Canadian band Blue Rodeo, shown here in 2016 in Edmonton, will perform during this summer’s PNE fair in Vancouver. (File photo: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Amber Bracken)

Canadian band Blue Rodeo, shown here in 2016 in Edmonton, will perform during this summer’s PNE fair in Vancouver. (File photo: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Amber Bracken)

ENTERTAINMENT

PNE concerts for Blue Rodeo, Billy Idol & more, plus a big ‘Summer of 69’ jam to break record

‘Big Guitar Rock Out’ and comedy shows are new to the Vancouver fair this summer

Tickets go on sale Friday (May 26) for this summer’s PNE concerts, with the usual wide assortment of pop, rock, R&B and other genres featured on the fair’s Chevrolet Stage.

TLC, Billy Idol, Blue Rodeo, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Walk off the Earth and AQUA are some of the 2023 Summer Night Concerts artists, along with Boyz II Men, Tenille Townes, Boney M, Jason Derulo, Billy Talent, Doug and the Slugs with the VSO, Pink Martini and more.

Like last year, all concert-goers will need a fair gate pass as well as a paid concert ticket, some priced as low as $20 on ticketleader.ca.

The concerts will be held starting Aug. 19 at the East Vancouver fair site.

On PNE social media ahead of Wednesday’s announcement, people could guess the 2023 concert lineup from emojis of song titles.

On Aug. 27 at Pacific Coliseum, a “Big Guitar Rock Out” event will attempt to break a record for the most electric guitarists (500 or more) playing a song (Bryan Adams’ “Summer of 69,” in this case) with School of Rock Vancouver. Players just have to show up with a guitar and small amp, and can register on http://bigrockout.com.

New to the PNE for 2023 are Just For Laughs comedy shows at the Coliseum. Those headliners will be announced sometime in June.

Also new is “Beyond Monet,” an immersive exhibit of 400 of Claude Monet’s artworks, and Best of the West Archery Championships (Aug. 26-27, Agrodome).

Back for daily shows is “Knights of Valour” with live jousting and horsemanship, along with SuperDogs and The Flying Fools High Dive Show, among many other fair attractions found on pne.ca.

This year’s PNE will run from Aug. 19 to Sept. 4, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. The gates are closed on the Mondays of Aug. 21 and 28.

Complete listing of the 2023 Summer Night Concert Series:

Saturday, August 19 – TLC

Sunday, August 20 – Boyz II Men

Tuesday, August 22 – Tenille Townes

Wednesday, August 23 – Boney M featuring Maizie Williams

Thursday, August 24 – Yung Gravy & bbno$

Friday, August 25 – Billy Talent

Saturday, August 26 – AQUA

Sunday, August 27 – Billy Idol

Tuesday, August 29 – Pink Martini featuring China Forbes

Wednesday, August 30 – Doug and the Slugs with the VSO

Thursday, August 31 – Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo

Friday, September 1 – Jason Derulo

Saturday, September 2 – Stars of Drag

Sunday, September 3 – Walk off the Earth

Monday, September 4 – Blue Rodeo: 30 Years In July



tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com

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