In a vane rotary compressor, a discharge valve on a discharge flow channel communicates an operating chamber in a compression element with a discharge hole. The discharge valve is pushed from an opening portion of a discharge valve groove to an outer circumferential surface of a roller by a high-pressure refrigerant when pressure in an operating chamber is lower than the pressure of the high-pressure refrigerant. The discharge valve is pushed back into the discharge valve groove by the refrigerant pressure in the operating chamber when the pressure in the operating chamber is higher than the pressure of the high-pressure refrigerant. The discharge flow channel is closed by the outer circumferential surface of the discharge valve pushed out from the opening portion of the discharge valve groove and the outer circumferential surface of the roller, and opens when the discharge valve is pushed back into the discharge valve groove.