Meanings
- derogatoryinformalusuallyDerogatory name for Vancouver: a major city in British Columbia, Canada.
Celebrates independent art and culture in “No Fun City” — Vancouver, BC.
2013, Heidi Waechtler, editor, The Canadian Writer's Market, 19th Edition: The Essential Guide for Freelance Writers, McClelland & Stewart, →ISBN, page 372 more examples
Where did this wealth of visual expression come from, and how did it blossom in No Fun City, of all places?
2002, Elizabeth Nolan, "Vancouver's Underground Stars Light up the Night", The Nerve, Volume 3, Number 3, May/June 2002, page 4The Winter Olympics brought people out on the street and showed that even in No Fun City, we could find ourselves having endless fun.
2015 February 27, Patrick Johnston, “Rugby notebook: ‘Fandamonium’ the word of the day at Canada Sevens announcement, Olympic qualifying and more”, in The Province
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
Reportedly coined in 2000 by an organiser of Vancouver's annual Symphony of Fire fireworks exhibition (now known as the Celebration of Light), who was upset over a tobacco company being prevented from sponsoring the event. Strict liquor licensing laws have also been pointed to as the source of the nickname, as has an incident in which police advised people to avoid a New Year's celebration, fearing violence. Further popularized in 2010 via a feature documentary called No Fun City about the struggles faced by Vancouver music venues, directed by Melissa James and Kate Kroll.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
No Fun City. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/No%20Fun%20City
“No Fun City.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/No%20Fun%20City. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “No Fun City,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/No%20Fun%20City.
Source: No Fun City on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.