Six weeks.
That is all that remains of a 26-year Richmond summer tradition.
The Richmond Night Market announced on August 5 that the 2026 season will be its final year at its Bridgeport site, ending a run that turned a local community event into one of North America’s largest night markets.
The last night is September 20.
The market says its lease has come to an end.
“Although it is heartbreaking to say goodbye, I am filled with gratitude rather than regret,” said Raymond Cheung, the market’s founder, in the announcement.
Raymond has organized and operated the market for all 26 of those years, watching it grow into a destination that has welcomed millions of visitors and, in his words, one of Canada’s best-known summer attractions.
The land tells the rest of the story.
The market sits on the 22-acre Duck Island site nearby Bridgeport Station, and the property is slated for a massive commercial redevelopment.
In 2024, Storeys reported that developer Jingon International’s proposal covers roughly 3.4 million square feet across 14 buildings, a mix of hotel, office, retail, and entertainment space to be built in phases over 10 to 15 years, with the market operator’s lease expiring at the end of 2026.
But that project went south a bit after the announcement.
Whether the night market itself returns in any form, there or anywhere else, has not been announced.
For now, what is left is a countdown.
The market has been the place where thousands of small vendors got their first customers, where generations of teenagers worked summer jobs, and where a rotating cast of skewers, takoyaki, dragon’s beard candy, and bubble tea stalls fed the region’s summer nights.
The release closes with a thank-you to vendors, sponsors, performers, and its staff, calling their work the foundation of the market’s success.
Six more weeks of that, and then the lights go out on Duck Island.
The night market will be joining a heavy year of Richmond goodbyes including Bubble Queen, Pepper Lunch, and Bruno.
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Address: 8351 River Road, Richmond BC