Virago Nation Celebrates 10 Years of Sacred Striptease with Stripocalypse: Rise of the Auntie Heroes
Canada’s premier all-Indigenous burlesque collective, Virago Nation, is marking a decade of reclaiming Indigenous sexuality, body sovereignty, and performance art with a brand-new showcase at Vancouver’s York Theatre on October 16 and 17, 2026.
Titled Stripocalypse: Rise of the Auntie Heroes, the production goes beyond classic gown-and-glove routines to deliver a theatrical experience centered on rage, revenge, and standing in one's power. Audiences can look forward to dynamic visual storytelling, live singing, comedic interludes, supernatural beings drawn from Indigenous lore—and even an Indigenous twist on the classic ’90s anime Sailor Moon.
“Who didn’t want to be a Sailor Scout when they were in school?” says Sparkle Plenty, convening member of Virago Nation. “Stripocalypse is another way for us to bring the Indigenous representation we were missing on television growing up.”
A Counter-Narrative Built on Sovereignty & Queer Joy
Founded ten years ago, Virago Nation emerged out of a collective frustration with the severe lack of diversity on burlesque stages and in mainstream media.
“The majority of the stories I’d see in the media were about the traumatic experiences Indigenous communities faced, including the ongoing MMIWG2S crisis,” shares founding member Shane Sables. “If it wasn’t stories about our trauma, we would otherwise be portrayed as alcoholics or the fetishization of Indigenous people. Virago Nation was a response to that, to be a counter-narrative to what we were seeing at the time.”
Over the past decade, the troupe has taken their message of empowerment to burlesque’s biggest global stages—including the prestigious Burlesque Hall of Fame in Las Vegas—while consistently paving the way for Indigenous, BIPOC, Two-Spirit, and queer artists nationwide. Through frequent partnerships with community mainstays like Vancouver Pride and the Queer Arts Festival, Virago Nation continues to blend grassroots education with electrifying performance art.
Event Details
DetailInformationEventStripocalypse: Rise of the Auntie Heroes
PresenterVirago Nation
DatesFriday, October 16 & Saturday, October 17, 2026
VenueYork Theatre, 639 Commercial Dr, Vancouver, BC
Tickets & Info
Whether you're a longtime follower of local burlesque or looking to support Indigenous and Two-Spirit performance art, Stripocalypse offers an inspiring, high-energy night of storytelling on the performers' own terms.
