina Ortiz Moore of the anthology "De la Sierra Madre al Universo Boreal" alongside contributors Mara Álvarez, Óscar Yahir Aguilar, and Romero Salaspuente.
On October 4, guest curator and archaeologist Luis Manuel González and Indigenous ancestral healing guide Paola Noriega will lead a guided tour of the Museum of Anthropology's "Tupananchiskama: Ancient Andean Cosmovision" exhibition, which explores ancient Andean worldviews through nearly 100 pre-Columbian ceramic, textile, bone, and wood works.
October 10 brings "I Like It Like That!" at Performance Works—an evening of Latin and Afro-Caribbean music featuring Trópico Norte, Salseo, and Midnight Boogaloo. October 16-18, the Yupi! Latin American Arts Family Festival at the same venue targets kids aged 3-12, with workshops, food, a Carnaval Ball, and performances by MNGWA, Capoeira Aché Brasil, Nahualli Folklore, and Canto Vivo Choir.
October 22 brings Mexican writer Valeria Luiselli to a special edition of VLACC's Latin American Reading Group at the Dockside Lounge, presented with Vancouver Writers Fest. Vancouver Public Library's head of cultural programming, Jorge Amigo, will moderate a discussion based on Luiselli's essay "Border" from "Tell Me How It Ends: An Essay in Forty Questions".
On October 24, Vancouver-based Mexican artist Gina Ortiz-Figueroa will present a tour and discussion of her solo exhibition "I Contain Multitudes, From the Yukon to Patagonia" at the Alliance Française Gallery.
VLACC first presented Latin Expressions in 2022. The festival marks October Latin American Heritage Month, which Parliament of Canada recognized in 2018. The Latin American community is one of Canada's fastest-growing population groups, having nearly tripled over the past two decades.
Before you go
When and where does Latin Expressions 2026 run?
Latin Expressions 2026 runs October 1–27 at various venues across Metro Vancouver.
What kinds of events are featured?
The festival includes live music, dance, literature, film, visual arts, and community experiences across multiple programming formats.
What's happening October 10?
'I Like It Like That!' takes place October 10 at Performance Works, featuring an evening of Latin and Afro-Caribbean music with Trópico Norte, Salseo, and Midnight Boogaloo.
Is there programming for kids?
The Yupi! Latin American Arts Family Festival runs October 16–18 at Performance Works, targeting children aged 3–12 with workshops, food, a Carnaval Ball, and live performances.
