Kelowna’s Waterfront Park Island Stage is ready to shine again—just in time for summer.
City council and provincial leaders gathered Thursday (July 3) for a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the completion of a $1.8 million renovation. It was funded jointly by the city, the province. Nearly $1 million came from the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport through the Destination Development Grant.
BC’s Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, Spencer Chandra Herbert, praised Kelowna for putting locals first and said the investment will pay off for years to come.
“This investment really, to me, illustrates what Kelowna does so well… you focus on the residents’ enjoyment—you focus on making it good for locals, and then the tourism follows,” he said.
Chandra Herbert, who has a background in theatre and the arts, said he’s excited to see Kelowna continuing to lead creatively.
“I say B.C. stands for ”be creative,” and here's another way that B.C. is being creative giving that opportunity for growth, for connection. Your downtown looks so beautiful and vibrant… you give so many communities in this province a place to aim for. If Kelowna is doing it, they want to do it too.”
Mayor Tom Dyas said the new stage adds to the city's growing reputation as a destination for arts and entertainment.
“Kelowna is a hub for culture, entertainment, and world-class events,” he said. “With this upgraded stage, we are enhancing the vibrancy of our downtown and creating more opportunities for residents and families to connect through concerts, festivities, and different community celebrations.”
Upgrades include a new canopy, modern electrical systems, improved accessibility, and an expanded audience area.
The mayor also highlighted the stage’s role in boosting local business and the economy.
“When people come downtown to enjoy a show or festivity, they will also visit our local businesses, our restaurants, and our shops,” he said. “That energy and activity will strengthen our local economy and showcase everything that Kelowna has to offer.”
The revamped stage is already being factored into major events coming to the city including the 2025 Canadian Country Music Awards, the 2026 Memorial Cup, the 2026 B.C. Summer Games, and the 2026 Olympic curling trials.
As for some public concern over the stage design—specifically, its open back and new electrical set up—Dyas said the decision was based on professional advice.
“From a community safety standpoint, it was one of the safest ways, and also from a standpoint of the acoustics it was one of the best ways of moving forward,” he said. “We had to trust those professionals that they knew exactly what they were doing, and I think we got a really good end product out of it.”
