For any Riemann surface with punctures $C$, and Lie group $G$, the character variety is the space of maps $\mathrm{Hom}(\pi_1(C), G)$.

I know that if $G= S_n$ (not a lie group), then $\mathrm{Hom}(\pi_1(C), S_n)//S_n$ parametrizes branched covers of $M$. Here $S_n$ acts by conjugation (permuting the various copies of $C$.)

If $G = \mathrm{GL}(n,\mathbb{C})$, is $\mathrm{Hom}(\pi_1(C), G)$ parameterizing vector bundles over $C$? What is the equivalence relation here?