Nanaimo is home to the Nanaimo Clippers, a Junior hockey club in the British Columbia Hockey League, Vancouver Island Raiders, a Junior football team, the Nanaimo Timbermen, a Senior Mens lacrosse team in the Western Lacrosse League, and rock band Frine and the Tinas. Nanaimo is home to the oldest continuous community band in Canada, The Nanaimo Concert Band, established in 1872. Nanaimo is also known for its bathtub race during the annual marine festival, and for firing a cannon (blank) on the parapet next to the Bastion, (a bastion or fort), everyday at noon and for special events.

Three radio stations CHWF-FM, CKWV-FM, and CHLY-FM operate in Nanaimo.

Nanaimo is home to Petroglyph Provincial Park, where visitors can view ancient petroglyph rock carvings and runes. Newcastle Island is another provincial park in Nanaimo, and was at one time a world-famous summertime tourist destination.

Nanaimo is named for the Snuneymuxw people. It is the origin of the famous Nanaimo bar.