Epic Nights, Iconic Artists and New Obsessions Round Out 2024 Concert Schedule

The biggest shows in Vancouver’s 2024 concert calendar are still on the horizon, with Bruce Springsteen, Billie Eilish, and Taylor Swift all heading to the West Coast later this year. Last week, Swift finished the European leg of the Eras Tour, shattering attendance records with an eighth night at London’s Wembley Stadium. After spending the summer performing in Europe, she has October dates remaining in Miami, New Orleans, and Indianapolis, followed by six shows at Toronto’s Rogers Centre in November and three at Vancouver’s BC Place in December. By the end of the final show at BC Place, the Eras Tour will have generated almost $2 billion in ticket sales.

Vancouver will also signal the end of Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band’s 2024 touring when they visit BC Place on Nov. 22. They kick off a series of Canadian shows on Halloween night in Montreal and then travel across the country playing six more gigs before hitting the West Coast.

Billie Eilish doesn’t start her mammoth Hit Me Hard and Soft Tour for another month but all the dates are sold out well into 2025, including her Dec. 3 show at BC Place which takes place just days before Swift arrives.

Both Springsteen and Swift are known for presenting epically long performances but Eilish prefers tighter sets. Younger performers sometimes feel they don’t have enough material to go long. Eilish has enough songs to play all night if she wants to but still shies away from that approach. “I find it really hard to play stadiums,” Eilish told the Los Angeles Times. “Beyoncé and Taylor (Swift) are untouchable superstars; the fact that they can put on a show that long, and it’s filled with so many incredible moments, is really amazing.”

Springsteen, Eilish, and Swift are the big three coming through before the end of the year but there are literally shows every week we’re interested in checking out. Some gigs we attend are annual treats (like Steve Dawson and Fiona Black’s Reimagined shows at the Kay Meek Arts Centre), while others feature longtime favourites or new obsessions. We always try to catch all the acts performing on a bill if possible. Maren Morris at the QE Theatre earlier in the summer was sensational but if you didn’t get there in time for opener Allison Pontheir’s solo set you missed out. Pontheir’s coming back to Rogers Arena on Oct. 19 with Niki. Here’s what else is coming up:

Jeff Lynne’s ELO, Rogers Arena, Aug. 28

Kim Gordon, Commodore Ballroom, Aug. 30

Egoyan/Pauly/Bajakian and Miller/Loewen Not for Proper, 8EAST, Aug. 30

Kings of Leon, Rogers Arena, Aug. 31

Gordon Grdina Trio, Zameen Art House, Aug. 31

Ladytron, Rickshaw Theatre, Aug. 31

The Marley Brothers, Deer Lake Park, Sept. 5, 6pm

Pink, Rogers Arena, Sept. 6-7

Glass Animals, Rogers Arena, Sept. 8

Future Islands, Malkin Bowl, Sept. 10-11

A Tribute to Ray Condo (Cousin Harley, Ramblin’ Ambassadors), Rickshaw Theatre, Sept. 13

Tokyo Police Club, Commodore Ballroom, Sept. 14-15

Kaytranada, Deer Lake Park, Sept. 14, 5pm

ʔəm̓i ce:p xʷiwəl (Come Toward the Fire) Indigenous-led festival, UBC’s Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, Sept. 14 (Noon – 7pm)

Alberta-based singer-songwriter Celeigh Cardinal will be performing songs from her new album, Boundless Possibilities, at the ʔəm̓i ce:p xʷiwəl (Come Toward the Fire) festival, in UBC’s Chan Centre for the Performing Arts on Sept. 14.

Eric Idle, Vogue Theatre, Sept. 14

The Cult, Vogue Theatre, Sept. 17

Social Distortion, Commodore Ballroom, Sept. 17-19

Sam Hunt, Rogers Arena, Sept. 18

Kacey Musgraves, Rogers Arena, Sept. 19

Bif Naked, Rickshaw Theatre, Sept. 19

Paul Weller, Vogue Theatre, Sept. 20

Billy Bragg, Commodore Ballroom, Sept. 20, 7 pm

Fontaines D.C., Commodore Ballroom, Sept. 22

Tems, Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Sept. 22

Peter Hook & The Light, Commodore Ballroom, Sept. 23

Tori Kelly, Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Sept. 23

Childish Gambino, Rogers Arena, Sept. 23

Andy Shauf, Vogue Theatre, Sept. 24

Vancouver International Film Festival, Sept. 26 – Oct. 6

Opening the VIFF Live x Chan EXP series, Inuk artist Elisapie is presenting the West Coast premiere of her new multimedia show, Uvattini, at UBC’s Chan Centre for the Performing Arts on Sept. 28 at 8 p.m.

Lainey Wilson, Rogers Arena, Sept. 26

Cigarettes After Sex, Rogers Arena, Sept. 27

Anciients with Waingro, Worse and Empress, Rickshaw Theatre, Sept. 27

TsuShiMaMiRe, LanaLou’s, Sept. 27

The National / The War on Drugs, Rogers Arena, Oct. 2

William Basinski: Arcadia Archive (as part of VIFF Live), Rio Theatre, Oct. 2

Empress Of, Rickshaw Theatre, Oct. 2

Griff, Commodore Ballroom, Oct. 2

Spirit of the Beehive, Rickshaw Theatre, Oct. 4

Jeremy Dutcher and Alanis Obomsawin (as part of VIFF Live x Chan EXP series), UBC’s Chan Centre for Performing Arts Friday, Oct. 4

Soul Asylum, Vogue Theatre, Oct. 5

ANOHNI and the Johnsons, Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, Oct. 5

Weezer, The Flaming Lips and Dinosaur Jr., Rogers Arena, Oct. 5

Hans Zimmer, Rogers Arena, Oct. 6

Luna Li, Fortune Sound Club, Oct. 7

Chaparelle, Hollywood Theatre, Oct. 9

Cirque du Soleil ECHO, Under the Big Top, Concord Pacific, Oct. 9 – Dec. 15

Kygo, Rogers Arena, Oct. 10

54-40, Commodore Ballroom, Oct. 11 & 12

Don Toliver, Rogers Arena, Oct. 12

Nick Carter, Commodore Ballroom, Oct. 13

Bonny Light Horseman, Hollywood Theatre, Oct. 14

Bad Religion, Commodore Ballroom, Oct. 14

Evanescence, Rogers Arena, Oct. 15

Lawrence, Commodore Ballroom, Oct. 16

Nilüfer Yanya, Hollywood Theatre, Oct. 18

After the Gold Rush Reimagined (Steve Dawson & Co,), Kay Meek Arts Centre, Oct 18 & 19, 7:30 pm

Niki with Allison Pontheir, Rogers Arena, Oct. 19

Kokoroko, Hollywood Theatre, Oct. 22

Stars, Vogue Theatre, Oct. 23

Kronos Quartet, UBC’s Chan Centre, Oct. 26, 8 pm

Kate Nash, Hollywood Theatre, Oct. 28

Suki Waterhouse with Bully, Commodore Ballroom, Oct. 28

Kid Congo and the Pink Monkey Birds, Rickshaw Theatre, Nov. 1

Porches, Hollywood Theatre, Nov. 1

The Dead South, Commodore Ballroom, Nov. 3 and 4

Sabrina Carpenter, Pacific Coliseum, Nov. 4, 7 pm

Dehd, Rickshaw Theatre, Nov. 5

Usher, Rogers Arena, Nov. 7-8

Caribou, PNE Forum, Nov. 8

Washed Out, Hollywood Theatre, Nov. 9

Arkells, Rogers Arena, Nov. 15

Death from Above 1979, Vogue Theatre, Nov. 16

Canadian Football League’s 111th Grey Cup, Jonas Brothers (Halftime Show) BC Place, Nov. 17

Zach Bryan, Rogers, Arena, Nov. 20

Tenille Townes, Commodore Ballroom, Nov. 22

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Rogers Arena, Nov. 22

Billie Eilish, Rogers Arena, Dec. 3, 8 pm

Taylor Swift, BC Place, Dec. 6, 7 & 8

Thievery Corporation, Vogue Theatre, Dec. 15, 8 pm