40 years later, Metrotown is taking a walk down memory lane — a mall, its moments and a community

Under a canopy of hanging blossoms and mirrored disco balls, metrotown’s central court will be transformed into a string of throwback moments this spring — a tactile invitation to step into four decades of mall life and shared routines.

What is Metrotown celebrating, and what will visitors find?

The celebration centers on the 40th anniversary of Metropolis at Metrotown, a milestone tied to its long run as a regional shopping hub since the mall first opened. The program runs for two months, featuring immersive exhibits such as an infinity room, an interactive message wall for visitors to record Met-era memories, and retro-inspired installations that nod to past attractions including the Rainforest Cafe. Spring décor — from hanging blossoms to a LOVE installation in the Grand Court — will accompany pop-up activations and smaller events across the mall.

Opening-day retail incentives include a spend-and-get promotion: a $20 Met reward with a $200 purchase, while supplies last. Two DJ dance parties bookend parts of the schedule, with a dance event opening the festivities and a finale dance-floor moment closing them out. Between those dates, shoppers can expect events such as a flower market presented by Manites Flowers, DIY charm-creation activities tied to qualifying purchases, free engraving over the May long weekend, and a Korean lifestyle pop-up on June 13. A TransLink merchandise pop-up is scheduled for late May into early June, with a more specific window noted elsewhere in the celebration calendar as May 30 to June 6.

How does this anniversary connect to the mall’s history and the wider community?

Metrotown’s 40th marks decades of change. The mall opened in 1986 at the same time as a major transit expansion, and many familiar attractions have come and gone — Playdium closed in 2005 and the Rainforest Cafe closed in 2001. Organizers designed the anniversary program to tap into those shifting memories: digital screens will show snapshots from life at the Met and across the region over the past four decades, while an interactive message wall invites people to recall first jobs, teenage hangouts and other personal milestones.

Community impact is built into the plan. For every spend-and-get reward redeemed, the Met will donate $5, up to $5, 000, to Burnaby Neighbourhood House’s Food Hubs programs. Amanda Chung, marketing manager for Metropolis at Metrotown, framed the event as a thank-you: “Reaching 40 years is an incredible milestone for any business, ” she said. “For decades, families and friends have come here to shop, celebrate, and spend time together. This two-month event is our way of saying thank you to the community that has supported us since day one—while celebrating the iconic moments and shared memories that make the Met special. ”

What new retail activations are arriving during the anniversary?

The anniversary overlaps with a short, separate retail activation: a four-day SHEIN pop-up running from April 9 to April 12 at Metropolis at Metrotown, presenting the brand’s Spring/Summer 2026 collection in a curated, in-person environment. Vito Zhong, general manager of SHEIN Canada, positioned the pop-up as an opportunity to translate digital trends into a physical shopping experience: “Vancouver has always had an incredible pulse for fashion, and we’re excited to bring the SHEIN pop-up experience back to this vibrant community, ” he said. The pop-up emphasizes curated displays across trend themes, changing layouts and in-store offers tied to the season.

Collectively, the anniversary and the pop-up program reflect a mall that is both a retail engine and a social stage — a place that holds personal histories even as new activations arrive to test what draws people back.

Back under the disco balls and among mirrored panels, visitors who once queued for neon arcades or jungle-themed restaurants will find space to swap stories and to see how those old haunts have been reimagined. The installations and events are designed not only to trigger nostalgia but to steer some of the anniversary’s gains toward local food security, leaving the community a tangible benefit as the Met marks four decades of change.

Outside the installations, the mall’s timeline is quietly visible: from its beginnings in 1986 alongside transit expansion to the departures of anchor attractions in the early 2000s and mid-2000s. The celebration asks whether a place can hold both memory and momentum — and invites residents to answer by bringing new memories in the same halls where old ones were made.