You’ll find local and traveling exhibitions at the Nanaimo Art Gallery; performances by the Vancouver Island Symphony and a regular schedule of local and traveling performances at the 600-seat Port Theatre. Local companies include TheatreOne and Crimson Coast Dance. Aspiring dancers will find tap, jazz, modern, hip hop, and ballet instruction at several academies, etc.

After a theatrical or musical performance at Nanaimo’s intimate Port Theatre or a tour through the historic Indigenous, fishing and mining displays in the Nanaimo Museum, you can explore the local food and beverage scene and niché boutique stores. Departing from the popular Matteo Suffon Park along the downtown waterfront walkway, ferries provide short voyages to Gabriola, Protection, and Saysutshun Islands. At Saysutshun (Newcastle Island) Marine Provincial Park, visitors can enjoy interpretive walking tours rooted in the rich history and culture of the local Snuneymuxw First Nation or simply hang out on the beach or wander the numerous forested pathways.