vancouverKaraoke is a strange gift. Almost nobody is good at it, and that's the point. You stand up, you get it a bit wrong, and a room of strangers cheers anyway. Not many places in a city let you be bad at something in public and still feel welcome.
Vancouver has a few kinds of karaoke. There are private rooms where only your friends can hear you. There are bars with a weekly night and a crowd. And there are quieter daytime sessions for people who'd rather not sing at midnight. Here's how to pick, sorted by how brave you feel. Every spot below comes from the directory's karaoke page.
Private karaoke rooms
If you want to sing without an audience of strangers, book a room. You get your own space, your own queue and nobody else's birthday party.
SWITCH Karaoke has private karaoke suites at 1339 Robson Street. It's open daily, and group rates are available, so it works well for a birthday or a team night out.
KTV Party World (Burnaby) has private karaoke rooms and a large song selection. It's at 200-4361 Kingsway in Burnaby. Expect a vibrant, fun night out. If your song is obscure, a big catalogue matters more than you'd think.
Karaoke bars and weekly nights
A private room is safe. A bar is where the magic happens. Someone you've never met belts out a power ballad, and suddenly the whole room is singing along.
Celebrities Nightclub Sunday Karaoke runs every Sunday at Vancouver's oldest gay bar, at 1022 Davie St. It's fun and inclusive, with a great atmosphere. Sunday is also a kind slot for a first try. Nobody expects much from a Sunday.
Union Latinos Karaoke Thursdays brings a Latin vibe to karaoke night. The first 10 singers win a free Colombian hot dog. I can't think of a better reason to put your name down early.
Karaoke nights come and go faster than most events. Karaoke Schedule in Metro Vancouver (Facebook) is a community group that tracks them. Its listings stay up to date across the city, so check it before you head out.
If you're shy about singing
Plenty of people love karaoke and dread the microphone. That's fine. You have options.
Start in a private room with two or three friends. Once you've sung in front of people you know, singing in front of strangers feels much less dramatic.
Or try Community Centre Lunchtime Karaoke. Some community centres run casual daytime karaoke. It's friendly to an older crowd, and the mood is relaxed. Lunchtime takes away a lot of the pressure. Search the city's recreation listings to find a session near you.
Karaoke as a way to meet people
Karaoke is secretly a great way to make friends. Everyone in the room has already agreed to look a bit silly, so the usual walls come down fast. You clap for a stranger's song, they clap for yours, and now you have something to talk about.
The trick is the same as with any group: go back. A weekly night like Sundays at Celebrities or Thursdays at Union Latinos works best for this. The first time, you're a stranger with a song slip. By the third, the regulars know your song. If you want more ideas, read my guide on making friends in Vancouver.
Find more karaoke
There's more on the full karaoke list. If you'd rather sing your own songs, try music and open mic nights. Know a karaoke night I've missed? Add it here.
Part of the Vancouver Community Directory, a free, community-built list of 250+ groups, clubs, and meetups across the city.