The Pacific National Exhibition Fair will return this summer with some familiar features and new rules for entry.
Pandemic-triggered daily attendance capacity limits will continue at the annual fair in Vancouver, and all of the Summer Night Concerts will require a paid ticket.
The B-52s “Farewell Tour,” Blue Rodeo, Barenaked Ladies, Steve Miller Band and Nelly are among concert highlights during “British Columbia’s longest running and largest ticketed event,” Aug. 20 to Sept. 5.
Date-specific tickets will be required for PNE entrance, Playland ride passes and all Summer Night Concerts, which go on sale Friday, May 27 on ticketleader.ca.
“We are so happy to be able to present an entertainment program which truly signals the return of the annual Fair as we knew it prior to the COVID-19 pandemic,” PNE president and CEO Shelley Frost said a news release Wednesday (May 25).
“This will be a year of incredible celebration.”
Frost said daily attendance capacities proved popular among fair-goers in 2021. “We heard very clearly that our guests enjoyed the personal space and shorter lineups that daily ticketing limits allowed, and for 2022 we will continue this program.”
Quick look at this summer's @PNE_Playland concerts, just announced. I'm most keen to see Cake, Gipsy Kings and @BlueRodeo on this list (if I had to pick 3). How about you, @VancityJilly? #Vancouver #concerts pic.twitter.com/dOkxsMHFTC
— Tom Zillich (@TomZillich) May 25, 2022
The Summer Night Concerts start Aug. 20 with the B-52s on the GMC Stage in the PNE Amphitheatre. Other concert highlights this year include CAKE, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra doing a Beatles tribute call Classical Mystery Tour, Gipsy Kings, Chicago, TLC & Shaggy, Brothers Osborne, Bachman Cummings, The Beach Boys and Chaka Khan & Patti LaBelle.
“There will not be an allocation of free tickets available for Summer Night Concerts this year,” the PNE news release notes. “All concert-goers will need a paid ticket. There will be a combination of reserved seats for superfans and inexpensive standing room only floor tickets. Ticket prices will range from as low as $15 up to $79, plus service charges, per ticket.”
Other entertainment options this year include The Stars of the Peking Acrobats, The Flying Fools High Dive Show, The SuperDogs show “Pawvengers,” Blue’s Dance Party, Action Austin: A Safari Adventure, Family Flix family movies on the big screen nightly at Toon City, the Electric Fire pyro musical, Dueling Pianos, For the Love of Drag shows, Dinosaurs Around the World and more.
The Home Showcase Building will be set up in Rollerland, featuring the PNE Prize Home display suite, the PNE Cooking stage and various vendors selling home-related products and services.
The 2022 fair will run from Aug. 20 to Sept. 5 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. The site will be closed on Aug. 22 and 29 (Mondays).
Fair gate passes are $20 for adults, $14 for youth, $7 for child, $14 for seniors and free for kids three and younger.
Look for more info online at pne.ca and facebook.com/PNE.Playland.
Complete list of the PNE’s 2022 Summer Night Concerts:
Saturday, August 20 - The B-52s Farewell Tour
Sunday, August 21 - Blue Rodeo
Tuesday, August 23 - Barenaked Ladies with Special Guest Kim Mitchell
Wednesday, August 24 - CAKE
Thursday, August 25 - Vancouver Symphony Orchestra - Classical Mystery Tour: A Tribute to the Beatles
Friday, August 26 - Stars of Drag - “A Night of True Colours”
Saturday, August 27 - Gipsy Kings Feat. Nicolas Reyes
Sunday, August 28 - Chicago
Tuesday, August 30 - Steve Miller Band
Wednesday, August 31 - TLC & Shaggy
Thursday, September 1 - Brothers Osborne
Friday, September 2 - Nelly
Saturday, September 3 - BACHMAN CUMMINGS
Sunday, September 4 - The Beach Boys – Sixty Years of the Sounds of Summer
Monday, September 5 - Chaka Khan & Patti LaBelle
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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