Slay. Serve. Circus!
2025’s Sold-Out Circus Show Returns to the Rio Theatre This July!

Think you know circus? Think again.

On Thursday, July 30th, Du Jour Marketing and April O’Peel Productions brings Cirque Du Slay back to the Rio Theatre for a one-night-only spectacle of drag, circus, comedy, and unapologetic star power. Expect jaw-dropping aerial acts, seductive sets, and unforgettable stage moments designed to keep your pulse racing from start to finish.

Get ready to ooh, ah and ooh la la! Cirque Du Slay is back!

Thursday, July 30 - SOLD OUT!
Doors 7:00 pm | Event 8:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Advanced (Main Floor, Assigned; Balcony GA) - $30 + s/c | $35 + s/c at the door
VIP (Front 3 rows centre, Assigned) - $40 + s/c (includes premiere seating + photos with the cast)

Our prize-packed Intermission will feature a special performance and giveaways from local circus schools, queer-owned businesses, and the artists themselves. Support the scene and snag something sweet! Between the thrills onstage, the Rio Theatre lobby and bar will be buzzing with cocktails, mocktails, and all your favourite queer anthems. Be sure to snag a limited-edition Rio Theatre Pride T-shirt, hit up the Cirque Du Slay merch booth, and tag us in your pics: @riotheatre & @aprilopeelproductions.

This boundary-breaking show is proudly sponsored by Rifflandia who produces international projects across music, art, film, sports and live entertainment.

Featuring an ALL-QUEER core cast plus guests including Batty Banks, Cali Cobalt, Justin Heat, Kit
Fox, Maverick, Miss Kiss, Circus Dancer Sarah, Space Cake, Rain City Circus, and more.

Behind the Curtain: Production Partners in Crime

Du Jour Marketing is the personal project of Tita Cupcakedujour. The former professional figure skater and pint-sized pin up, has shifted from pairs skating to pairing passions. Her unique ability to blend athletics, artistry, and community-building took her around the world, and across Canada. Having stuck her landing in the heart of Vancouver’s live performance scene, Tita is back for another season of dynamic performances and audience thrilling productions.

Joining her is the beloved burlesque star and award winning producer April O’Peel. As the creative force behind monthly Burlesque revues at the Rio Theatre, and performances across Vancouver, April is known for turning every event into a guaranteed good time. April O’Peel

Productions combine top level talent and low-ball humour in equal measure, forever over-serving audiences with classic show biz magic and unexpected delights.

After producing a show that left no crumbs, April O’Peel and Du Jour Marketing are back with another dazzling and dizzying lineup. Their decades of stage experience, shared love for fearless, inclusive art, and sold out success is coming to the Rio stage for Pride 2026!

For Pride this year the Rio Theatre is rolling out the rainbow carpet to welcome back Vancouver Pride & the return of Dandy's BIG GAY CABARET! Celebrate with us in a interactive comedy cabaret hosted by the award-winning host and social media sensation DANDY!

HAPPY PRIDE from the RIO THEATRE!!!  It’s Pride week in Vancouver and that means it’s time for BIG GAY CABARET, hosted by DANDY!

Dahlings this is our best year yet because we’re doing a ROAD TRIP! I rented us a big gay bus and we’re going across the country together to experience the gayest things the world has to offer. We’ll see drag queens, burlesque, fire dances, cosplay, feminist book clubs, and sexy original vocalists. PARTY BUS VIBES ALL THE WAY SO DRESS TO IMPRESS DAHLINGS. And as for our final destination? A HEATED RIVALRY look alike competition IN MONTREAL! Are you kidding? Am I? Well you’ll have to show up to find out. Don’t miss it, and VIP gets interactive prop bags darlings. Let’s go gurrrrlz.

Friday, July 31
Doors 7:15 pm | Show 8:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Main Floor Assigned $30 + s/c | $35 at the door
VIP - First 4 rows $40 + s/c **VIP ticket holders also get an interactive prop bag to be used during the show!**
The 'We Are Family' 4 Pack $25 a ticket + s/c (Available online only)

But wait, there's more!

The Rio Theatre lobby and bar will be open between shows and serving up Pride inspired cocktails, mocktails and your favorite gay anthems. Don't forget to pick up a Rio Theatre Pride Edition T-shirt, check out the merch booth and pose, vogue, pose at our pride photo backdrop. Don't forget to tag us in your pics @riotheatre & @dandyandfriends

Featuring:

Layna Emerald
Melody Mangler
Burna Dart
Shoop Dumplin
Ben Anna Split
Anahita Monfared
Celeste
Levitikus
Tally Ho
Vivi Bergere
Chap L. Moan
T. Winky Dink
Indie Darling

with Phoenix Hellfire and the Dancing Dandies!

Behind the award winning costumes and make-up:

Ryan Leslie Fisher plays Dandy (he/him) is the revelrous cabaret host made popular on TikTok for his viral videos promoting queer joy! Winner of Host of the Year 2024 for Vancouver International Burlesque Festival and awarded runner up in the Georgia Straight’s BEST OF VANCOUVER for his show Drag Attack! - you can catch him regularly on stage in his shows at the iconic Rio Theatre in Vancouver, BC. His Emmy-winning series Dandyland, which highlights businesses, organizations, and artists in the LGBT Community, is now streaming on Optik TV.
@dandyandfriends

Rafaella Rabinovich is an internationally trained, award-winning costume designer working across film, television, and live performance. A proud queer artist, she is known for her bold, character-driven approach to storytelling and her ability to elevate the visual language of every project. Trained in costume and set design, Rafaella further specialized and furthered her educetion in theatrical prosthetics, advanced pattern-making and shoe making. Her credits span major studios and networks including Netflix, The CW, ABC, TBS, Disney, Lifetime, Discovery Channel, and Sony, with notable projects including To All the Boys I've Loved Before, Project Mc2, Kung Fu, Stranger in Town, and the upcoming thriller Harmonia staring Carrie Coon, Lily James, Bella Ramsey, and Odessa Young. Her work has earned multiple CAFTCAD Awards, Leo honors, a Costume Society of America Design Award, a Day Time Creative Emmy nomination as well as a Children’s & Family Emmy Award win and recognition at the 27th and 28th Costume Designers Guild Awards for Dandyland. @costume_designer101

From the outrageous John Waters, writer-director of PINK FLAMINGOS and HAIRSPRAY, comes another signature exercise in bad taste. Sylvia Stickles (Tracey Ullman), the owner of a convenience store in a working-class Baltimore neighborhood, suffers a concussion. The injury causes a drastic change in her sexual drive, turning her into a sex addict with crazy, wild and urgent desires and compulsions, much to the joy and then frustration of her husband (Chris Isaak), who has trouble keeping up with her. As Sylvia's insatiable libido reaches fever pitch, her new oversexed personality threatens to tear apart the remnants of what wasn't an entirely perfect family to begin with. And that's A Dirty Shame. With Chris Isaak, Selma Blair, Johnny Knoxville, Mink Stole, Patricia Hearst.

"A genuine cri de couer in the director's long-running battle against the forces of censorship and a banal societal (and cinematic) status quo." (Austin Chronicle)

"A welcome reminder that sex is sometimes too ridiculous to take so seriously." (Premiere Magazine)

"[Waters] hasn't let slick technique take over as has Hollywood, and he retains his radical sensibility and his willingness to go where others haven't." (Washington Post)

Friday, July 31
Doors 11:00 pm | Movie 11:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Late Night Date Night! Tickets are two-for-one entry!

A DIRTY SHAME (John Waters, 2004 / 89 mins / 18A) Sylvia Stickles runs a convenience store with her husband and mother-in-law. One day, Sylvia is hit on the head and transforms from an uptight prude to a sex-crazed lunatic. As she goes on a rampage through town, Sylvia attracts the attention of Ray Ray, a sexual healer and tow truck driver in search of the world's greatest orgasm. Their sexual revolution, however, causes a class war in their tiny Baltimore community.

Howard Beale, a veteran newscaster, is informed by his ratings-driven network executives that he is about to be dumped because he "skews old" - in turn, he uses his next broadcast to announce that he is going to commit suicide on his final programme. An ambitious programming executive convinces her superiors to let the broadcast go ahead, hoping that the final event will give the network its greatest ratings ever. Starring William Holden, Faye Dunaway, Peter Finch, Robert Duvall.

Screening as part of Arthouse Theatre Day, 2026!

Saturday, August 1
Doors 12:30 pm | Movie 1:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

NETWORK (Sidney Lumet, 1976 / 121 mins / PG) A television network cynically exploits a deranged former anchor's ravings and revelations about mass media for its own profit, but finds that his message may be difficult to control.

Yee Haw!

This ain't Texas, but we are bringing the magic of Stampede to VANCOUVER PRIDE at the Rio Theatre on Saturday, August 1, with an all-star ALL CAST OF COLOUR lineup!!

Emaan La'Belle hosts an iconic lineup of Canada’s Drag Race stars, including Season 6 favourites Karamilk and runner up to the crown and lip-sync assassin Eboni La'Belle.  But you won't want to miss headliner and RPDR S5 and All Stars S2, OG alum, COCO MONTRESE!

This will be a hoe-down you DON'T want to miss... Giddyup!

Saturday, August 1
Doors 6:30 pm | Show 7:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

VIP (Exclusive Pre-Show Meet and Greet 6:00 pm + Preferred Seating Rows A-B) $40+ s/c
Main Floor Seating $25 + s/c

Meet and Greet Add-On $10 (Limited Quantity Available)

One of the great lost masterpieces of Japanese animation that was never officially released theatrically, BELLADONNA OF SADNESS is the third (and last) of the adult-oriented Mushi Pro Animerama films, produced by the godfather of Japanese anime & manga Osamu Tezuka and directed by his long time collaborator Eiichi Yamamoto (Astro Boy and Kimba The White Lion), and is adapted from French historian Jules Michelet's novel La Sorcière. The obvious and salient feature of this "extremely transgressive" erotica is the unique way in which it was animated, using a blend of still illustrations and full animation - in addition to its mind-blowing Japanese psych-rock soundtrack by noted avant-garde jazz composer Masahiko Satoh.

Initially intended for 'art house' venues rather than a more general audience (like the first two Animerama films), BELLADONNA OF SADNESS comes across as, by far, the more sophisticated and successful production; its strikingly original visuals largely responsible for the film's visceral impact that has been described as, "a mad, swirling, psychedelic light-show of medieval tarot-card imagery with horned demons, haunted forests... equal parts J.R.R. Tolkien and gorgeous, explicit Gustav Klimt-influenced eroticism. " An experience to behold on the big screen, the film unfolds as a series of spectacular still watercolor paintings that seem to bleed and twist together and into each other while telling the story of an innocent young woman, Jeanne (voiced by Aiko Nagayama) who is violently raped by the local lord on her wedding night. To take revenge, she makes a pact with the Devil himself (voiced by Tatsuya Nakadai, from Akira Kurosawa’s Ran) who appears as an erotic sprite and transforms her into a black-robed vision of madness and desire.

This intensely original work was restored by Cinelicious Pics using the original 35mm camera negative and sound elements – and includes over 8 minutes of surreal and explicit footage cut from the negative.

"A bewitching masterpiece."( New York Times)

Saturday, August 1
Doors 10:00 pm | Movie 10:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

BELLADONNA OF SADNESS (Eiichi Yamamoto, 1973 / 93 min / NR) After being banished from her village, a peasant woman makes a pact with the devil to gain magical ability. *Screens in Japanese with English subtitles.

All his life, an ordinary young man (Stephen Chow) has been treated like dirt. Still, he’s never given up believing that all the world’s problems could be solved with a little kung fu. So he’s teaming up with a band of misfits – six friends who were kung fu masters in their youth – to form a soccer team that only he believes has a chance to win a $1 million grand prize. Together, they’re going to apply their hidden talents to a whole new game — and soccer will never be the same.

“A blitzkrieg of hilarious kung fu craziness.” (Lessons of Darkness)

“As always, [Stephen] Chow shows himself an acute parodist of other genres while adding his own cherry on the top.” (Variety)

Sunday, August 2
Doors 1:15 pm pm | Movie 1:45 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

SHAOLIN SOCCER “Siu Lam juk kau” (Stephen Chow, 2001 / PG / Mandarin & Chinese w. EST) A young Shaolin follower reunites with his discouraged brothers to form a soccer team using their martial art skills to their advantage. *We will be showing the director’s cut : This is the most complete and authentic release, featuring all subplots, extended character interactions, and the original soundtrack. It was primarily available during the Hong Kong premiere and specific Asian releases.

Anirban Dasgupta’s Player is an immersive stand-up show that explores two childhoods, with a twist. Anirban's childhood dream was to become a sportsperson. But instead of Eden Gardens, he’s ended up at your neighbourhood theatre. Clearly it didn’t work out.

Now, as a dad navigating the chaotic second half of life, he’s rethinking the rules and wondering if everything from comedy to raising a kid is actually just a game? Who’s winning, who’s losing, what’s the endgame?

Come find out in this new stand-up comedy thriller that will go down to the… Last joke!

Presented by StageAdda

Sunday, August 2
Doors 6:15 pm | Show 7:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

VIP Tickets (Rows A-E, Centre Section) $50 + s/c
Tickets $40+ s/c

Celebrate Vancouver Pride Weekend with a 25th Anniversary of the critically acclaimed, award-winning rock movie musical HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, looking filthy and gorgeous as part of its stunning 4K restoration.

The enigmatic John Cameron Mitchell wrote and stars in this iconic musical touchstone as Hedwg, a German emigrant living in a trailer in Kansas who is the victim of a botched sex-change operation. Adapted from the critically acclaimed off-Broadway rock theater hit, “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” tells the story of the “internationally ignored” rock singer, Hedwig, and her search for stardom and love.

‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’ is a powerful story about identity and creation and pain and love.” (Birth.Movies.Death.)

Sunday, August 2
Doors 9:30 pm | Film 10:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH (John Cameron Mitchell, 2001 / 95 mins / 14A) Hedwig, born male as Hansel in East Berlin, fell in love with an American G.I. and underwent a Gender Reassignment Surgery in order to marry him and flee to the West. Unfortunately, nothing worked out quite as it was supposed to – years later, Hedwig is leading her rock band on a tour of the U.S., telling her life story through a series of concerts at Bilgewater Inn seafood restaurants. Her tour dates coincide with those of arena-rock star Tommy Gnosis, a wide-eyed boy who once loved Hedwig – but then left with all her songs.

“Life… Finds a way.”

We are dimming the lights, raising a glass, and firing up the projector in tribute to the late, great actor Sam Neill with one of his most memorable performances as a paleontologist turned action hero in Steven Spielberg’s monumental JURASSIC PARK.

Based on the Michael Crichton‘s blockbuster sci-fi novel JURASSIC PARK, director Steven Spielberg‘s mammoth hit exceeded audience expectations when it seemingly brought dinosaurs to life on the big screen with its revolutionary use of special effects effects and animatronics. It looks as fresh today as it did when it was released in 1993 – 25 years ago! The film follows a group of scientists and civilians, including paleontologists Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) and mathematician Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), chosen to tour an island theme park inhabited by man-made dinosaurs created from prehistoric DNA. The [ark’s mastermind and svengali billionaire John Hammond (Richard Attenborough), is completely confident in his island’s safety… Until some of the beasts escape, and chaos ensues. With Samuel L. Jackson, B.D. Wong, Wayne Knight.

“JURASSIC PARK is a spectacle of special effects and life-like animatronics, with some of Spielberg’s best sequences of sustained awe and sheer terror since JAWS.” (Rotten Tomatoes)

“The enthralling man-vs.-nature parable based on the late Michael Crichton’s best-selling novel hasn’t aged one bit.” (Washington Post)

Monday, August 3
Doors 12:30 pm | Movie 1:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Family Day Pricing in Effect! All tickets $10!

JURASSIC PARK (Steven Spielberg, 1993 / 127 mins / 14A / 2D) | During a preview tour, a theme park suffers a major power breakdown that allows its cloned dinosaur exhibits to run amok.

Carole Pope’s fearless voice redefined Canadian rock and broke barriers for LGBTQ+ artists. ANTIDIVA traces her journey from underground cult figure to celebrated pioneer, revealing never-before-seen archival footage, candid interviews, and a live performance. The film captures her ongoing fight for artistic expression, cultural history, and inter-generational connection in the face of censorship and erasure.

Opening Film, Hot Docs Film Festival 2026

“‘Antidiva: The Carole Pope Confessions’ is a raw and rollicking portrait of a taboo-shattering provocateur and Canada’s original queer rock icon… Interviews with k.d. lang, Peaches, Rufus Wainwright, Jann Arden and Jeanne Beker affirm Pope’s place in queer and Canadian cultural history and show how she had kicked the door open for others to walk through.” (CBC)

“An affectionate and nostalgic profile of hugely talented, deeply influential Canadian LGBTQ+ hero, singer-songwriter, Carole Pope of the band Rough Trade. Solid archival footage and interviews with celebrity fans like Peaches, Rufus Wainwright and Jann Arden along with Rough Trade co-founder, the late Kevan Staples, make this a feel-good look at a star who never grabbed the international attention — and recording contract — that she deserved. “ (NEXT)

Monday, August 3
Doors 3:15 pm | Movie 3:45 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

ANTIDIVA: The Carole Pope Confessions (Michelle Mama, 2026 / 83 mins / NR) Carole Pope shattered taboos with raw, unapologetic music and defiant sexuality—Antidiva tells the story of a queer rock icon reclaiming her rightful place in music history.

Howard Beale, a veteran newscaster, is informed by his ratings-driven network executives that he is about to be dumped because he “skews old” – in turn, he uses his next broadcast to announce that he is going to commit suicide on his final programme. An ambitious programming executive convinces her superiors to let the broadcast go ahead, hoping that the final event will give the network its greatest ratings ever. Starring William Holden, Faye Dunaway, Peter Finch, Robert Duvall.

Screening as part of Arthouse Theatre Day, 2026!

Monday, August 3
Doors 5:30 pm | Movie 6:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

NETWORK (Sidney Lumet, 1976 / 121 mins / PG) A television network cynically exploits a deranged former anchor’s ravings and revelations about mass media for its own profit, but finds that his message may be difficult to control.

A strange doorway appears in the basement of a furniture showroom. After a therapist’s patient disappears into a dimension beyond reality, she must venture into the unknown to save him. With Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass.

Please note: This extended cut of BACKROOMS features 16 minutes of bonus footage.

“A startlingly assured feature debut from director Kane Parsons, Backrooms bends the liminal spaces that have haunted the internet for years into a horror film that’s as mesmerizing as it is terrifying.” (Rotten Tomatoes)

BACKROOMS (Kane Parsons & Dan Cohen, 2026 / 126 mins / 14A) A strange doorway appears in the basement of a furniture showroom.

In NAOMI OSAKA: The Second Set, we are invited into 4x Grand Slam Champion Naomi Osaka's world, as she returns to tennis after becoming a mom. At the heart of it, this film is an intimate look at the complexities of motherhood, challenging the idea that moms need to "bounce back" to who they once were.

Vancouver Director Kat Jayme (BIG COUNTRY) in attendance for Q&A.

Tuesday, August 4
Doors 6:00 pm | Movie 6:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

NAOMI OSAKA: THE SECOND SET (Kat Jayme, 2026 / 101 mins / NR) In The Second Set, we are invited into 4x Grand Slam Champion Naomi Osaka's world, as she returns to tennis after becoming a mom. At the heart of it, this film is an intimate look at the complexities of motherhood, challenging the idea that moms need to "bounce back" to who they once were.

Australian director Adrian Chiarella‘s LEVITICUS generated a lot of word-of-mouth chatter following its premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Two teenage boys must escape a violent entity that takes the form of the person they desire most — each other. Starring Joe Bird, Stacy Clausen.

“It’s a depiction of young love, of universally recognizable awkward fumbling and fragile hopes. It might even lead a few viewers to a moment of understanding and empathy alongside their jump scares, and that seems to be Chiarella’s real intention.” (Austin Chronicle)

“Supremely suspenseful, smartly done, and ultimately rebellious, Leviticus is an absolute stunner.” (Mashable)

Tuesday, August 4
Doors 9:00 pm | Movie 9:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

LEVITICUS (Adrian Chiarelle, 2026 / 88 mins / 14A) Two teenage boys must escape a violent entity that takes the form of the person they desire most – each other.

A hopeless romantic with big dreams, Steve is an ex-con hired to chauffeur a mob boss’ girlfriend for a night on the town. He’s blissfully unaware that his passenger has died and is now possessed by one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Starring Brian McCaig (as Steve) and Natalie Grace (as Delilah).

Director Karen Lam and cast and crew in attendance for Vancouver Premiere and post-show Q&A.

"'Pulp Fiction' meets 'Escape to Witch Mountain.'" (Sinister Cinema Reviews)

"If you love off-kilter, off Hollywood films with their own view of the world, then you must see 'ARMAGEDDON ROAD.'" (Unseen Films)

Wednesday, August 5
Doors 6:00 pm | Movie 6:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

ARMAGEDDON ROAD (Karen Lam, 2026 / 85 mins / PG) A hopeless romantic with big dreams, Steve is an ex-con hired to chauffeur a mob boss' girlfriend for a night. He's blissfully unaware that his passenger has died and is now possessed by one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

One of the great lost masterpieces of Japanese animation that was never officially released theatrically, BELLADONNA OF SADNESS is the third (and last) of the adult-oriented Mushi Pro Animerama films, produced by the godfather of Japanese anime & manga Osamu Tezuka and directed by his long time collaborator Eiichi Yamamoto (Astro Boy and Kimba The White Lion), and is adapted from French historian Jules Michelet's novel La Sorcière. The obvious and salient feature of this "extremely transgressive" erotica is the unique way in which it was animated, using a blend of still illustrations and full animation - in addition to its mind-blowing Japanese psych-rock soundtrack by noted avant-garde jazz composer Masahiko Satoh.

Initially intended for 'art house' venues rather than a more general audience (like the first two Animerama films), BELLADONNA OF SADNESS comes across as, by far, the more sophisticated and successful production; its strikingly original visuals largely responsible for the film's visceral impact that has been described as, "a mad, swirling, psychedelic light-show of medieval tarot-card imagery with horned demons, haunted forests... equal parts J.R.R. Tolkien and gorgeous, explicit Gustav Klimt-influenced eroticism. " An experience to behold on the big screen, the film unfolds as a series of spectacular still watercolor paintings that seem to bleed and twist together and into each other while telling the story of an innocent young woman, Jeanne (voiced by Aiko Nagayama) who is violently raped by the local lord on her wedding night. To take revenge, she makes a pact with the Devil himself (voiced by Tatsuya Nakadai, from Akira Kurosawa’s Ran) who appears as an erotic sprite and transforms her into a black-robed vision of madness and desire.

This intensely original work was restored by Cinelicious Pics using the original 35mm camera negative and sound elements – and includes over 8 minutes of surreal and explicit footage cut from the negative.

"A bewitching masterpiece."( New York Times)

Wednesday, August 5
Doors 9:00 pm | Movie 9:30 *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

BELLADONNA OF SADNESS (Eiichi Yamamoto, 1973 / 93 min / NR) After being banished from her village, a peasant woman makes a pact with the devil to gain magical ability. *Screens in Japanese with English subtitles.

STOLEN KINGDOM is a documentary that delves into the history of mischief, scandal, and theft at Walt Disney World, ultimately leading to the theft of an animatronic valued at nearly half a million dollars. The film features key figures from the park’s underground exploration community, each sharing their unique stories. As the narrative unfolds, early pranks and antics are shown to have inspired more recent crimes, culminating in a true crime mystery. What begins as a tale of friendship and passion ends with one lingering question: Who stole Buzzy?

Screenings World Premiere Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, Slamdance Film Festival, Opening Night Florida Film Festival, Opening Night: Sidewalk Film Festival

“Frankly, it’s impressive just how much law-breaking the filmmakers of ‘Stolen Kingdom’ manage to get these various figures to confess on camera in the course of its tidy runtime.” (Paste Magazine)

“‘Stolen Kingdom’ is an entertaining, comical, disturbing and downright tragic look at what was once supposed to be a cultural utopia.” (Orlando Weekly)

Thursday, August 6
Doors 6:00 pm | Movie 6:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Tickets HERE

STOLEN KINGDOM (Joshua Bailey, 2025 / 74 mins / NR) A look into the underground community of rule-breakers at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida and how their actions led to the disappearance of an Audio-Animatronic named Buzzy.

A strange doorway appears in the basement of a furniture showroom. After a therapist’s patient disappears into a dimension beyond reality, she must venture into the unknown to save him. With Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass.

Please note: This extended cut of BACKROOMS features 16 minutes of bonus footage.

“A startlingly assured feature debut from director Kane Parsons, Backrooms bends the liminal spaces that have haunted the internet for years into a horror film that’s as mesmerizing as it is terrifying.” (Rotten Tomatoes)

“The young director’s feature-length version of his YouTube shorts stays true to its creepypasta origins, turning a wasteland of cheap furniture into an infinite hellscape that entraps the viewer along with Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve. “ (Sight & Sound)

Thursday, August 6
Doors 5:15 pm | Movie 8:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

BACKROOMS (Kane Parsons & Dan Cohen, 2026 / 126 mins / 14A) A strange doorway appears in the basement of a furniture showroom.

After breaking the mysterious "One Wish Willow" to win his crush's heart, a hopeless romantic finds himself getting exactly what he asked for but soon discovers that some desires come at a dark, sinister price.

"The wildly entertaining second feature from the film-maker Curry Barker is the latest addition to the subgenre of evil-artefact horror." (Observer UK)

"That’s the whole concept and Barker’s insight. If you want to make someone love you above all else... the only way to accomplish this is to dehumanize them, to strip away everything about them that made them someone you wanted to be with." (The New Yorker)

"That’s the whole concept and Barker’s insight. If you want to make someone love you above all else... the only way to accomplish this is to dehumanize them, to strip away everything about them that made them someone you wanted to be with." (Toronto Star)

"'Obsession' is so fresh and exhilarating, one can forgive its familiar origins." (Empire Magazine)

Friday, August 7
Doors 8:15 pm | Movie 8:45 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

OBSESSION (Curry Barker, 2026 / 105 mins / 14A) Baron "Bear" Bailey breaks a novelty charm to force his co-worker Nikki Freeman to love him, but the supernatural compulsion warps her mind into violent obsession, trapping him in a nightmare he cannot wish away.

Summer vibes are giving us all the summer camp feels... And nothing screams, "Friday Late Night Movie on August 7" more than the cult-classic 80s slasher-fest SLEEPAWAY CAMP!

From the grisly SFX to the fashionable short-shorts, from the nihilistic vibe to the truly unforgettable climax, SLEEPAWAY CAMP is no ordinary slasher . . . it’s an all-time cult classic. After a boating accident kills her family, shy Angela (the iconic Felissa Rose) lives with her eccentric Aunt Martha and cousin Ricky. Angela and Ricky are sent to Camp Arawak for the summer, where bizarre and violent accidents are claiming the lives of campers. Has a dark secret returned from the camp’s past, or will another unspeakable horror end the summer season for all?

“This is a film that has not only stood the test of time, but has also slaughtered it with a glimmering blade in a cabin shower.”
(Bleeding Skull)

"The story of 'Sleepaway Camp' is pretty much everything you'd expect from a slasher movie and nothing you'd ever expect, which is what makes [director] Robert Hiltzik's campy and disturbing summer camp tale still one of the more memorable horror movies ever made." (Daily Dead)

Friday, August 7
Doors 10:45 pm | Movie 11:15 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

SLEEPAWAY CAMP (Robert Hiltzik, 1983 / 14A / 85 mins) Slightly disturbed and painfully shy Angela Baker is sent away to summer camp with her cousin. Not long after Angela's arrival, things start to go horribly wrong for anyone with sinister or less than honorable intentions.

Caw, caw.

Join us for the ornithological film of your dreams (and nightmares), courtesy of the Master of Horror, Alfred Hitchcock, with a screening of THE BIRDS on the legendary director's birthday. Tippi Hedren stars in her career-defining role as Melanie Daniels, a wealthy San Francisco socialite who pursues a potential boyfriend to a small Northern California town. Slowly, life takes a turn for the bizarre when birds of all kinds suddenly begin to violently attack people.

"Genuinely disturbing thriller classic from the master of suspense." (Empire Magazine)

"Drawing from the relatively invisible literary talents of Daphne DuMaurier and Evan Hunter, Alfred Hitchcock has fashioned a major work of cinematic art, and "cinematic" is the operative term here, not 'literary' or 'sociological.'" (Village Voice)

Thursday, August 13
6:00 pm | Movie 6:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

THE BIRDS (Alfred Hitchcock, 1963 / 119 mins / PG) A wealthy San Francisco socialite pursues a potential boyfriend to a small Northern California town that slowly takes a turn for the bizarre when birds of all kinds suddenly begin to attack people there in increasing numbers and with increasing viciousness.Chic socialite Melanie Daniels enjoys a passing flirtation with an eligible attorney in a San Francisco pet shop and, on an impulse, follows him to his hometown bearing a gift of lovebirds. But upon her arrival, the bird population runs amok. Suddenly, the townsfolk face a massive avian onslaught, with the feathered fiends inexplicably attacking people all over Bodega Bay.

After years of slapdash sequels and waning fandom, the Camp Miasma slasher franchise is handed over to an enthusiastic young director (Hannah Einbinder, 'Hacks') for resurrection. But when she visits the original movie's star (Gillian Anderson, 'The X-Files'), a now-reclusive actress shrouded in mystery, the two women fall into a blood-soaked world of desire, fear, and delirium. With Jasmine Savoy Brown, Patrick Fischler, Amanda Fix, Sarah Sherman, Dylan Baker, Kevin McDonald, Eva Victor.

"As sexy as movies come, all the way through its final climax." (ELLE Magazine)

"This one’s designed to make us shriek, smirk and think in equal measure." (Toronto Star)

"Jane Schoenbrun’s meta, queer and horny answer to misogynistic genre fare like Friday the 13th, which Teenage Sex and Death reclaims as sexually empowering." (CBC Radio)

"'Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma' is a meta horror-comedy and a whip-smart entertainment industry satire. Still, on a deeper level, in a hole at the bottom of its lake, is a hard-won sexual awakening." (Time Out)

Friday, August 14
Doors 5:30 pm | Movie 6:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA (Jane Schoenbrun, 2025 / 115 mins / 14A) A director making a slasher sequel becomes obsessed with casting the original film's 'final girl,' leading both women into psychological and sexual chaos.

After years of slapdash sequels and waning fandom, the Camp Miasma slasher franchise is handed over to an enthusiastic young director (Hannah Einbinder, 'Hacks') for resurrection. But when she visits the original movie's star (Gillian Anderson, 'The X-Files'), a now-reclusive actress shrouded in mystery, the two women fall into a blood-soaked world of desire, fear, and delirium. With Jasmine Savoy Brown, Patrick Fischler, Amanda Fix, Sarah Sherman, Dylan Baker, Kevin McDonald, Eva Victor.

"As sexy as movies come, all the way through its final climax." (ELLE Magazine)

"This one’s designed to make us shriek, smirk and think in equal measure." (Toronto Star)

"Jane Schoenbrun’s meta, queer and horny answer to misogynistic genre fare like Friday the 13th, which Teenage Sex and Death reclaims as sexually empowering." (CBC Radio)

"'Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma' is a meta horror-comedy and a whip-smart entertainment industry satire. Still, on a deeper level, in a hole at the bottom of its lake, is a hard-won sexual awakening." (Time Out)

Friday, August 14
Doors 8:15 pm | Movie 8:45 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA (Jane Schoenbrun, 2025 / 115 mins / 14A) A director making a slasher sequel becomes obsessed with casting the original film's 'final girl,' leading both women into psychological and sexual chaos.

When teen debutante Kelly (Denise Richards) fails to attract the attention of her hunky guidance counselor, Sam (Matt Dillon), she cries rape, igniting a scandal that results in his arrest. Sam appeals to Ken (Bill Murray), a hack personal-injury lawyer who has never handled a case that couldn't be helped by a prop neck brace. Soon, a second victim, Suzie (Neve Campbell), comes forward, and Detective Duquette (Kevin Bacon) discovers that the unfolding case is far from what it seems. With Daphne Rubin-Vega, Bill Murray.

"Blending the superheated emotions of Douglas Sirk with the soft-porn high-jinks of Russ Meyer, the result is steamy, ludicrous and very entertaining." (Guardian)

"'Wild Things' is the kind of movie that gives gratuitous sex and violence a good name." (Toronto Star)

"... a delightfully salacious, flesh-exposed romp that also requires a high degree of love for trash cinema." (Rotten Tomatoes)

"..steamy, tawdry, gloriously over-the-top..." (TIME Magazine)

"Director John McNaughton's grip is a bawdy mix of suspense, sex and silliness, all served up with a huge tongue sticking in his cheek. It's a foamy mix, topped off by highly charged performances." (The Hollywood Reporter)

Friday, August 14
Doors 11:00 pm | Movie 11:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Late Night Date Night!  Bring a friend or date and get two-for-one entry!

WILD THINGS (John McNaughton, 1998 / 104 mins / 18A) A police detective uncovers a conspiracy behind a case involving a high-school guidance counselor when accusations of rape are made against him by two female students.

After years of slapdash sequels and waning fandom, the Camp Miasma slasher franchise is handed over to an enthusiastic young director (Hannah Einbinder, 'Hacks') for resurrection. But when she visits the original movie's star (Gillian Anderson, 'The X-Files'), a now-reclusive actress shrouded in mystery, the two women fall into a blood-soaked world of desire, fear, and delirium. With Jasmine Savoy Brown, Patrick Fischler, Amanda Fix, Sarah Sherman, Dylan Baker, Kevin McDonald, Eva Victor.

"As sexy as movies come, all the way through its final climax." (ELLE Magazine)

"This one’s designed to make us shriek, smirk and think in equal measure." (Toronto Star)

"Jane Schoenbrun’s meta, queer and horny answer to misogynistic genre fare like Friday the 13th, which Teenage Sex and Death reclaims as sexually empowering." (CBC Radio)

"'Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma' is a meta horror-comedy and a whip-smart entertainment industry satire. Still, on a deeper level, in a hole at the bottom of its lake, is a hard-won sexual awakening." (Time Out)

Saturday, August 15
Doors 7:15 pm | Movie 7:45 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA (Jane Schoenbrun, 2025 / 115 mins / 14A) A director making a slasher sequel becomes obsessed with casting the original film's 'final girl,' leading both women into psychological and sexual chaos.

After years of slapdash sequels and waning fandom, the Camp Miasma slasher franchise is handed over to an enthusiastic young director (Hannah Einbinder, 'Hacks') for resurrection. But when she visits the original movie's star (Gillian Anderson, 'The X-Files'), a now-reclusive actress shrouded in mystery, the two women fall into a blood-soaked world of desire, fear, and delirium. With Jasmine Savoy Brown, Patrick Fischler, Amanda Fix, Sarah Sherman, Dylan Baker, Kevin McDonald, Eva Victor.

"As sexy as movies come, all the way through its final climax." (ELLE Magazine)

"This one’s designed to make us shriek, smirk and think in equal measure." (Toronto Star)

"Jane Schoenbrun’s meta, queer and horny answer to misogynistic genre fare like Friday the 13th, which Teenage Sex and Death reclaims as sexually empowering." (CBC Radio)

"'Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma' is a meta horror-comedy and a whip-smart entertainment industry satire. Still, on a deeper level, in a hole at the bottom of its lake, is a hard-won sexual awakening." (Time Out)

Sunday, August 16
Doors 6:15 pm | Movie 6:45 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA (Jane Schoenbrun, 2025 / 115 mins / 14A) A director making a slasher sequel becomes obsessed with casting the original film's 'final girl,' leading both women into psychological and sexual chaos.

After years of slapdash sequels and waning fandom, the Camp Miasma slasher franchise is handed over to an enthusiastic young director (Hannah Einbinder, 'Hacks') for resurrection. But when she visits the original movie's star (Gillian Anderson, 'The X-Files'), a now-reclusive actress shrouded in mystery, the two women fall into a blood-soaked world of desire, fear, and delirium. With Jasmine Savoy Brown, Patrick Fischler, Amanda Fix, Sarah Sherman, Dylan Baker, Kevin McDonald, Eva Victor.

"As sexy as movies come, all the way through its final climax." (ELLE Magazine)

"This one’s designed to make us shriek, smirk and think in equal measure." (Toronto Star)

"Jane Schoenbrun’s meta, queer and horny answer to misogynistic genre fare like Friday the 13th, which Teenage Sex and Death reclaims as sexually empowering." (CBC Radio)

"'Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma' is a meta horror-comedy and a whip-smart entertainment industry satire. Still, on a deeper level, in a hole at the bottom of its lake, is a hard-won sexual awakening." (Time Out)

Monday, August 17
Doors 6:00 pm | Movie 6:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA (Jane Schoenbrun, 2025 / 115 mins / 14A) A director making a slasher sequel becomes obsessed with casting the original film's 'final girl,' leading both women into psychological and sexual chaos.

After years of slapdash sequels and waning fandom, the Camp Miasma slasher franchise is handed over to an enthusiastic young director (Hannah Einbinder, 'Hacks') for resurrection. But when she visits the original movie's star (Gillian Anderson, 'The X-Files'), a now-reclusive actress shrouded in mystery, the two women fall into a blood-soaked world of desire, fear, and delirium. With Jasmine Savoy Brown, Patrick Fischler, Amanda Fix, Sarah Sherman, Dylan Baker, Kevin McDonald, Eva Victor.

"As sexy as movies come, all the way through its final climax." (ELLE Magazine)

"This one’s designed to make us shriek, smirk and think in equal measure." (Toronto Star)

"Jane Schoenbrun’s meta, queer and horny answer to misogynistic genre fare like Friday the 13th, which Teenage Sex and Death reclaims as sexually empowering." (CBC Radio)

"'Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma' is a meta horror-comedy and a whip-smart entertainment industry satire. Still, on a deeper level, in a hole at the bottom of its lake, is a hard-won sexual awakening." (Time Out)

Tuesday, August 18
Doors 6:15 pm | Movie 6:45 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA (Jane Schoenbrun, 2025 / 115 mins / 14A) A director making a slasher sequel becomes obsessed with casting the original film's 'final girl,' leading both women into psychological and sexual chaos.

Shocking, lurid and completely unapologetic in its brutality, director Tobe Hooper’s THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE completely changed cinema following its debut in 1974. The film follows five youths on a weekend getaway in the Texas countryside on August 18, 1973, as they fall prey to a butcher in a mask made of human skin and his cannibalistic family.  Violent, confrontational, and shockingly realistic, THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE terrified audiences in a way never thought possible when it was unleashed on the politically and socially tumultuous America of the 1970s. Facing a storm of controversy, censorship, and outcry throughout its troubled release, this masterpiece of horror has stood the test of time to become a landmark motion picture and cultural milestone – most recently being named to the US National Film Registry by the Library of Congress -  while also establishing many of the tenets of what would become the gore/slasher/splatter genre.

Just as Alfred Hitchcock‘s PSYCHO was based on the life of deeply disturbed farmer Ed Gein, so is this little story of depravity and dementia. When a sister and her brother take a group of friends to visit the farmhouse of their deceased grandfather, they discover that just next door lives a whole family of repugnant psycho killers. Most noteworthy is “Leatherface” (Gunnar Hansen), the chainsaw-wielding fellow who has something of a penchant for human flesh. Though the film did not enjoy immediate success at the box office, it has since gathered a hefty cult following, and is considered by many to be groundbreaking work in the genre of horror.

More than just a mere slasher or exploitation film, THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE works almost entirely because of the absolute commitment from its principle cast; there are very few instances of a character in a film (horror or otherwise) whose silent, wordless presence is capable of delivering the tremendous balance of sheer terror and pathos that Gunnar Hansen convey as Leatherface, whose performance as the chainsaw-wielding cannibal who terrorizes a young woman (another of the film’s phenomenal performances from scream queen Marilyn Burns) and her friends is as tense and frightening today as it was in 1974.

“Thanks to a smart script and documentary-style camerawork,THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE achieves start-to-finish suspense, making it a classic in low-budget exploitation cinema.” (Rotten Tomatoes)

Tuesday, August 18
Doors 9:00 pm | Movie 9:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Tickets HERE

THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (Tobe Hooper, 1974 / 83 mins / 18A) When Sally (Marilyn Burns) hears that her grandfather’s grave may have been vandalized, she and her paraplegic brother, Franklin (Paul A. Partain), set out with their friends to investigate. After a detour to their family’s old farmhouse, they discover a group of crazed, murderous outcasts living next door. As the group is attacked one by one by the chainsaw-wielding Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen), who wears a mask of human skin, the survivors must do everything they can to escape.

After years of slapdash sequels and waning fandom, the Camp Miasma slasher franchise is handed over to an enthusiastic young director (Hannah Einbinder, 'Hacks') for resurrection. But when she visits the original movie's star (Gillian Anderson, 'The X-Files'), a now-reclusive actress shrouded in mystery, the two women fall into a blood-soaked world of desire, fear, and delirium. With Jasmine Savoy Brown, Patrick Fischler, Amanda Fix, Sarah Sherman, Dylan Baker, Kevin McDonald, Eva Victor.

"As sexy as movies come, all the way through its final climax." (ELLE Magazine)

"This one’s designed to make us shriek, smirk and think in equal measure." (Toronto Star)

"Jane Schoenbrun’s meta, queer and horny answer to misogynistic genre fare like Friday the 13th, which Teenage Sex and Death reclaims as sexually empowering." (CBC Radio)

"'Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma' is a meta horror-comedy and a whip-smart entertainment industry satire. Still, on a deeper level, in a hole at the bottom of its lake, is a hard-won sexual awakening." (Time Out)

Wednesday, August 19
Doors 9:00 pm | Movie 9:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA (Jane Schoenbrun, 2025 / 115 mins / 14A) A director making a slasher sequel becomes obsessed with casting the original film's 'final girl,' leading both women into psychological and sexual chaos.

After years of slapdash sequels and waning fandom, the Camp Miasma slasher franchise is handed over to an enthusiastic young director (Hannah Einbinder, 'Hacks') for resurrection. But when she visits the original movie's star (Gillian Anderson, 'The X-Files'), a now-reclusive actress shrouded in mystery, the two women fall into a blood-soaked world of desire, fear, and delirium. With Jasmine Savoy Brown, Patrick Fischler, Amanda Fix, Sarah Sherman, Dylan Baker, Kevin McDonald, Eva Victor.

"As sexy as movies come, all the way through its final climax." (ELLE Magazine)

"This one’s designed to make us shriek, smirk and think in equal measure." (Toronto Star)

"Jane Schoenbrun’s meta, queer and horny answer to misogynistic genre fare like Friday the 13th, which Teenage Sex and Death reclaims as sexually empowering." (CBC Radio)

"'Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma' is a meta horror-comedy and a whip-smart entertainment industry satire. Still, on a deeper level, in a hole at the bottom of its lake, is a hard-won sexual awakening." (Time Out)

Thursday, August 20
Doors 6:00 pm | Movie 6:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA (Jane Schoenbrun, 2025 / 115 mins / 14A) A director making a slasher sequel becomes obsessed with casting the original film's 'final girl,' leading both women into psychological and sexual chaos.

After years of slapdash sequels and waning fandom, the Camp Miasma slasher franchise is handed over to an enthusiastic young director (Hannah Einbinder, 'Hacks') for resurrection. But when she visits the original movie's star (Gillian Anderson, 'The X-Files'), a now-reclusive actress shrouded in mystery, the two women fall into a blood-soaked world of desire, fear, and delirium. With Jasmine Savoy Brown, Patrick Fischler, Amanda Fix, Sarah Sherman, Dylan Baker, Kevin McDonald, Eva Victor.

"As sexy as movies come, all the way through its final climax." (ELLE Magazine)

"This one’s designed to make us shriek, smirk and think in equal measure." (Toronto Star)

"Jane Schoenbrun’s meta, queer and horny answer to misogynistic genre fare like Friday the 13th, which Teenage Sex and Death reclaims as sexually empowering." (CBC Radio)

"'Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma' is a meta horror-comedy and a whip-smart entertainment industry satire. Still, on a deeper level, in a hole at the bottom of its lake, is a hard-won sexual awakening." (Time Out)

Friday, August 21
Doors 8:15 pm | Movie 8:45 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA (Jane Schoenbrun, 2025 / 115 mins / 14A) A director making a slasher sequel becomes obsessed with casting the original film's 'final girl,' leading both women into psychological and sexual chaos.

John Carpenter's ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, the epic 1981 action film featuring his 80's-era "muse" Kurt Russell as the iconic eye-patch-wearing hero Snake Plissken (which was  restored in 2018) is headed to the Rio Theatre's screen as a Friday Late Night Movie on August 21.

Set in a dystopic 1997 in which a major war between the United States and the Soviet Union is concluding, the entire island of Manhattan has been converted into a giant maximum security prison. When Air Force One is hijacked and crashes into the island, the president (Donald Pleasence) is taken hostage by a group of inmates where Snake Plissken, a former Special Forces soldier turned criminal, is recruited to retrieve him in exchange for his own freedom. Also starring Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Isaac Hayes, Harry Dean Stanton, and Adrienne Barbeau.

"The movie proudly wears its affection for crusty Sergio Leone archetypes and countdown-clock suspense sequences; Carpenter was Tarantino long before Tarantino was." (Time Out New York)

"Carpenter’s vision, presented in a beautiful 4K remaster, still impresses with its sense of time, place and attitude." (WeAreCult.Rocks)

Friday, August 21
Doors 10:30 pm | Movie 11:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK (John Carpenter, 1981 / 99 mins / PG) In 1997, the island of Manhattan has been walled off and turned into a giant maximum security prison within which the country's worst criminals are left to form their own anarchic society. However, when the President of the United States crash lands on the island, the authorities turn to a former soldier and current convict, Snake Plissken, to rescue him.

"Oh, hai Shark!"

Join us at the Rio Theatre on Tuesday, August 25 with host Greg Sestero - star of the pop-culture phenomenon THE ROOM, and author of the best-selling memoir, THE DISASTER ARTIST - for a double billing of Tommy Wiseau's aforementioned debut feature followed by his sophomore follow-up, BIG SHARK.  Who better to explain Wiseau's latest opus (and the enigma himself!) than Greg Sestero? It's a night of movies, insight, conversation and laughs. (And... merch! There will be sweet, sweet merch.)

Auteur Tommy Wiseau (whose 2003 benchmark THE ROOM ranks among the greatest cult-movie films of all time) finally returns to the cinematic landscape with another tasty morsel made especially for his legion of hungry movie-loving fans: BIG SHARK.

For the uninitiated: A marvel of modern cinema, Tommy Wiseau's THE ROOM is so powerful that it will, literally, "tear you apart." (Or, maybe just your brain. And occasionally your eyeballs.) In the pantheon of you-gotta-see-it-to-believe-it, best-worst movies, it's quite possible that nothing tops THE ROOM. It's the CITIZEN KANE of bad movies! And truly, truly, the best (trust!) way to experience this "masterpiece" is in the dark, on the big screen, and with a packed audience of confused (and enthused) lovers of director Wiseau's bizarre cinematic oddity that has morphed into a pop-culture phenomenon. Having Sestero (who parlayed his portrayal of "Mark" in THE ROOM into an acclaimed best-seller that was ultimately adapted into the 2017 feature, THE DISASTER ARTIST) on-hand to answer audience questions and provide unique insight makes for a very, very memorable night.

Greg will be available before the films, during intermission, and afterwards to sign delicious merch and take photos!

Tuesday, August 25
Greg Sestero Presents: BIG SHARK & THE ROOM
Doors 6:00 pm | Movie 6:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Tickets $30 plus s/c | $35 at the door

Guests attending the double feature will receive a wristband upon entry.

THE ROOM
Movie 9:30 pm *Screening as part of a double feature. Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

THE ROOM (Tommy Wiseau / 2003 / 99 mins / 14A) Johnny is a successful banker with great respect for and dedication to the people in his life, especially his future wife Lisa. The happy-go-lucky guy sees his world being torn apart when his friends begin to betray him one-by-one.

BIG SHARK (Tommy Wiseau, 2023 / 104 mins / NR) EXCLUSIVE FILM! Three firefighters: Georgie, Patrick, and Tim must save New Orleans from a gigantic shark, can New Orleans survive?

"Oh, hai Mark!"

Join us at the Rio Theatre on Thursday, August 25 with host Greg Sestero - star of the pop-culture phenomenon THE ROOM and author of the best-selling memoir, THE DISASTER ARTIST - for a double billing of Tommy Wiseau's debut feature followed by his sophomore effort, BIG SHARK. Who better to explain Wiseau's latest opus (and the enigma himself!) than Greg Sestero? It's a night of movies, insight, conversation and laughs. (And... merch! There will be sweet, sweet merch.)

Auteur Tommy Wiseau (whose 2003 pop-culture phenomenon THE ROOM ranks among the greatest cult-movie films of all time) finally returns to the cinematic landscape with another tasty morsel made especially for his legion of hungry movie-loving fans: BIG SHARK.

For the uninitiated: A marvel of modern cinema, Tommy Wiseau's THE ROOM is so powerful that it will, literally, "tear you apart." (Or, maybe just your brain. And occasionally your eyeballs.) In the pantheon of you-gotta-see-it-to-believe-it, best-worst movies, it's quite possible that nothing tops THE ROOM. It's the CITIZEN KANE of bad movies! And truly, truly, the best (trust!) way to experience this "masterpiece" is in the dark, on the big screen, and with a packed audience of confused (and enthused) lovers of director Wiseau's bizarre cinematic oddity that has morphed into a pop-culture phenomenon. Having Sestero (who parlayed his portrayal of "Mark" in THE ROOM into an acclaimed best-seller that was ultimately adapted into the 2017 feature, THE DISASTER ARTIST) on-hand to answer audience questions and provide unique insight makes for a very, very memorable night.

Tuesday, August 25
THE ROOM
9:30 pm *As this is a double feature, the start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

THE ROOM (Tommy Wiseau / 2003 / 99 mins / 14A) Johnny is a successful banker with great respect for and dedication to the people in his life, especially his future wife Lisa. The happy-go-lucky guy sees his world being torn apart when his friends begin to betray him one-by-one.

Now in its 15th year,  the smash hit epic comedy THE CRITICAL HIT SHOW returns to the Rio Theatre's stage on Wednesday, August 26 for another night of dork-filled humour.

Prepare yourself for a generous dose of laughter and snorting out loud, as some of Vancouver’s best comedic performers grace the stage in a night featuring some of this City's most intrepid players on a gallant quest for comedy glory (and more snacks!) in a hilarious adventure saga that has been running continuously since 2012.

Spanning over 100 live performances in both Canada and the United States, two years of “at-home” streaming, and frequent festival appearances, THE CRITICAL HIT SHOW is one of the longest running comedy shows around. #DNDLive is an improvised adventure that takes its inspiration from tabletop role-playing games, fantasy film and TV, and (most importantly) you!

Whether you’re a longtime fan, you’ve been enjoying our live streamed shows, or you’re brand new to the experience - you’re going to have a great time.

Wednesday, August 26
Doors 6:15 pm | Show 7:00 pm *Please arrive on time. Start time subject to change.

Tickets $17 +s/c in advance | $20+ s/c at the door

THE ADVENTURERS

Eric Fell as The Dungeon Master
Ian Boothby as Benoit the Anointed, the Half-Elf Cleric
Joanna Gaskell as Freya, the Elf Warlock
Barbara Beall as Ingrid, the Halfling Fighter
Ellen MacNevin as Belle Strummer, the Half-Elf Ranger
Allen Morrison as Spitz Lube’n, the Human Wizard
Shaun Stewart as Brask Hellbeard, the Dwarf Bard

More monsters! More Magic! More Mayhem! More Off-Brand soda!

Twitter: @critshow
www.criticalhitshow.com

www.facebook.com/dndlive

On Wednesday, August 26, Vancouver Horror Show returns to the Rio Theatre with one of the biggest hits of VHS 2025: Woody Bess’ wildly inventive, wickedly funny horror-comedy PORTAL TO HELL with filmmakers including writer-director Bess, actor Trey Holland, and Lucas Ford in tow.

When a down-on-his-luck debt collector discovers a literal gateway to Hell inside his neighbourhood laundromat, he is offered a demonic bargain: deliver three deserving souls or watch his closest friend be dragged into the abyss. What follows is a gloriously strange collision of supernatural horror, razor-sharp comedy and unexpected heart, featuring unforgettable performances from Trey Holland, legendary character actor Keith David, and a spectacularly unhinged Richard Kind.

Following its Canadian premiere at VHS 2025, PORTAL TO HELL took home four Golden Tape Awards—including Best Film, Best Director, Best Lead Performance and Best Supporting Performance. Now, VHS is bringing it back to the big screen for one hell of a night at the Rio Theatre.

Did you miss it at the VHS 2025? This is your chance at redemption!

Wednesday, August 26
Doors 9:00 pm | Movie 9:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

PORTAL TO HELL (Woody Bess, 2025 / 93 mins / NR) A routine debt collector's life is turned upside down when a portal to hell opens in his local laundromat followed by a demon who offers him a deal - three souls to save his neighbour from being dragged to hell.

The East Van Laugh RioT is happy to welcome comedian TJ back to the Rio Theatre's stage on Thursday, August 27.

Fresh off a TV pilot filmed for FX, comedian TJ is back on the road (and returning to the Rio Theatre's stage!) with new jokes about love, death, grief, and immigration. Come for the same fresh, incisive, and caustic wit, stay for the poetry of laughter to be found within the darkest of subjects.

THE ALIEN EVERYWHERE is TJ’s third standup tour. Following successful stints in North America and Europe, he’s ready to go again and bring jokes from the singular Haitian perspective to the rest of the English speaking world. He’s also planning to add a few more countries, and even continents to this one. He hopes to see you in a room, wherever in the world you live, laughing together at the human condition.

Thursday, August 27
Doors 6:30 pm | Show 7:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Tickets $30+ s/c | $40+ s/c at the door
Date Night! Pair of tickets $60+ s/c (Online Only)
Squad Pass! Group of Four $25+ s/c (Online Only)

A Haitian born stand-up comedian who is currently based in New York City, TJ has a very laid back, smooth, and conversational style. He jokes about race, society’s idiosyncrasies, and the inherent contrast between life in Haiti and America, and has made appearances on Gotham Comedy Live (AXS TV) and Good Day New York (FOX).  Some people say his humor is smart and eye-opening; he would probably agree with these people.

TJ is a paid regular at the Comedy Cellar and Gotham Comedy Club in NYC, but has performed all over the world, and recently returned from a small European tour where he performed in English and French. In addition to opening for Colin Quinn, Janelle James, Maria Bamford and Sean Patton, TJ has also been a featured performer at numerous festivals like Netflix Is A Joke Festival, SF Sketchfest and the Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival.

Not just limited to the stage, TJ is also an Op-Ed contributor for The New York Times, offering a unique and thoughtful perspective on various societal issues. His special, “JANUARY 3RD,” available on Amazon, and album, “SON OF HAITI,” accessible on all major audio platforms, have been celebrated by comedy enthusiasts worldwide.  Check out his Don’t Tell Comedy set on YouTube.

After years of slapdash sequels and waning fandom, the Camp Miasma slasher franchise is handed over to an enthusiastic young director (Hannah Einbinder, 'Hacks') for resurrection. But when she visits the original movie's star (Gillian Anderson, 'The X-Files'), a now-reclusive actress shrouded in mystery, the two women fall into a blood-soaked world of desire, fear, and delirium. With Jasmine Savoy Brown, Patrick Fischler, Amanda Fix, Sarah Sherman, Dylan Baker, Kevin McDonald, Eva Victor.

"As sexy as movies come, all the way through its final climax." (ELLE Magazine)

"This one’s designed to make us shriek, smirk and think in equal measure." (Toronto Star)

"Jane Schoenbrun’s meta, queer and horny answer to misogynistic genre fare like Friday the 13th, which Teenage Sex and Death reclaims as sexually empowering." (CBC Radio)

"'Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma' is a meta horror-comedy and a whip-smart entertainment industry satire. Still, on a deeper level, in a hole at the bottom of its lake, is a hard-won sexual awakening." (Time Out)

Thursday, August 27
Doors 9:00 pm | Movie 9:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA (Jane Schoenbrun, 2025 / 115 mins / 14A) A director making a slasher sequel becomes obsessed with casting the original film's 'final girl,' leading both women into psychological and sexual chaos.

A copious cavalcade of top notch talent and captivating cabaret await at The Rio Theatre Burlesque & Variety Show on Saturday, September 5!

Local luminary April O’Peel has curated a show full of wonder sure to dazzle and delight our fun loving audience! The theme is NO THEME! That’s right! These talented performers will each be performing one act of their choosing! What act will they decide to bring to The Rio Theatre Burlesque & Variety Show!? Find out on Saturday, July September 5 as these stars align for one night only!

Saturday, September 5
Doors 8:00 pm | Show 9:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Save $10 with EARLY BIRD tickets! (Till Aug. 10)

General Admission $30 + s/c | $35 + s/c at the door
VIP tickets $40+ s/c (includes interactive prop and goody bag)
Squad Pass (Group of Four Tickets – online only) $100+ s/c

Featuring:

April O’Peel 
Astra Atomica
Belle Jumelle
Carl Leathers
Heavy Duty Dance Collective
Island Gyal Atelier
Katelynn Constrictor
Kiki Albright
Madame Merlot
Miss Chaquita Banana
Misty Moss
Ruby Moon
What Surname
Wildflower Burlesque Collective

Hosted by Gia Sangria

Dr. Brady Smith  brings his own brand of humor to the table, with a mix of brutally honest life stories, outrageous tales from the dental trenches, and a knack for turning the mundane into the absurd, Brady delivers a comedy experience that's raw, relatable, and absolutely hilarious. He combines his love of dentistry, philanthropy, and irreverent humor into a one-of-a-kind style that leaves audiences in stitches. Prepare to laugh until your face hurts.

Sunday, September 6
Doors 6:00 pm | Show 7:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Tickets $35+ s/c 
VIP (Rows A-E, Centre Section) $45 + s/c

Connect on TikTok @DrBradySmith

Connect on Instagram @DrBradySmith

Laughing My Gas Off Podcast

Vancouver’s longest-running, best-kept secret!

Inspired by early David Letterman and the classic variety show format, Paul Anthony’s TALENT TIME combs youth talent shows and unique corners of underground entertainment to create an innovative, strange and hilarious show that also accidentally builds connection and reaffirms the human spirit.

Come experience what the Vancouver Sun called a "Phenomenon"! Paul Anthony’s TALENT TIME is a live comedy/variety/talk show performed in the heart of East Vancouver. Featuring a live house band and co-host Ryan Beil from The Sunday Service Improv.

Now in its 18th season, this entertaining and unique two-hour live show is also a fast-paced, half-hour television series broadcast on the Novus Network locally and globally on YouTube.

Theme and lineup TBA.

Tuesday, September 8
Doors 7:00 pm | Show 8:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Early Bird Tickets $20+ s/c (Until August 19)
Tickets $25+ s/c

Live Comedy with VHS tapes!
BRAND NEW VOLUME 11 SHOW FOR 2026!

Joe Pickett (The Onion) and Nick Prueher (Late Show With David Letterman) have over 14,000 VHS tapes in their cluttered office in Brooklyn and will take viewers on a guided tour of their latest/greatest finds in this brand new Volume 11 show for 2026. Highlights include a psychotic dollar store salesman, a video catalog of frightening porcelain dolls, two wonderfully homemade Bigfoot videos and a new age “miracle” treatment from the 80s called “Psychic Surgery.” (90 mins - contains nudity, language, clowns).

“I think I speak for fans everywhere when I express gratitude for their continued hunt for hilariously bad videos. I hope the search never ends.” (Steven Hyden, Uproxx)

"Skull-crushingly funny." (AV Club)

Thursday, September 9
Doors 7:00 pm | Show 7:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Assigned Tickets $36 (includes all taxes and fees)

About the Found Footage Festival

Debuting in 2004 in New York City, the Found Footage Festival has since sold out hundreds of shows across the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., including appearances at the Just For Laughs Festival, Edinburgh Fringe, and Bonnaroo.

The show has been featured on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and NPR, and has been praised by critics in The Guardian and The New York Times.

Fans can also catch Pickett and Prueher in their weekly YouTube series VCR Party Live! and the hit Tribeca documentary Chop & Steele, now available on Blu-ray and VOD.

For more information on Found Footage, head to www.foundfootagefest.com

Do Go On is a comedy/history podcast hosted by Australian Comedians Dave Warneke, Jess Perkins and Matt Stewart. Every week since 2015 they've taken it in turns to pick a topic from history and report back. Over ten years and 500+ episodes later, they've covered everything from Dolly Parton to Bigfoot, Chernobyl to the real Great Escape.

In that time they've been downloaded more than 25 million times and toured live shows across Australia, The UK, Ireland, Germany, New Zealand and Thailand. This is their first ever time in Canada! Yes it will be weird seeing their voices come out of their faces but don't worry, you'll get used to it!

Saturday, September 12
Doors 12:00 pm | Podcast Taping 1:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

In 2026, The Invincible Czars celebrate 100 years of FW Murnau's silent masterpiece FAUST by performing their tastefully modern soundtrack live with the movie at theatres across the US and Canada - including a stop at the Rio Theatre on Saturday, September 12.

Their brand new electrifying score marries new and old elements of classical music, bossa nova and even a touch of heavy metal to bring the movie to life for contemporary audiences and incorporates a mix of instruments like flute, violin and electric guitar.

The Czars' return engagement at the Rio Theatre will function as an FW Murnau "silent sinema" double feature, as guests will be able to take in both FAUST and their revamped version of the 1922 silent classic NOSFERATU - for one sweet price!

Saturday, September 12
Doors 6:15 pm | Show 7:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Early Bird Pricing $30+ s/c Until August 1!

Adult Entry $35+ s/c
Youth (Under 15) $22+ s/c
VIP (Gold Circle - Rows A-D, Centre Section) $40+ s/c

About FAUST

An elderly alchemist named Faust (Gösta Ekman) makes a pact with the demon Mephisto (Emil Jannings) to gain the power to protect his village from plague. Faust soon succumbs to temptation and asks Mephisto to restore his youth and help him acquire all the hedonistic pleasures that earth can offer. Eventually, his love affair with a young woman named Gretchen (Camilla Horn) leads to tragic and devastating consequences for them both.

FAUST has quite a history. It is the quintessential “deal with the devil” tale based on a centuries-old European legend. The legend inspired Johann Wofgang Goethe’s 1808 play which is considered Germany’s greatest literary work.  The play inspired the famous opera by Charles Guonod which director FW Murnau used as a map for his 1926 film.  Virtually every “sell your soul” type story from the film Crossroads to songs like “The Devil Went Down To Georgia” owes a debt to FAUST whether the creators know it or not. (In fact, "Faust" is the opera in Gaston Leroux’s "Phantom of the Opera.")

Murnau had already made a name for himself and set the standard for early horror films with NOSFERATU (1922) and in 1926 he was on top of his game and found himself with a big budget for FAUST with a lot of autonomy from the studio UFI. The result is silent-era German Expressionist eye candy full of amazing sets, innovative special effects and Murnau’s signature camera work.  It was his last German-made film before he moved to Hollywood later that year.

For modern audiences, it’s the cast that really makes the movie entertaining.  The virtually-unknown Camilla Horn is hard not to love in the role of Gretchen.  (Horn had replaced the legendary Lillian Gish in the role when Gish ultimately turned it down due to the subject matter in the film.)  The charismatic (if complicated) Emil Jannings was like the Jim Carrey of his day bringing all emotions with equal gusto and power. He is hilarious, hateable, terrifying and unforgettable especially when paired with Yvette Guilbert as Aunt Marthe

About the Soundtrack

The Invincible Czars’ score for FAUST is mostly original material inspired by film score composers like Bernard Herrman and John Williams peppered with cinematic metal a la Fantomas and even a little Marcos Valle-esque bossa nova.  The band keeps their tradition of incorporating music from Russian classical composers, revisiting their renditions of Mussorgsy’s Pictures at an Exhibition and A Night on Bald Mountain in particular for this soundtrack.  Five players perform the score live on violin, electric guitar, clarinet, bass clarinet, flute, glockenspiel, keyboard and drums.

About the Band

Josh Robins - Guitar
Wes Haynes - Keyboards
Phil Davidson - Violin, glockenspiel
Stefan del Bosque - Drums
Kevin Sakai - Clarinet, Flute, Bass Clarinet

The Invincible Czars have made a name for themselves among horror and classic film lovers in the US and Canada with their original, tastefully modern live soundtracks for silent films which they started creating for the original Alamo Drafthouse in their hometown of Austin, TX in 2007, though they began making their wacky brand of cinematic rock in 2003.  They are great at using music and sound to transform century-old movies into immersive and engaging experiences that allow audiences to approach, appreciate, and enjoy the depth and innovation of classic silent film. Czars shows are a lot of fun with opportunities for audience participation and costumery.

In 2026, The Invincible Czars celebrate 100 years of FW Murnau's silent masterpiece FAUST by performing their tastefully modern soundtrack live with the movie at theatres across the US and Canada - including a stop at the Rio Theatre on Saturday, September 12.

Their brand new electrifying score marries new and old elements of classical music, bossa nova and even a touch of heavy metal to bring the movie to life for contemporary audiences and incorporates a mix of instruments like flute, violin and electric guitar.

The Czars' return engagement at the Rio Theatre will function as an FW Murnau "silent sinema" double feature, as guests will be able to take in both FAUST and their revamped version of the 1922 silent classic NOSFERATU - for one sweet price!

Saturday, September 12
FAUST
Doors 6:15 pm | Show 7:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

NOSFERATU
9:15 pm *Approximate Start Time

Single Film (VIP Admission - GA) $39*
Single Film (Main Floor - GA) $34*
Single Film (Kids 13 and under - GA) $21*

About FAUST

An elderly alchemist named Faust (Gösta Ekman) makes a pact with the demon Mephisto (Emil Jannings) to gain the power to protect his village from plague. Faust soon succumbs to temptation and asks Mephisto to restore his youth and help him acquire all the hedonistic pleasures that earth can offer. Eventually, his love affair with a young woman named Gretchen (Camilla Horn) leads to tragic and devastating consequences for them both.

FAUST has quite a history. It is the quintessential “deal with the devil” tale based on a centuries-old European legend. The legend inspired Johann Wofgang Goethe’s 1808 play which is considered Germany’s greatest literary work.  The play inspired the famous opera by Charles Guonod which director FW Murnau used as a map for his 1926 film.  Virtually every “sell your soul” type story from the film Crossroads to songs like “The Devil Went Down To Georgia” owes a debt to FAUST whether the creators know it or not. (In fact, "Faust" is the opera in Gaston Leroux’s "Phantom of the Opera.")

Murnau had already made a name for himself and set the standard for early horror films with NOSFERATU (1922) and in 1926 he was on top of his game and found himself with a big budget for FAUST with a lot of autonomy from the studio UFI. The result is silent-era German Expressionist eye candy full of amazing sets, innovative special effects and Murnau’s signature camera work.  It was his last German-made film before he moved to Hollywood later that year.

For modern audiences, it’s the cast that really makes the movie entertaining.  The virtually-unknown Camilla Horn is hard not to love in the role of Gretchen.  (Horn had replaced the legendary Lillian Gish in the role when Gish ultimately turned it down due to the subject matter in the film.)  The charismatic (if complicated) Emil Jannings was like the Jim Carrey of his day bringing all emotions with equal gusto and power. He is hilarious, hateable, terrifying and unforgettable especially when paired with Yvette Guilbert as Aunt Marthe

About the Soundtrack

The Invincible Czars’ score for FAUST is mostly original material inspired by film score composers like Bernard Herrman and John Williams peppered with cinematic metal a la Fantomas and even a little Marcos Valle-esque bossa nova.  The band keeps their tradition of incorporating music from Russian classical composers, revisiting their renditions of Mussorgsy’s Pictures at an Exhibition and A Night on Bald Mountain in particular for this soundtrack.  Five players perform the score live on violin, electric guitar, clarinet, bass clarinet, flute, glockenspiel, keyboard and drums.

About the Band

Josh Robins - Guitar
Wes Haynes - Keyboards
Phil Davidson - Violin, glockenspiel
Stefan del Bosque - Drums
Kevin Sakai - Clarinet, Flute, Bass Clarinet

The Invincible Czars have made a name for themselves among horror and classic film lovers in the US and Canada with their original, tastefully modern live soundtracks for silent films which they started creating for the original Alamo Drafthouse in their hometown of Austin, TX in 2007, though they began making their wacky brand of cinematic rock in 2003.  They are great at using music and sound to transform century-old movies into immersive and engaging experiences that allow audiences to approach, appreciate, and enjoy the depth and innovation of classic silent film. Czars shows are a lot of fun with opportunities for audience participation and costumery.

Get ready, Vancouver! Dhaka Club Vancouver brings you Artcell Live in Vancouver at the iconic Rio Theatre on Sunday, September 13, 2026 at 6:00 PM.

Known as one of Bangladesh’s most influential progressive rock/metal bands, Artcell has captivated fans for decades with powerful vocals, unforgettable guitar work, deep lyrics, and an electrifying stage presence. From fan-favourite classics to their signature progressive sound, this will be a night filled with energy, nostalgia, and pure live music excitement.

Join the Vancouver Bangladeshi community and rock fans from across the Lower Mainland for an unforgettable evening celebrating music, culture, and the return of Artcell to Vancouver.

Sunday, September 13
Show begins at 6:00 pm *Please arrive on time.

Regular Tickets:
Main Floor: $50 + s/c | Balcony: $40 + s/c

Secure your tickets early and be part of one of Vancouver’s biggest Bangla Rock Nights of the year.

The East Van Laugh RioT welcomes comedian Katie Boyle to the Rio Theatre's stage for a night of laughter on Thursday, September 17.

Thursday, September 17
Doors 6:00 pm | Show 7:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Tickets on sale April 24 @ 9:00 am

Katie Boyle is an Irish comedian living in New York City. Her favorite stand-up topics are her journey through American culture, dating, therapy and shame! She performed as a "New Face" in the 2023 Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal, and was featured in NY Funniest showcase and New York Comedy Festival in 2022. Katie's debut album and special, I'll Do It Myself, was released through Pinch Records in summer of 2023. The special has since hit half a million views on YouTube and the album hit #1 on iTunes Comedy Charts and is currently available to stream on all major audio platforms. Her Don't Tell Comedy set premiered in November, 2023.

Her second full-length special, Terapy, was released in July, 2025, and is currently available to stream on YouTube and Disruptor Comedy. She performed a full run of her critically acclaimed one-woman dark comedy, Roe v. Wade versus Katie, at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August, 2025.

Katie has headlined clubs across the United States and Ireland, and brought her hour to Dublin and Cork in the summer of 2024 for four sold-out shows. She’s been featured in The Hollywood Reporter, Irish Independent, and The Irish Times and her work has been featured at Laughing Skull, Women in Comedy, Kansas City Irish Fest, and on SiriusXM. Her new, widely acclaimed dark comedy, Roe v Wade versus Katie, was named among the “Best of the Fest” at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival by The Scotsman in August 2025. She is currently touring the show globally.

Outside of stand-up, Katie has acted in various sketches and shorts, including LadBible and Unilad's Man of the Street videos, and she appeared in a commercial for Oracle. She also collaborates with brands like Piece of Cake Moving, Language Drops, Sundance, and MTV to create and develop funny content. Katie has been producing and emceeing a consistently sold out Irish comedy show at the Dead Rabbit since February, 2023, which flies in Irish comedians to perform. She currently hosts The Shift podcast, on which she and guests discuss sex and dating from an Irish perspective.

Connect with Katie Boyle @KatieBoylecomic

WITCH PERFECT is an all live-singing, comedy parody based on the cult-classic and audience favorite Disney film "Hocus Pocus!"

It features Emmy-winning stars from RuPaul's Drag Race, including Tina Burner (All-Stars 10 and S13's ) as Winifred, Scarlet Envy (Season 11, All-Stars S6, and UK vs the World S2), and Alexis Michelle (Season 9 and All Stars S8) as Mary.

The show features hits from such pop icons as Lady Gaga, Madonna and Cher, as well as Disney classics The Little Mermaid and The Lion King. WITCH PERFECT also flies into Broadway standards from Gypsy and Wicked as well as the sister’s own take on the infamous show-stopper, "I Put a Spell on You."

Make sure to BOOOOOOOOOOOOKKKKKKKKKK your tickets today.

Friday, September 18
Doors 7:00 pm | Event 8:00 pm

VIP Seating with Meet and Greet
$135.45 + s/c (Rows A, B, C and D)

Orchestra
$103.95 + s/c (Rows E - J)

Main Floor
$82.95 + s/c (Rows K through O)

Balcony
$61.95 + s/c

Wes Barker is the funniest magician touring today! Wild tricks, hilarious stories, and incredible feats. A magic show like you’ve never experienced. You may recognize Wes from his TV show (Big Trick Energy) or other appearances on Kill Tony, America’s Got Talent, Ellen, Syfy, MTV, and Penn & Teller: Fool Us (which he won). Wes also has numerous viral videos which have gained over a billion views across the internet!

Saturday, September 19
Doors 5:30 pm | Show 6:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Early Bird Tickets $36.75+ s/c (Until June 5)
Tickets $42+ s/c

www.youtube.com/WesBarker

One of YouTube's most popular comics with over 225 million views and half a billion more on Facebook, Steve Hofstetter is also the host of Finding Babe Ruth on FS1. Hofstetter was the host and executive producer of Laughs (FOX) and he has been on CBS’ The Late Late Show, E! True Hollywood Story, Comics Unleashed, and more. He’s sold out shows in hundreds of cities and dozens of countries. Now is your chance to find out what the fuss is about during this no-holds-barred stand-up performance, featuring some of his unfiltered observations about life.

Wednesday, September 23
Doors 7:00 pm | Show 8:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Meet and Greet:  Row A, seats 5-17: $210 + GST + s/c
Gold (Centre Section / Main): $77 + GST + s/c
Silver (Side Sections / Main)  $49 + GST + s/c
Balcony (General Admission)  $42 + GST + s/c

DreamBoard Production House and the Rio Theatre are joining forces to present the Vancouver Short Film Showcase: Volume Two!  

Make some plans and join us on Sunday, September 27 for an incredible lineup of filmmakers with a mix of established and emerging directors exhibiting their work. Spend the afternoon watching films from Alex Caulfield, Ed Douglas, Tom Affolter, Jay Kamal and many more. We will cover a mix of genres, so grab your seat and enjoy incredible shorts from local filmmakers!

Sunday, September 27
Doors 11:30 am | Event 12:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Guess who's back to keep Vancouver laughing in 2026... The East Van Laugh RioT is pleased to welcome back comedian Sammy Obeid - with all-new material! We just can't keep him off our stage!

Sunday, September 27
Doors 4:00 pm | Show 5:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Adult Balcony (General Admission) $44 + s/c
Adult Main Floor (Assigned Seating) $55+ s/c
VIP Meet n' Greet (Rows 2-6, centre section) $69+ s/c
VVIP Meet n' Greet (Front Row, centre section) $85+ s/c
Group Ticket Pricing (Minimum 4) $49 (ea)+ s/c (online only)

Lebanese-Palestinian American and born in Oakland California, Sammy Obeid double-majored in Business and Mathematics at UC Berkeley and then turned down a job at Google to be a comedian.

Now the host of 100 Humans on Netflix, he’s also appeared on NBC's Last Comic Standing and America's Got Talent, as well as TBS’s Conan, and is best known for his world record of performing comedy 1,001 nights in a row, a story featured in both Time Magazine and The New York Times.

Connect on Instagram @sammyobeid
Connect on Facebook
Connect on TikTok @sammyobeidthem
Connect on X @sammyobeid

Guess who's back to keep Vancouver laughing in 2026... The East Van Laugh RioT is pleased to welcome back comedian Sammy Obeid - with all-new material! We just can't keep him off our stage!

Sunday, September 27
Doors 7:00 pm | Show 8:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Adult Balcony (General Admission) $44 + s/c
Adult Main Floor (Assigned Seating) $55+ s/c
VIP Meet n' Greet (Rows 2-6, centre section) $69+ s/c
VVIP Meet n' Greet (Front Row, centre section) $85+ s/c
Group Ticket Pricing (Minimum 4) $49 (ea)+ s/c (online only)

Lebanese-Palestinian American and born in Oakland California, Sammy Obeid double-majored in Business and Mathematics at UC Berkeley and then turned down a job at Google to be a comedian.

Now the host of 100 Humans on Netflix, he’s also appeared on NBC's Last Comic Standing and America's Got Talent, as well as TBS’s Conan, and is best known for his world record of performing comedy 1,001 nights in a row, a story featured in both Time Magazine and The New York Times.

Connect on Instagram @sammyobeid
Connect on Facebook
Connect on TikTok @sammyobeidthem
Connect on X @sammyobeid

WestBeth Entertainment Presents
Schalk Bezuidenhout: Hey Hey Divorcè

Fresh from a sell-out world tour, a hit Netflix stand-up special, hosting Amazon Prime series "The World’s Strangest Jobs," and an arena run supporting Trevor Noah, South African comedian Schalk Bezuidenhout brings his acclaimed new show Hey Hey Divorcé to Canada this fall.

Tuesday, September 29
Doors 6:30 pm | Show 7:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Adult Assigned Tickets: $42+ s/c

Following a successful run across the UK, Ireland and Europe earlier this year, Hey Hey Divorcé arrives in Canada after earning rave reviews from audiences and critics alike. The show marks Schalk's first stand-up hour in the wake of a marriage breakdown and sees him at his most personal, honest, and unfiltered, while remaining just as side-splittingly funny.

‘Rapid-fire gags and manic energy. Highly recommended.’ ★★★★ - The Age.

★★★★★ Ed Fringe Review  ★★★★ Mervyn Stutter  ★★★★ Broadway Baby

‘Fast-rising talent’ The Guardian

Lloyd Cole will take to the road in 2026 with a run of solo shows in North America, including a stop in Vancouver at the Rio Theatre on Thursday, October 15. His elegant solo live performances in recent years have been predominantly acoustic, but for these concerts he has decided to go electric. The performance will run the gamut from his masterful debut with the Commotions ‘Rattlesnakes’ right up to 2023’s acclaimed ‘On Pain’ touching on all points in between.

Says Lloyd: “In 1999, in retreat from mainstream ambivalence, the idea of becoming a troubadour was perversely alluring. Two acoustic guitars, a suitcase, and a round the world ticket. It took a while for me to become comfortable with it, but The Folksinger Show became my staple. And then, somehow or other, twenty-five years were gone, and now I find myself approaching the end of my career, and wanting to be seen more as just a singer, who wrote a body of work, very little of which one would reasonably label ‘folk’. So I’m back with my Telecaster, my Princeton amp, and my solo show is now electric.”

Thursday, October 15
Doors 7:00 pm | Show 8:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

VIP / Artists Circle (Rows A-D, Centre) $65+ s/c
Main Floor (Assigned Seating) $50+ s/c
Balcony (General Admission) $50+ s/c

ABOUT THE ARTIST

In 2023 Lloyd Cole released ‘On Pain’, his twelfth album as a solo artist. He has released 17 studio albums including three with The Commotions [‘Rattlesnakes’ (84), ‘Easy Pieces’ (’85), Mainstream (’87)] twelve solo albums [‘Lloyd Cole’ (’90), ‘Don’t Get Weird On Me Babe’ (’91), ‘Bad Vibes’ (’93), ‘Love Story’ (95), ‘Plastic Wood’ (’01), ‘Music In A Foreign Language’ (’03), ‘Anti Depressant’ (’06), ‘Broken Record’ (’10), ‘Standards’ (’13), ‘1D’ (’15), ‘Guesswork’ (’19), ‘On Pain’ (’23)],  one with The Negatives [‘The Negatives (2000)] and one with Hans Joachim Roedelius  [‘Selected Studies Vol. 1’ (’13)].

WHAT THE PAPERS SAID ABOUT LLOYD COLE’S 2023 ALBUM ‘ON PAIN’

“Ghostly electronica accompanies meditations on loss, mortality and the passage of time on Cole’s absorbing new album.” 4 **** Sunday Times

“Grappling with the ineffable…a richly detailed synth-pop LP of admirable sophistication…it’s Cole’s growing sound design expertise – and ever unique lyrical voice – that ensure his 40-year career still has legs.” (4**** MOJO)

“’A storied songwriter comes of age (again)… He too has become more of what he always was. And somehow he’s achieved that by paring his music down to its rawest essence.” (8/10 Uncut)

“…beautiful and special, the kind of miminalist adventure we hoped Mark Hollis would return with one day, only with added tales of bloodthirsty wolves and drug-addled rockers...Cole is on a roll. He’s still making erudite melodies, but now there’s something new and other to them. At 62, ‘On Pain’ is the sound of a man just getting started.” (8/10 Classic Pop)

“Cole’s ruminations on the human condition have rarely been as finely tuned as this.” (4***  The Sun)

Dreadful Delights
A Nightmarish Cabaret to Tingle One's Spine!

To creep into the spooky season, Melody Mangler has assembled a collection of her favorite performing artists to create a macabre evening of music, circus, dance, theater, burlesque, drag, and magic. This tapestry of terror will feature top Vancouver artists performing original collaborative works to create an experience you should be scared to miss.

Sunday, October 18
Doors 7:00 pm | Show 8:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Early Bird Pricing $25 + s/c (Until September 1) 
Adult Entry $30 + s/c | $40 + s/c at the door
VIP (Rows A & B, Centre) - $40 + s/c

The iconic “Half Italian, Half Jersey Boy” brings his viral dating stories and emotional reflections to live audiences this fall.

Outback Presents is proud to announce that viral storyteller, author, and live performer Davide de Pierro will bring his unique live storytelling experience to Canada this fall with three special performances, including at the Rio Theatre on Sunday, November 1.

Known for his candid reflections on relationships and the everyday moments that define the human experience, De Pierro has built a devoted online following of more than 6 million across TikTok and Instagram, where his commentary on dating, personal growth, and modern life regularly reaches millions of viewers.

Inspired by his newly released novel The Letters I Never Sent, the live show blends personal storytelling, humor, and audience conversation. Throughout the night, De Pierro will deliver a monologue and read selections from the book, followed by an open Q&A with the audience. Limited meet-and-greet opportunities will also be available for those who purchase in advance.

“The show is a night out together,” said De Pierro. “It’s storytelling, conversation, some laughs, and hopefully a reminder that we’re all navigating a lot of the same things — relationships, personal growth, and the moments in life that connect us. If people leave feeling a little lighter and a little less alone, then it was a good night.”

Sunday, November 1 - LOW TICKET ALERT!
Doors 2:00 pm | Show 3:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Platinum (Rows A & B, Centre Section) $85.75 + s/c
Main Floor  $55.75 + s/c
Main Floor (Aisle Seats) $65.75 + s/c
Balcony (General Admission) $45.75 + s/c

The iconic “Half Italian, Half Jersey Boy” brings his viral dating stories and emotional reflections to live audiences this fall.

Outback Presents is proud to announce that viral storyteller, author, and live performer Davide de Pierro will bring his unique live storytelling experience to Canada this fall with three special performances, including at the Rio Theatre on Sunday, November 1.

Known for his candid reflections on relationships and the everyday moments that define the human experience, De Pierro has built a devoted online following of more than 6 million across TikTok and Instagram, where his commentary on dating, personal growth, and modern life regularly reaches millions of viewers.

Inspired by his newly released novel The Letters I Never Sent, the live show blends personal storytelling, humor, and audience conversation. Throughout the night, De Pierro will deliver a monologue and read selections from the book, followed by an open Q&A with the audience. Limited meet-and-greet opportunities will also be available for those who purchase in advance.

“The show is a night out together,” said De Pierro. “It’s storytelling, conversation, some laughs, and hopefully a reminder that we’re all navigating a lot of the same things — relationships, personal growth, and the moments in life that connect us. If people leave feeling a little lighter and a little less alone, then it was a good night.”

Sunday, November 1
SOLD OUT!
Doors 6:00 pm | Show 7:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

Platinum (Rows A & B, Centre Section) $85.75 + s/c
Main Floor  $55.75 + s/c
Main Floor (Aisle Seats) $65.75 + s/c
Balcony (General Admission) $45.75 + s/c