Vancouver Island Symphony: Arabian Nights

The Vancouver Island Symphony opens its 32nd season at Nanaimo's Port Theatre with Arabian Nights, a full orchestral concert performed on Saturday, October 17, 2026. Based at the 800-seat Port Theatre on Front Street in downtown Nanaimo, the professional orchestra presents a season of Classics and Pops programs that runs through the following spring, and this season opener sets the tone with a program of colour, drama and storytelling drawn from the music of the East. Audiences can expect the sweeping, cinematic sound of a live symphony orchestra in an intimate, acoustically rich hall where every seat is close to the stage. The Vancouver Island Symphony has been a cornerstone of central Island cultural life for more than three decades, employing Island-based and visiting professional musicians and offering everything from grand classical repertoire to film music and family concerts across its season. Tickets are sold individually or as part of a season subscription through the orchestra and the Port Theatre box office, and concerts typically begin at 7:30 in the evening. The downtown location puts the theatre within easy walking distance of Nanaimo's harbourfront restaurants, making a concert night an easy evening out. It is an elegant, accessible introduction to live orchestral music for Nanaimo audiences.