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Richmond Night Market to Close Permanently After 2026 Season, Ending 26-Year Run

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Richmond Night Market Announces Permanent Closure After Summer 2026, Ending a 26-Year Vancouver Tradition

The Richmond Night Market, one of British Columbia's most beloved summer institutions, will shut down for good at the end of the 2026 season, organizers confirmed today. The decision comes as the lease on its riverside location near Bridgeport Station expires, with approximately six weeks remaining in its final run.

For more than a quarter century, the market evolved from a modest community gathering into a major regional attraction that drew millions of visitors annually. On any given summer night, up to 10,000 people would browse as many as 250 vendor booths and nearly 100 food stalls spread across the 20-acre site, while roughly 1,000 seasonal workers kept the operation humming.

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"I have had the privilege of organizing and operating the Richmond Night Market for the past 26 years," said founder Raymond Cheung in a statement. "Watching a single local event grow into one of Canada's best-known summer attractions has been an incredible honour."

The 2026 season opened April 24 and wraps up Sunday, September 20. Hours are 7pm to midnight on Fridays, Saturdays, and holiday Sundays, and 7pm to 11pm on regular Sundays. This year's attractions include the returning 600-foot Skyrush Zipline, first introduced in 2025.

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The closure stems from the expiration of a three-year lease extension signed in 2023. The waterfront property — known as Duck Island, a former industrial site between Bridgeport and Capstan SkyTrain stations valued at roughly $128 million — had long been earmarked for redevelopment. A 2024 proposal for a massive commercial complex with nearly 2,000 hotel rooms, entertainment venues, and retail spaces was approved by Richmond City Council but collapsed after the developer, Jingon International Development Group, encountered financial difficulties. The property is now under a court-ordered sale process.

Cheung launched the original night market in 2000 in a strip mall parking lot before moving through several locations. The current Duck Island site opened in 2012 and operated every summer except 2020. Organizers say thousands of small businesses have cycled through the market over the decades, with many using it as a launchpad to reach wider audiences.

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Admission for the final 2026 season is $7 (free for children under seven and seniors 60+), with a $40 Zoom Pass available for frequent visitors. No details have been shared about a potential replacement event or future location.

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