The stars were out to play in Vancouver this year, and local fans caught plenty of sightings.
From Hollywood A-listers to Grammy-winning music artists, celebs were spotted at popular local spots or gave their favourite ones a shoutout for others to discover.
As we prepare for a new year of major celebrity shoutouts and sightings in Vancouver, let’s take a look back at the best from this past year. Keep your camera handy, as you never know who you’ll spot next!
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Sabrina Carpenter played her last Canadian stop on her North American tour in Vancouver, and she had a LOT of thoughts about the city.
Carpenter mentioned that she visited Vancouver for the first time when she was 13 and came back when she was 15. She added that she’s probably lived here for six months, with all her time in the city combined, and what better place to have her last Canadian stop than Vancouver because it’s “superior.”
Carpenter evoked another huge roar from the crowd when she mentioned visiting Squamish and shared how surprised she was by how “beautiful and kind the people were here.”
Actor Jared Leto was spotted suited up and filming scenes for his upcoming movie Tron: Ares in Vancouver in March.
An X user shared footage online from the Bentall Centre in downtown Vancouver, showing Leto walking on set in a black suit with lit-up red stripes. Crew members could also be seen moving camera equipment inside the 550 Burrard building as rain poured on the sidewalk.
Vancouver had another opportunity to play itself on-screen with CBC’s Wild Cards, and the TV show is led by some familiar Canadian faces.
The new crime drama stars Vanessa Morgan of Riverdale and Giacomo Gianniotti of Grey’s Anatomy fame, with the latter giving the region a shout-out on Instagram for its stunning scenery.
“This series shows some of the most beautiful locations Canada has to offer using Vancouver and surrounding areas of British Columbia as our backdrop,” posted Gianniotti. “(It also features) some incredible Canadian talent, in front of and behind the camera, that I cannot wait for you all to see.”
Pedro Pascal, one of the stars of The Last of Us on HBO, was spotted in Vancouver in February. The sighting came right off the heels of some other stars of the show being spotted in one of the top Chinese restaurants in Vancouver. The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey was spotted dining in Vancity at Mott32.
Michael Buble/X
Michael Buble is not just one of the best-selling Canadian artists in history, but he’s also known as one of the biggest Vancouver Canucks fans around.
That’s why it was no surprise that the Burnaby crooner took to X to show his support in advance of the team’s Game 5 playoff tilt against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Arena.
Buble will also be back inside the stadium to host The 54th Annual Juno Awards on Sunday, March 30, 2025, presented by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS).
The City of Fernie was blessed with the presence of soccer royalty when David Beckham made an appearance, enjoying some adventures in the snow with his mates.
Beckham posted about his adventures on Instagram, which included pictures and videos.
One of those videos showed him doing what he calls a “triple somersault face plant.”
We might just want to make Kelly Ripa an official spokesperson for Vancouver, as the television host won’t stop talking about how much she loves it, and we love to hear it!
Ripa gushed about the city on her daytime talk show Live with Kelly and Mark, which gave away a stay at The Westin Bayshore, Vancouver, this year.
“Have you ever been to Vancouver before?” Ripa asked.
“I have not,” the winner replied.
“If you want to take a travel companion, I will go with you; I love it there so much,” Ripa said.
@teganandsara/Twitter
Vancouver partygoers got the surprise of a lifetime this year after Canadian icons Tegan and Sara showed up at a Felix Cartal pop-up at The Cambie.
Cartal has been doing these surprise pop-up shows all over Vancouver, and Tegan and Sara were a wonderful bonus for fans who were able to attend the event.
Sam Neill, a film star perhaps best known for his work in Jurassic Park, is filming in Vancouver and was recently spotted and met by a local celebrity.
Aaron Chapman, an author and Vancouver historian, shared a photo of himself alongside Neill, who is currently filming a show called Untamed.
Based on Neill’s recent Instagram posts, it sounds like he’s been enjoying some live concerts here in Vancouver. Chapman also told Daily Hive that Neill is a big fan of Vancouver.
Most will likely recognize comedian Aries Spears as one of the most iconic cast members of MAD TV back in its heyday, but he has also made several appearances in movies and standup specials and is the co-host of a podcast with fellow comedian Andy Steinberg called Spears & Steinberg.
Daily Hive caught up with Spears during his exclusive tour stops in Vancouver. He spoke about some of his early influences in comedy, and his answers might surprise you.
“I’ve always been a student of the game and an avid movie watcher,” Spears said.
“Watching people in the past like Abbott and Costello and The Three Stooges, and some of the black performers like Pigmeat Markham and Mantam Moreland.”
Stephanie Hsu/IMDb
Daily Hive spotted American actress Stephanie Hsu, who is well-known for her role in the film Everything Everywhere All at Once, in Vancouver to film Laid. She is producing and starring in the series.
Laid will be an adaptation of the Australian series of the same name. It follows a woman who must revisit her sexual timeline over the years after her former lovers suddenly start passing away in unusual ways.
Actor and musician Finn Wolfhard took on the wings of death at “Hot Ones,” where he spoke about being inspired by the city he grew up in: Vancouver.
Wolfhard, who starred in Stranger Things and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and is in a band called Aubreys, frequently highlights the city, especially as he stops to enjoy the incredible eateries. During the spicy hot wings challenge, he again gave several shoutouts to Vancouver and mentioned his love for Neptoon Records.
“I feel like [Vancouver] is a place where I can get bored and just go out in nature… and get very easily inspired… because I can just kind of walk around.”
Daily Hive got to chat with WWE superstar Sami Zayn about Survivor Series: WarGames, and he revealed a fascinating past with the city involving the Sedin twins.
“I remember going (to Vancouver) as a bad guy once, and I got a lot of boos. They were really loud when I talked a little trash about the Sedin twins,” Zayn recalled, adding that it happened around the time the twins had their jerseys retired in 2020.
“I actually got in trouble that week because our segment went three or four minutes heavy.”
@snoworsand/TikTok
Fan favourite actor Owen Wilson seems to love a good bike ride through Vancouver – and we totally get it.
The actor, known from films such as Zoolander and Wedding Crashers, was spotted riding what looks like the same tiny green bicycle locals spotted him cruising down Vancouver in early June.
TikTok users shared videos after the beloved celebrity was seen filming in their neighbourhood around Steveston in Richmond.
A small group of lucky folks in Vancouver celebrated Canada Day with an exclusive performance from the famous American DJ Steve Aoki.
The eye care retailer based in Vancouver, KITS, threw the memorable house party. According to guests, the DJ performed for nearly two hours in the yard of a massive Point Grey home.
Aoki shared footage of the energetic show and clips of him showcasing his signature move –throwing a slab of cake at attendees (aka caking).
Actor Bryan Cranston was in Vancouver celebrating his 35th wedding anniversary with his wife, Robin Deardon, and raved about how much he loves Western Canada.
“Ever been to Western Canada? It’s absolutely stunning. From the metropolitan setting of the vibrant Vancouver to the Wild West town of Calgary, and all the magnificent scenery of the Canadian national parks in between,” he wrote on Instagram.
George Pimentel/Getty Images for Disney
Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds were out and about promoting the Deadpool & Wolverine flick, and at a screening event in Toronto, Jackman was able to gush about all the things he loves about Vancouver.
Daily Hive asked Jackman about Vancouver, where both prior Deadpool films were filmed.
Jackman started by sharing that he has stayed in Kitsilano and West Vancouver before listing off a bunch of things he likes about Vancouver, including the Grouse Grind. He also spoke about how great the Japanese food is in Vancouver, calling it “incredible.”
“He knows his stuff,” Reynolds added.
“I love skiing there, my son went to school there,” Jackman told Daily Hive.
Chelsea Handler was back in Whistler this year for a birthday tradition: a breezy ski down BC slopes in her bikini!
The acclaimed comedian posted a video on her social media of her annual birthday ski trip. In the video, you can see Handler wearing a blue bra top and bikini bottoms as she carries one of her dogs in a backpack. Another dog can be seen prancing behind Handler and carried for part of the run down the slope.
Noah Centineo is known for his roles in The Fosters and Netflix rom-com films like To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. He is currently starring in The Recruit, which moved its production from Montreal to Vancouver for its second season.
@BradWestPoCo/X
Stars. They hit the gym just like us. That’s what Port Coquitlam resident Chris Skelly learned Friday when he spotted John Cena at his local gym.
It was Skelly’s birthday and while he initially felt hesitant to approach the celebrity, he did because his seven-year-old nephew is a massive fan. As it turned out, Cena was all too happy to pose for a photo.
Videos on social media show that Madonna brought out hometown legend Pamela Anderson for “Vogue,” with the crowd cheering at the surprise appearance.
Anderson herself appeared to be overjoyed by the welcome and by the dancers strutting their stuff on the runway. Both Madonna and the Baywatch star gave out perfect 10s to the “Vogue” dancers, sharing hugs and laughs while the performance went on.
Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad, The Mandalorian) was in town for Fan Expo Vancouver, and while he was here, he raved about some of his favourite places in the city.
Destination Vancouver shared a video interview with Esposito filmed outside of the Vancouver Convention Centre, and the star began by talking about the city’s largest park.
“Some of my favourite memories are at Stanley Park,” the Primetime Emmy nominee said. “I think it’s an ancient forest right there in the middle of the city. You have everything there to, you know, occupy yourself.”
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The stars were out to see Taylor Swift wrap up her record-setting The Eras Tour in Vancouver.
In addition to the 160,000 fans inside BC Place and thousands more outside of the stadium from December 6 to 8, several stage, screen, and music celebrities attended the concerts.
We’ve assembled a huge of celebrities who sang along with Taylor Swift in Vancouver. Let us know in the comments if we missed anyone!
With files from Daily Hive staff