Grammy winners, pop icons, drag artists, comics: Who's set to perform at the 2023 PNE
A star-studded lineup of musicians, comedians and drag performers is coming to Vancouver this summer to take part in British Columbia’s longest-running and largest ticketed event.
The Pacific National Exhibition announced who will take the stage for this year’s Summer Night Concerts on Wednesday, with the R&B group TLC kicking off the series on Aug. 19 and Canada’s own Blue Rodeo closing on Sept. 4.
TLC has performed at the fair before, as have the pop stars behind Boyz II Men, which will return to the PNE Amphitheatre on Aug. 20.
Other nostalgic acts include Aqua, Billy Idol, Boney M , Doug and the Slugs, Pink Martini and Pat Benatar with Neil Giraldo.
For those seeking more modern offerings, rappers Yung Gravy and bbno$ and rockers Billy Talent are slated to perform at the fair in August, while pop artists Jason Derulo and Walk off the Earth will take the stage in September.
There will also be an “all-ages extravaganza” called Stars of Drag, which will be hosted by Crystal Methyd of Ru Paul’s Drag Race and feature two other contestants from the reality series—Alyssa Edwards and Raja.
Speaking to CTV Morning Live on Wednesday, the PNE’s president and CEO said one of the goals for this year’s Summer Concert Series was to include performances of all musical genres from as many decades as possible.
“That way there’s somebody for everybody to experience,” said Shelley Frost.
This year’s PNE will be the first since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic that’s operating at 100 per cent, and Frost says fair-goers can expect to see all of their traditional favourites, like SuperDogs and Knights of Valour, as well as new offerings.
“Just For Laughs is going to be bringing in some comedy headliners into the (Pacific) Coliseum,” Frost said, adding that the lineup will be announced in June.
Another new feature will be an immersive art exhibition featuring all the work of Claude Monet, which is free with admission to the fair.
“We’re just excited to be using the entire footprint again,” Frost said, referring to the fair grounds.
The PNE concert series is set to be even bigger and better in the coming years, with construction for a new, state-of-the-art amphitheatre set to begin next year.
The $65-million project is scheduled to be complete by 2026 and will have a capacity of 10,000.
Tickets for this year’s PNE summer concerts will go on sale this Friday, May 26.
On top of a ticket, concert goers are also required to purchase a general gate pass for the fair.
More details on the show dates and pricing can be found online.
Here is the complete listing of the 2023 Summer Night Concert Series:
Saturday, Aug. 19 - TLC
Sunday, Aug. 20 - Boyz II Men
Tuesday, Aug. 22 - Tenille Townes
Wednesday, Aug. 23 - Boney M featuring Maizie Williams
Thursday, Aug. 24 - Yung Gravy and bbno$
Friday, Aug. 25 - Billy Talent
Saturday, Aug. 26 - AQUA
Sunday, Aug. 27 - Billy Idol
Tuesday, Aug. 29 - Pink Martini featuring China Forbes
Wednesday, Aug. 30 - Doug and the Slugs with the VSO
Thursday, Aug. 31 - Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo
Friday, Sept. 1 - Jason Derulo
Saturday, Sept. 2 - Stars of Drag
Sunday, Sept. 3 - Walk off the Earth
Monday, Sept. 4 - Blue Rodeo: 30 Years In July
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