Celebrate the height of summer at the Canada Dry Victoria Dragon Boat Festival presented by Fairway Market!

Victoria, get ready to race! Celebrate the height of summer at the Canada Dry Victoria Dragon Boat Festival presented by Fairway Market. Enjoy iconic dragon boat races in the Inner Harbour, exciting music and cultural shows on the Main and Patio Stages, marketplace vendors and bars, Chinatown booths, and more in the heart of Victoria.

2025 programming schedules will be published in Summer 2025! Race schedules are on the Race Info page. 2025 race registration is now open with a 10% early bird discount at register.dragonboatbc.ca until March 31.

Since 1994, the Festival has brought communities together through dragon boat activities. Come down this August and explore what we have to offer- all for free!

The Festival is the Island’s original dragon boat festival, started during the 1994 Commonwealth Games, and is organized annually by the non-profit Victoria Dragon Boat Festival Society.

Race with us on our exciting ~250M race course on Saturday August 9! Register now and join in on the fun!

2025 Race Program

• Distance: Enjoy our exciting ~250M sprint race course!

• Divisions: Mixed, Women

• Number of races: 4 races per team (subject to change)

• Specialty Cups: Visiting Team Cup, Senior Cup, Breast Cancer Cup

• Equipment: All races are held with IDBF 1222 standard BuK boats seating 20 paddlers, a drummer, and steers.

• Please note: Due to the Inner Harbour’s unique nature, breaks are required in the morning and afternoon to allow for the arrival and departure of commuter ferries and airstrip movements. These breaks are built into the race schedule; thank you for your understanding.