If you are looking for a full breakdown of the local music scene in Vancouver you are in the right place. The best instrument stores in your area including some different sections for where to buy guitars and the best drum shops in town will also be covered.
There will definitely be a lot of crossover between some lists but we have done our best to get the right spots in the right sections for you. Up next we will get into quality instrument repair shops near you because some reading this may need a piano tuned, a guitar repaired, or work done on other band instruments and there is somebody out there that can assist.
Contents
Then it will be time to pivot to the best music lessons for kids or adults. Following that we will give a shout out to the top stores for music lovers that sell vintage CD’s and records here.
We also think many of you will want to know about the best concert halls and live music venues while some others may prefer to visit bars and restaurants that have free live music around the city.
And we will get you out of here with the best festivals on the Vancouver music calendar. Stay with us til the end where you will find a map with the wide variety of stores and venues we are discussing pointed out.
Everyone reading this is welcome to look through more of our blogs on Canada at that link.
Vancouver Musical Instrument Stores
Some of the best musical instrument stores near you would be:
- Tom Lee Music at 728 Granville St
- Long & McQuade Musical Instruments at 368 Terminal Ave
- Tapestry Music at 4440 W 10th Ave
- Bonerattle Music at 2012 Commercial Dr
- Play Music at 2593 Kingsway
- Nagi Musicals at 12885 85 Ave, Surrey
- Massullo Music at 4242 Hastings St, Burnaby
- DaCapo Music at 8720 No 1 Rd, Richmond
- PlayPro Ukuleles, Saxophones & More at 11240 Bridgeport Rd #206, Richmond
Tommy Lee is a legendary music store in your area that sells a variety of pianos, special guitars, and amps.
To visit one of Canada’s largest music stores with a broad assortment of musical instruments and lessons head to Long & McQuade.
Tapestry is a full-service music store that is an authorized dealer for Yamaha, Roland, Fender, Godin, Seagull, Art, and Lutherie.
Bonerattle Music offers a wide range of high quality instruments, amplifiers, and accessories.
You can buy instruments in Vancouver from Yamaha, D’addario, Elixir, Schecter, and Shure at Play Music who also does lessons and guitar repairs.
Massullo Music in Burnaby specializes in musical instrument repairs, rentals, and sales as well as being an exclusive dealer of Trevor James saxophones and flutes, Ted Klum mouthpieces, Theo Wanne mouthpieces, Jody Jazz mouthpieces, and many other unique items.
Dacapo Music has been selling guitars and basses as well as other musical equipment near you since 2000 with the goal of bringing natural, beautiful, and inexpensive instruments to beginners and local musicians alike.
PlayPro Music in Richmond is an authorized dealer of uma ukuleles, weissenberg saxophones, flutes, clarinets, other winds, professional wireless mic systems, and more.
Where To Buy Guitars
For all the guitars and accessories you need check out:
- Westcoast Guitars at 2741 E Hastings St
- Basone Guitars at 318 E 5th Ave
- Exile Guitars at 3730 Main St
- Bluedog Guitars at 60 Orwell St #121
- Bruce Guitars at 3026 Commercial Dr
Westcoast Guitars has supplied antique guitars and amplifiers to some of the biggest names in music.
Basone Guitars excels at the construction and repair of stringed instruments as well as the sale of guitar parts and accessories.
Expect to find a one-of-a-kind inventory of high-end acoustic and electric guitars as well as an exceptional collection of vintage and exquisite used guitars from Martin, Gibson, Taylor, and other brands if you head to Bluedog.
Bruce Guitars provide a comprehensive guitar repair service with the utmost skill and care in a timely fashion and at a reasonable cost.
Of course many of the shops in our other lists will also be good places to buy guitars in your area so don’t just focus on this section.
Drum Shops Near You
Rufus Drum Shop at 3712 W 10th Avenue is a good place to buy drums in Vancouver plus we have mentioned Tom Lee Music, Long & McQuade, Tapestry Music, Play Music, and Massullo in other sections and they should also have a variety to choose from.
Instrument Repairs
Instrument repairs in Vancouver are available at:
- Moar Music at 3731 Main St
- Righele Rino Luthier at 5858 Ormidale St
- Savage Guitarworks at 16627 63 Ave, Surrey
- Misha Udovenko Luthiery at 17151 Westminster Hwy, Richmond
Moar Music is a boutique-style local music store that specializes in symphonic string, woodwind, and brass instrument repairs and sales.
For an Italian producer of excellent violins, violas, cellos, and bows contact Righele Rino Luthier.
Savage Guitarworks in Surrey is a fully licensed and insured guitar maintenance and repair shop proudly serving the lower mainland offering setups, full rewires, refrets, mods, and more.
You will find a renowned guitar mechanic, repair artist, and guitar restorer in Richmond with over 35 years of experience if you check out Misha Udovenko.
Other places that we have mentioned throughout the post that also offer instrument repair include Play Music, Massullo Music, Basone Guitars, and Bruce Guitars.
Music Lessons
Level up by taking lessons at a music school in your area:
- Horizon School of Music at 333 Terminal Ave #218
- Studio Cloud 30 at 2208A Spruce St
- Open Door Music School at 3721 W 10th Ave
- Ava Music & Art Centre at 734 Marine Dr
- Carillon Music Academy at 7050 King George Blvd, Surrey
- Semiahmoo Academy of Music at 15272 Croydon Dr #218, Surrey
- British Columbia Conservatory of Music at 4549 Hastings St, Burnaby
- Richmond Music School at 11371 No. 3 Rd, Richmond
- World of Music & Arts at 6160 London Rd #120, Richmond
- Jensen School of Music at 11838 88 Ave, Delta
- Simusique Studio at 3030 Lincoln Ave #124, Coquitlam
Horizon School of Music in Vancouver is disrupting the present learning system by providing drum, piano, vocal, guitar, banjo, and other musical lessons.
A boutique talent development agency offering singing lessons, vocal coaching, performance opportunities, acting, and more is what you get from Studio Cloud 30.
Open Door Music provides fiddle, piano, violin, and other instrument classes.
Ava Music & Art Centre offers private, semi-private, and group lessons in music theory, harmony, counterpoint, analysis, and history.
The Carillon Music Academy in Surrey is a good place to take one-on-one private lessons in piano, voice, and guitar for beginners to advanced and gives students professional learning experiences.
You will find a highly qualified faculty that offers a variety of piano, violin, guitar, ukulele, voice, flute, and music theory study options for students of all ages and levels with Semiahmoo Academy of Music.
The British Columbia Conservatory of Music in Burnaby offers lessons in piano, violin, guitar, singing, theory, and many other instruments as well as 15 distinct types of musical education courses to students of all ages and musical backgrounds.
There are a variety of programs to expand the learning of students of all ages in a wide range of styles such as classical, jazz, rock, and pop available at Richmond Music School.
World of Music & Arts is an award-winning music school near you that is dedicated to offering high-quality education.
Jensen School of Music in Delta provides high quality music lessons from a competent pleasant instructor with over 30 years of teaching experience specializing in several kinds of guitar.
Born from the love of music and the passion of helping students find confidence through piano and singing, Simusique Studio is a great option.
Other places that we have mentioned throughout the post that also offer music lesson include Long & McQuade and Play Music.
CD & Record Stores
Check out all kinds of vintage CD’s and records at these local stores for music lovers:
- Zulu Records at 1972 W 4th Ave
- Audiopile at 2016 Commercial Dr
- Highlife Records & Music at 1317 Commercial Dr
- Neptoon Records at 3561 Main St
- Red Cat Records at 4332 Main St
- Beat Street Records at 439 W Hastings St
- Sunrise Records at 10355 152 St, Surrey
- Redrum Records Ltd at 1990 152 St #1, Surrey
- Hooked On Phono at 4251 Hastings St, Burnaby
- 3Dawgs Vinyl at 9371 No 5 R # 1, Richmond
- Apollo Music at 2260 Tyner St #8, Port Coquitlam
Zulu has a constantly changing selection of vintage stereo gear in great working condition including turntables, amps, speakers, and more.
Audiopile sells a variety of records and other accessories.
You can choose from a large selection of new and used vinyl records in your area at Highlife along with CD’s and cassette tapes.
Neptoon is Vancouver’s oldest independent record store selling a large selection of used and new vinyl as well as CD’s.
Red Cat is a local record store known for excellent customer service, music knowledge, and an eclectic selection of new and used LP’s, CD’s, turntables, and accessories.
Since the mid 90’s Beat Street has been an urban lifestyle shop selling new and used vinyl records, graffiti art supplies, and DJ equipment.
For a leading Canadian retailer of music, film, games, and pop culture items as well as a wide selection of new releases and catalogue products head to Sunrise Records in Surrey.
There are thousands of vintage albums, a huge selection of new pressings, a large collection of Japanese pressings, and more at Redrum Records including swag, CD’s, T’s, hats, and accessories.
Hooked On Phono in Burnaby offers a great selection of new and used LP’s, CD’s, stereo equipment, and more.
Apollo Music buys records in Port Coquitlam and also has a nice selection of rock, blues, jazz, soul, funk, punk, metal, 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s to choose from.
Vancouver Live Music Venues
Seeing a concert at Vancouver live music venues is always a good time:
- Biltmore Cabaret at 2755 Prince Edward St
- The Woods Studio at 7 W 2nd Ave
- Imperial Vancouver at 319 Main St
- Mojitos Pub at 12411 King George Blvd, Surrey
- Deer Lake Park Festival Lawn at 6450 Deer Lake Ave, Burnaby
- Admiral Pub at 4125 Hastings St, Burnaby
- Gateway Theatre at 6500 Gilbert Rd., Richmond
- Kennedy’s Pub at 11906 88 Ave, Delta
- John B Pub at 1000 Austin Ave, Coquitlam
Biltmore Cabaret is a multi-purpose music and entertainment venue with burlesque shows, DJ’s spinning soul music, punk bands, and other entertainment.
The Imperial is one of Vancouver’s most stylish venues combining an eastern aesthetic with top western style music.
For a beautiful outdoor venue hosting live music and concerts in Burnaby visit the Festival Lawn at Deer Lake Park.
Admiral Pub is a bustling tavern featuring draft brews, cocktails, and bar fare with dancing, live bands, and karaoke.
Fun Restaurants With Entertainment
You can take a date or a group of friends to these restaurants with live music:
- LanaLou’s Restaurant at 362 Powell St
- Pourhouse Restaurant at 162 Water St
- Cardero’s Restaurant at 1583 Coal Harbour Quay
- The Kino at 3456 Cambie St
- Calabash Bistro at 428 Carrall St
- Brix & Mortar at 1138 Homer St
- Cafe Deux Soleils at 2096 Commercial Dr
- Donegal’s Irish House at 12054 96 Ave, Surrey
- Browns Socialhouse at 15260 56 Ave, Surrey
- Acqua Restaurant, Patio & Bar at 4201 Lougheed Hwy, Burnaby
- Oliver Twist Pub & Grill at 7557 Edmonds St, Burnaby
- Milltown Bar & Grill at 9191 Bentley St #101, Richmond
- CAVU Kitchen Bar at 5911 Minoru Blvd, Richmond
- Kennedy’s Pub at 11906 88 Ave, Delta
- Golden Parrots Pub & Restaurant at 170 Golden Dr, Coquitlam
LanaLou’s Restaurant is a unique dining and event space that features a diverse menu, Sunday brunch, and live rock music near you.
The Kino is a one-of-a-kind venue that features flamenco dancing, music, comedy, and other live events.
For a traditional wood-accented Irish tavern offering burgers, beer, pool tables, and frequent live music in Surrey head to Donegal’s Irish House.
Kennedy’s Pub has been serving North Delta for over 40 years offering great food, service, atmosphere, prices, and live entertainment.
Bars With Live Music
There are also some bars that play live music around town:
- The Roxy Cabaret at 932 Granville St
- Pat’s Pub at 403 E Hastings St
- Frankie’s Jazz Club at 755 Beatty St
- The Keefer Bar at 135 Keefer St
- Baselines Pub at 8233 166 St, Surrey
- Hop & Vine Taphouse at 1601 Burnwood Dr #9, Burnaby
- Pioneer’s Pub at 10111 No. 3 Rd #200, Richmond
- Rose & Crown Pub at 1203 56 St, Delta
Pat’s Pub is a traditional hotspot with local microbrews, pub cuisine, and live jazz on weekends.
If you are trying to find a casual cozy bar and eatery that serves an Italian food and regional wines to enjoy while listening to live jazz and blues consider Frankie’s Jazz Club.
Music Festivals
Have as much fun as you can at one of these music festivals near you:
- Vancouver Folk Music Festival in July
- Shambhala Music Festival in July
The Vancouver Folk Music Festival is a unique community-based celebration internationally renowned for presenting the finest traditional and contemporary acts.
Shambhala Music Festival is an annual electronic music festival in British Columbia that lasts 4 days and 3 nights providing a mix of music and art in nature.
In the past we have also discussed:
Enjoy The Vancouver Local Music Scene
We tried to cover everything as quickly and as well as possible for you on this page. After reading about the best musical instrument stores, drum and guitar shops, instrument repair services, classes and lessons, vintage CD and record stores, concert halls and other live music venues near you like bars and restaurants, and the best festivals in the region you should have a much better understanding of what is available.
And anyone that made it this far might just know a little bit about the local music scene themself and if so feel free to tell us what we got wrong in the comments or share your own thoughts. Now it is time for you to go enjoy the music in Vancouver.