Classic rock fans had best strap in.
Pacific Western Brewing, in partnership with CN Centre and RG concerts, is expanding its popular yearly concert to become a full three-day festival featuring a lineup of 11 fabled bands. The lineup will include the Australian classic rock staple Little River Band, former Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive frontman Randy Bachman and B.C.’s own alt-rock legends 54-40. The Cariboo Rocks the North festival will be held at Exhibition Park from Aug. 10-12.
Organizers hope to draw 4,000 music fans from throughout the north and the interior. Tickets for the full festival pass will run for $149.50, while advance day passes will cost $59.50.
The mostly-Canadian lineup will feature Prism, Headpins, Honeymoon Suite, Nick Gilder & Sweeney Todd, Toronto, Little River Band, Kim Mitchell, Harlequin, Platinum Blonde, 54-40, and Randy Bachman.
“As far as I know, nothing of this scale has ever been done on this site, and it is likely the largest music festival ever held on the Prince George city limits,” said CN general manager Glen Mikkelsen at an announcement on Friday.
The event is the third installment of the yearly PWB-sponsored festival. Last year’s concert at the Pacific Western Brewery featured Can-rock legends Trooper and April Wine. Tickets sold out in 27 hours.
“We think it’s not just exciting for PWB, we believe it’s exciting for the city of Prince George,” said Kyle Sampson, manager of northern B.C. for Pacific Western Brewing.
“To be announcing this today, an event of this magnitude, we think it adds to the city not just in culture and entertainment, but economically as well.”
Mikkelsen said the festival hopes to build on the success of other classic rock festivals in the region, including Rock the River in Saskatoon and Rock the Lake in Kelowna.
“We expect people travelling from all over northern B.C. to Cariboo Rocks the North to see and hear these musical legends,” Mikkelsen said.
Erica Hummel, CEO of Tourism Prince George, said the addition of a large-scale music festival in Prince George has been on her wish list for years.
“One of the pieces I knew we needed was a major multi-day summer music festival. This event will put us on the map as a must-see summer destination,” Hummel said.
Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. and can be purchased at ticketsnorth.ca, or by calling 1-888-293-6613.
