For the first time since 1968, the national men’s curling championship, the Brier, will be played in Kelowna.
The 2025 championship will take place Feb. 28 to March 9 at Prospera Place.
The city was tapped to host the Brier in 2021, but that event was moved to the bubble in Calgary due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We couldn’t be happier to see Kelowna get this opportunity to bring the Montana Brier back to the Okanagan after nearly 60 years,” said Danny Lamoureux, interim CEO of Curling Canada. “It was such a disappointment that the event couldn’t happen in 2021, but we know Kelowna will make up for lost time with a spectacular event in 2025.”
Prospera Place, with a seating capacity of 6,886, will play host.
“Kelowna has a strong curling community with a long history of producing elite talent and hosting major curling events,” said Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas. “With one of the largest curling clubs in Canada, Kelowna is equipped with a strong team of volunteers to make the event memorable, while our entire community looks forward to showing our hospitality to fans, players, and officials.”
Tickets should be available in the new year.
The Kelowna edition of the Brier will second year of title sponsorship from Montana’s BBQ & Bar, which signed a multiyear partnership with Curling Canada last month.
Lake Country Mayor Blair Ireland was also in attendance for the annoucement, as well as Kelowna councillors Rick Webber and Ron Cannan.
A staple of the Brier is the Original 16 patch, which is known as the ‘curling party place.’ The patch will be located at the Delta Grand Hotel across from Prospera Place.
It will be the eighth time the event has been played in British Columbia, with the most recent edition in 2014 in Kamloops.
Kelowna is currently hosting another major curling event, the 2023 Pan Continental Curling Championships get underway on Sunday at the Kelowna Curling Club.
BREAKING: The Brier is coming to #Kelowna Feb. 28-March 9th 2025 @KelownaCapNews @BlackPressMedia pic.twitter.com/tlqx2r2oa1
— Jordy Cunningham (@CunninghamJordy) October 27, 2023
