Welcome to The Hub Nanaimo, your weekly insider guide to the best of community arts and culture. Did a friend forward this email to you? Subscribe to this newsletter.

On the May long weekend, venues on Victoria Crescent fill with underground arts and music fans from across Vancouver Island and beyond for the annual Sunk City festival.

This community-run festival is organized and run by more than 50 volunteers who are working to make Nanaimo a hot-spot for independent music and culture in B.C.

With more than 60 artists slated to perform at the festival this year, Sunk City is set to be an exceptional and eclectic event. 

Part of that is an effort to renovate and improve the backyard space behind Sound Heritage, where the festival is returning after the installation of a new emergency stairway. There are also plans for more improvements in an effort to make the space a more regular seasonal events space downtown. 

You can read my story about Sunk City below.

Hope you have a great weekend,

Mick Sweetman

🖊️ What you said ⌨️

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Great info and knowledge of what’s going on around town this week.”

— From our newsletter survey

Got the inside scoop of an event you think should be shared? 

Let us know by submitting it on our website.

Sunk City festival digs into Nanaimo’s underground music scene

Sound Heritage owner wants to create an outdoor community events space behind his store.

🎵 Listen 🎤

Thursday, April 30 

• 5:30 p.m.: Thursday Nite Jazz at the Green Olive.

• 6:30 p.m.: Cold Fame, Freeze The Fall and guests will play an all-ages show at The Globe Live Studio. Tickets cost $20,

• 9:30 p.m.: Todd Anthony Duo with Britt at The Nanaimo Bar. Tickets cost $10.

Friday, May 1 

• 6 p.m.: Frank Zappa Tribute Show at The Globe Live Studio. Tickets cost $20 in advance or $25 at the door.

• 7 p.m.: Legendary UK Slide Guitarist Martin Harley will play The Queen's. Tickets cost $30 in advance or $35 at the door.

• 7 p.m.: Candlelight: Vivaldi's Four Seasons at St. Andrews United Church. Tickets cost $45.

• 8 p.m.: Dead Rights, King Bob, Out Alive and The TV Dead will play the Terminal.

• 9 p.m.: Candlelight: Tribute to ABBA at St. Andrew’s United Church.Tickets cost $31.50

• 9:30 p.m.: RUMPUS at The Queen's. Tickets cost $30.
  

• 9:30 p.m.: DJ ALL GOOD at The Nanaimo Bar. Tickets cost $10. 

• 10 p.m.: Pickle Juice will play at The Old City Station Pub. Tickets cost $17.40

Saturday, May 2 

• 5:30 p.m.: Cosmosaurus, Ancient City Teahouse Party, The Nexxt will play an all-ages show at The Globe Live Studio. Tickets cost $15 advance or $20 at the door.

• 6:30 p.m.: New Road Echo at The Queen's. Tickets cost $15 in advance or or $20 at the door. 

• 7:30 p.m.: A German Requiem at St. Andrew's United Church. Tickets cost $30.

Sunday, May 3 

• 3 p.m.: Sunday Blues Jam at The Queens. Tickets cost $10.

Wednesday, May 6 

• 6:30 p.m.: Devin Cooper & Mariya Stokes at The Queen's. Tickets cost $20 in advance, $25 at the door.

Thursday, May 7 

• 6:30 p.m.: MIINA at The Queen's. Tickets cost $20 in advance, $25 at the door.

🎭 View 🖼️

Friday, May 1 

• Noon.: An Animated Assembly lunchtime tour at the Nanaimo Art Gallery. Tickets cost $5 or are free for gallery members.
  

Sunday, May 3 

• 5:30 p.m.: An online screening of Bearing Bloodlines: Ancestral Invocations is presented by Crimson Coast Dance.

⛹️ Meet 🎲

Thursday, April 30 

• 5:30 p.m.: Mindfulness Book Club at Nanaimo Harbourfront Library.
  

Friday, May 1 

• 2:30 p.m.: Nintendo Switch Time at Gabriola Island Library. 

• 3 p.m.: Reading Buddies for children in Kindergarten to Grade 4 at Nanaimo North LIbrary.
  

Saturday, May 2 

• 10 a.m.: Curious ComiCon 2026 at Country Club Centre. Admission is free.
  

Sunday, May 3 

• 10 a.m.: Hop Into Spring '26 artisan market in support of VI Fluffle Society at the Beban Park Centennial Building. 
  

Monday, May 4 

• 6:30 p.m.: Paint a Moonlit Mermaid with Michelee at the Wheatsheaf Pub and Liquor Store. Tickets cost $50.
  

Wednesday, May 6 

• 3 p.m.: Nanaimo Island Roots Farmers' Market in Beban Park.

• 6 p.m.: Read, Reflect, Write, a poetry workshop about savouring, wondering and daring facilitated by Nanaimo poet laureate Neil Surkan at the Nanaimo North library. 

What did you think of this newsletter?

⭐    ⭐⭐    ⭐⭐⭐    ⭐⭐⭐⭐    ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Like what you're reading?

Community news keeps us connected. We can't do this without you.