Public Disco 2024. Image credit: Alison Boulier
Across Vancouver, Public Disco is reshaping the way we experience music, community, and public space. Since launching in 2017, the nonprofit has transformed plazas, laneways, parking lots, and other unexpected corners of the city into vibrant dance floors—spaces where people from all walks of life can come together through the shared joy of music.
But Public Disco is more than just a series of events. Rooted in the rich history of dance culture—particularly the contributions of Black, Latinx, and Queer communities—the organization embraces the original spirit of the discotheque: a haven for freedom, connection, and self-expression. By bringing this ethos into the public realm, they’re not only making dance music more visible and accessible, they’re helping to build a more inclusive, connected urban culture.
Through free and low-barrier programming, Public Disco amplifies local talent, supports underrepresented artists, and creates spaces that reflect the diversity and creativity of the city. Their events invite new audiences into the world of underground music while celebrating the communities who have always shaped it. Each gathering is a curated, collaborative effort—a joyful act of resistance to isolation, and a vibrant reminder of what’s possible when art, people, and place come together.
BC Creates spoke with Nickolas Collinet, the Executive Director of Public Disco, to learn more about the vision behind the organization and dance floors—when reimagined—can become powerful tools for cultural change. Whether a returning or first-time attendee, check their website for upcoming events through which to rediscover music, community, and the spaces around us.
When you think back to the very first Public Disco event, what kind of feeling were you hoping to create? And how has that vision evolved since then?
At the start, we were focused on activating public space and creating opportunities for DJs to connect with new audiences. The idea was pretty simple, bring people together through good music and remind them that the city CAN be fun. We wanted to break down social silos and make it easier to smile at a stranger, dance with someone new, or just feel a sense of presence in an urban setting that often feels isolating.
That original spirit still drives us, but the vision has evolved. Now we’re working toward something more ambitious, making Vancouver undeniably fun, not just more fun. We want to scale our impact in ways that are culturally meaningful, economically sustainable, and civically recognized. That means aligning with the business community, building relationships with all levels of government, and advocating for organizations like ours to be seen as vital players in both the cultural and economic fabric of the city. We’re thinking about artist visibility, audience development, public transformation, and how to do this work in a way that sustains the people behind it.
What’s your curatorial process for building a lineup that’s musically diverse yet cohesive? Are there any guiding principles or themes that shape each season?
Public Disco has always been rooted in electronic and dance music culture, particularly its queer origins. That influence shows up in everything from our lineups to our aesthetic. Each year, we reassess where the gaps are, what scenes or sounds aren’t being heard enough, and how we can offer a platform for them. Some years, that means amplifying Latinx talent, other times, it’s about bringing in a younger wave of emerging artists.
We work with guest curators and community collaborators to help shape each event, intentionally shifting focus between different scenes to build a fuller picture of what Vancouver sounds like. There’s still a long way to go as many cultural groups remain underrepresented on our stage and across the city. Part of our work is pushing the boundaries of who gets to take up space, and expanding people’s ideas of what belongs in the mix. Our work on that continues to evolve.
What draws you to unconventional urban spaces like alleys, plazas, or parking lots—and how do you think those choices shift how people experience the city?
We’re drawn to underused spaces partly out of necessity. Venues are constantly being lost to redevelopment. But we see opportunity in alleys, parking lots, and warehouses all over town. When you add sound, decor, and people to public space, you can transform the way someone feels in their own city. Suddenly a space they’d walk past without a second thought becomes a place they remember dancing.
Public space activation invites people into an experience they didn’t expect, and that creates new relationships with each other and with the city itself. We want to live in a place where art and music are woven into the everyday, where you don’t need a ticket or a guest list to feel like you’re part of something.
Public Disco highlights Queer, BIPOC, and emerging artists. How do you ensure that this focus informs the full experience—from audience makeup to design to community partnerships?
Representation is something that needs to be baked into every layer of the experience. That starts with who’s on the team, who’s curating, and who’s being hired to perform. When you do that work intentionally, it shapes who shows up, how people feel in the space, and what kinds of community connections emerge.
We also think about partnerships that reach people organically—like teaming up with a curator to engage their community in a way that puts them in a decision-making position. While we’re proud that most of our team is queer, we’re still pushing ourselves to broaden that representation even further. There’s no finish line here, it’s about continuing to learn, build relationships, and continue to improve how we reflect the richness of the city we’re in.
How do you define success for Public Disco beyond attendance numbers? What emotional or social impact do you hope to create at each event?
Success for us is about impact, not just impressions. Are we offering something meaningful to the community? Are artists being seen, heard, and booked because of their set with us? Are attendees leaving with a deeper connection to music, to each other, or to the city?
We look at things like feelings of safety, a sense of discovery, and whether people are sticking around to support local businesses or engage with other parts of the neighbourhood. We also think about ripple effects, whether what we’re doing helps make more room for other event producers, inspires new ideas, or contributes to a larger shift in how culture shows up in Vancouver.
What are you experimenting with right now that might shape Public Disco’s next phase—whether in technology, accessibility, or event formats?
We’re exploring larger, multi-stage formats, especially for Pride, where we’re launching our biggest event to date with a capacity of 2,500. That allows us to reflect the musical diversity within queer communities and bring more genres into the fold. It also challenges us to think about how to make that scale feel just as intentional and safe as our smaller events.
We’re also navigating the challenge of finding new spaces as previous ones face redevelopment. That’s pushed us into conversations with new property owners and community partners who believe in what we’re building. We’re not just looking for venues, we’re looking for relationships that support the long-term sustainability of our model. And behind the scenes, we’re constantly iterating on how we program, how we pay people, and how we create experiences that are artistically sharp and financially viable.
How do you approach accessibility—not just in terms of physical space, but in ensuring that newcomers, marginalized communities, and those unfamiliar with dance culture feel genuinely welcome?
Accessibility is a work in progress. This year, for the first time, we implemented a formal code of conduct, something we should have done sooner. We’re working on being clearer about what kind of space we’re trying to create and what behaviour isn’t welcome. That clarity helps people feel safer, especially if they’ve had negative experiences elsewhere.
We also focus on keeping our programming free or affordable and designing spaces that are family-friendly. But we know we still have work to do. Accessibility means asking questions about who’s missing, and making changes that help more people feel like they belong. Fostering a sense of belonging within the city and the music scene is really important to us.
What are the barriers you still see in Vancouver’s event or nightlife culture, and how is Public Disco working to address them?
The biggest challenge is that Vancouver hasn’t yet prioritized cultural placemaking or nightlife as civic essentials that contribute to improving important challenges in our city. If it had, we’d see way more infrastructure for events, plazas with built-in power, streamlined permitting systems, and support for emerging producers. Instead, we’re often working with outdated systems that weren’t designed for the kind of events people want today.
Parks are a perfect example. They’re one of our city’s best assets, but they’re also one of the hardest to activate. The permitting process is slow, expensive, and difficult to navigate. We’re constantly pushing against those limits not just for ourselves, but to show what could be possible if the city made cultural use of space a true priority.
What’s your long-term vision for Public Disco in Vancouver’s cultural ecosystem? When you look ahead, what legacy do you hope the organization leaves behind?
We want to help shift the city’s cultural baseline. That means creating a future where outdoor music events are expected, not exceptional. Where it’s normal to hear a DJ in a public plaza, to see diverse artists playing in unconventional spaces, and to stumble on something beautiful happening in the middle of your day.
Pop-ups will always be part of our DNA but long-term, we’re looking for more sustainable infrastructure, semi-permanent spaces, partnerships that last beyond a season, and systems that support this work without burning people out. We want to leave behind a city that’s more equipped and more willing to support joy, creativity, and connection in public space.
Learn more about Public Disco and purchase tickets on their website. Stay up to date with future events on their Instagram page.
