Malkin Bowl

I flew all the way to Vancouver for a concert in this park… PRIMUS & The Chocolate Factory. Lemme tell you, we had a blast.
We took transit from our digs in Kitsilano and fell in love with Stanley Park, the great view of the city, and the walking trails.
The Malkin Bowl is a great comfy outdoor venue right in the heart of a stellar park. Take a jacket if you get chilly — especially in September. But, you probably know that if you live anywhere near here.
There was an ATM on site, and the food vendors (which had great options by the way) and the Primus gear table both took credit cards. what a world we live in :)

Great outdoor venue. Make sure that if you are going after a rainfall that you bring waterproof footwear as it can get pretty muddy. Could use a bit more/​better washroom facilities but not so bad for an outdoor venue. Really pretty surroundings with all the trees and nature.

My fave outdoor venue in vancouver. parking is pretty cheap (usually pay 10 $ for a concert) great beer garden area right next to the stage. I find the security and staff they have at events to be the nicest, much better than at deer lake or thunderbird. Malkin is a to scale copy of the hollywood bowl, which makes me happy that I can stand further back and see over all the taller people in front of me. :)

I’ve been here a few times for concerts. Being outdoors you have to be in the mood and accept that you will be rained on. Some bands are worth the rain and other’s not so much. In fact there are times when rain in a park enhances the mood of a show like: Blue Rodeo, Franz Fern, Flaming Lips, Crowded House and LCD Sound System just to name a few off the top of my head. I will be honest and sometimes if I am cheap I freeload outside and have a pick nic with my best friend ’cause you cannot bring your own food inside. The food choices inside aren’t that great. I love how the trees create a natural noise distortion filter making shows sound better. The walk to the bowl through the park is always fun. There is a playgound near the bowl, therefore, after the show all the hipster kids play in the park to burn off extra energy.
There’s a slope (hill) inside which makes viewing for someone like myself who is a shorty, easier. It’s one of the few most romantic places to see a show outdoors. I remember having a nap on the grass while Crowded House were playing beautiful music.

Come rain or shine, but preferably when it’s sunny, this is my hands down favourite concert venue! Come early and enjoy beer, burgers and/​or dogs at the pub across the walkway from the entrance or grab a few beers while the opening band plays. Unfortunately, they’ve started enforcing no ins and outs once your ticket has been scanned so port-​o-​potties are the only toilets available but it’s a small price to pay for a great music under the stars.

I’ve seen the Raconteurs here and discovered The John Butler Trio when they blew away the headlining G-​Love & Special Sauce. Both times I had a blast.
It’s a pretty easy venue to get to as long as you know it’s not easy to find and figure it out on a map first. Also, knowing they don’t serve beer means planning ahead if you want some drinks and go to the clubhouse just by the entrance. They do have drink and food vendors though so you won’t starve or die of thirst at least.
I enjoy being outside on a star-​lit night while listening to the music fill the air. I would not especially enjoy going to a concert in the rain though and I think they need to do something about covering the stage a bit better considering we’re on the Wet Coast. Be prepared and pack a rain poncho and small tarp to sit on just in case. The sound is really good here and the sloping hill to the stage means everyone can see. It’s a small enough space that it feels intimate too. Security is good but if you know what you’re doing it’s easy to sneak in a flask to liven up your hot chocolate.

I love outdoor venues, and as venues are concerned this is a pretty decent one. The sound is very good and it is convenient to walk/​bike/​bus to.
Saw a concert last week and my only beef is the lack of alcohol at the premises. I am sure this is a Vancouver Park Board thing, but we are all grown ups and should be allowed to buy/​drink a beer in an enclosed environment.
The food and drink vendors are decent and affordable.

I’m a fan of this venue. Fairly decent sight lines for the shorter people. Outdoors, lots of greenery. Also it’s a short walk from downtown. Only problem I see is the obvious ‘if it rains…’.

I wasn’t really sure exactly where the Malkin Bowl was in Stanley Park and I probably should have checked before the show since we arrived in the darkness and rain without a flashlight and tried to follow the thumping of the music to the venue. I have to admit, it was pretty hard to navigate in the darkness (its even darker with all the shadows from the trees) trying to stay on a gravel or paved path to avoid the slippery/​muddy grass. The last thing I needed was a chocolate mudslide down the ass of my pants before the show.
We arrived at the show, and our bags were searched, and we got in quickly. I was surprised that among all the outdoor vendors selling tube steaks, coffee and candies that there was no one selling alcohol. How is this a party without booze? I *guess* we can still have fun, but it sure does rain on my parade, not that it wasn’t pissing already. Which brings me to another point, the stage is only 50% covered by a roof, which means half the stage was soaking wet. When the Scissor Sisters came out they let us know that they would not be able to do as many crazy dance moves because if they slipped and fell they could seriously get hurt, which is pretty fair excuse. I would hate for the show to end early because of someone got hurt. However the laser lights they had for the show looked super amazing in the rain, like it was raining red glitter! How appropriate!
The sound was awesome, and there wasn’t a bad seat in the house because the stage is at the bottom of a small hill, so even if someone tall is in front of you, you can still see. But the music has to end at 10pm due to the City’s noise regulations, so if you are going to a show at the Malkin Bowl its probably going to be an early one, since it has to be over by 10.
The best way to get to the Malkin Bowl is probably by BC Transit since there isn’t a lot of parking, and if you eventually find a spot its going to cost you about $ 7.50 to park for three hours, or $ 10 for the whole night. I would like to try going to a concert here in the summer when its actually sunny out, but I guess that will have to wait until next year. Maybe they will start selling plastic ponchos at the Malkin Bowl by then? Or even alcohol? Who knows?
*I ended up wearing my Unilocal poncho from Mis Trucos Elite party last weekend since it was still in my purse, it saved me! Thanks Crystal!*

This was my first concert at Malkin Bowl! Outdoor venues are pretty hit or miss but I actually loved it. The stage is at the bottom of a small slope so no matter where I was standing I could see perfectly. Very handy, since I am 5’1 and every tall person on the planet likes to camp out in front of me at most General Admission shows.
I’d love to come here in the summer for a show. Maybe next year!
I had my doubts about this because of the rain, so before my friends and I arrived, I ran down to a market and bought a $ 4 poncho. Yeah. I looked pretty cool.
The sound was spectacular! Maybe because you are surrounded by trees? I don’t know! But it was perfect, and so lovely. The colourful stage lights looked like glitter with all the rain falling. It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. And suitable, since I was there to see the Scissor Sisters.
Apparently the roof over the stage doesn’t fully cover it… the band informed the crowd that they wouldn’t be able to dance around or get as crazy as they usually do because they might slip and fall! Yikes. Nobody wants that…
There were a few vendors selling food and water bottles and coffee. No liquor though. No biggie, since I usually don’t bother buying alcohol at shows, but it would have been nice for the rest of the crowd.
I liked that this was an early show. I suppose all shows here ARE early due to the neighbours and noise complaints. Far too often I am so exhausted by the time the opening acts are done and can’t fully enjoy the main act, so this was awesome.
I love you, Malkin Bowl. And I will be back. Maybe with some sun.

Until this past weekend I had never taken in a show at the Malkin Bowl. As Dayna says this is a venue you love to hate. It’s great as it makes you feel close to the artists because of the size but when i got there and saw that you could sit outside and hear the concert without any repercussions from security I was a little miffed.
If it weren’t for the signs I would have gotten lost trying to find it, but then I can be directionally challenged lol. What I did really like was that I could sit on the «hill» and enjoy the show from there or stand and dance my arse off, both of which I did and I didn’t feel like I missed any part of the show.
PS. The coffee guy was a hoot and hooked me up with my caffeine fix as there weren’t any beer sales :).

The Malkin Bowl is one of those venues that you love but hate all at the same time. It’s completely unique in that it feels like a small intimate outdoor festival, except one that you didn’t camp in, you had a shower that day and you leave at the end.
It’s located in Stanley Park and little confusing to find the first time, and the second, but you’ll get it eventually. What’s cool is despite it only being grass and nothing else nature has still given it seating. You can sit on the knoll or rock out standing up.
What sucks about the Malkin Bowl is that there is no liquor service, all the shows start at 5:30pm due to noise restrictions for after hours, and you may as well not have paid the $ 60 and sat outside to listen to it. Maybe other people don’t find the 5:30pm thing quite so annoying but I work till 5pm and getting there on time is a giant hassle. Also, I make it work when I have to.
Also, if I remember correctly it’s super loud. So you may want to consider ear plus. And keep in mind, if it’s loud to me… it’s probably 10 decibels above ridiculous to everyone else.