Events

Come and enjoy the power of Kelowna’s Japanese Drumming group, Yamabiko Taiko! They will be in Oliver for a performance on Thursday, April 16, 2026, at 6:30 pm. The performance, named Connection, will be held at the Venables Theatre at 6100 Gala Street in Oliver, BC. This event is part of the Venables Alive! series. Yamabiko is an amateur taiko group that has been performing in the southern interior of BC since its inception in 2003. The group began with very humble and simple desires: purely to enjoy and play Japanese taiko-style drums and be lost in their power and grace. With only a few members led by Eri Uchida, they were able to acquire their very crude but effective drums, homemade with regular packing tape and, believe it or not, cut-to-size sewer pipes (unused, of course!) donated by the City of Kelowna. Weekly practices weren’t even scheduled; the group gathered whenever possible in the basement of a member’s house. And so, Yamabiko Taiko was born! Who knew what was to come…

Today, Yamabiko Taiko has evolved into a regularly performing group in the southern interior of BC. The group now plays real barrel-like taiko drums made from wood and cowhide. Members practice twice a week in the basement of the Kelowna Buddhist Temple. Yamabiko has performed as far north as Ashcroft and Revelstoke, and as far south as Osoyoos. They are excited to add Oliver to their list of performance locations!!