FIFA Fan Festival lineup: Six unmissable days at the PNE
From June 11 to July 18, dozens of Canadian and international artists perform at the PNE Amphitheatre alongside World Cup matches.
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Dozens of musicians from across Canada and the world are performing at Vancouver's FIFA Fan Festival between June 11 and July 18 at the PNE Amphitheatre and park grounds. With so many acts arriving in such a short window, there's plenty of choice for music fans catching a game or soccer fans willing to stick around for some live tracks.
The musical variety shifts daily — some days feature seven acts spanning DJs, folk, blues, and other genres; others showcase a single alt-rock band per stage. Your experience depends on which day you wander in.
June 24 stands out for soccer reasons. Switzerland plays Canada about 10 minutes away at BC Place. For the many who couldn't grab tickets, this is the place to be. Vancouver psych cumbia and salsa quintet Los Duendes will keep the mood high whether Canada wins, loses, or draws. Later, as Brazil faces Scotland and South Africa takes on Korea, electro duo Bob Moses takes the stage at 8 p.m. Vancouverites Tom Howie and Jimmy Vallance, now based in Los Angeles, bring waves of introspection and outright craziness to their homecoming show. Their track "Tearing Me Up" won a Grammy.
June 28 highlights the Sadies, one of Canada's greatest alt-country acts. Formed in 1994, the Toronto band blends Acuff-Rose roots music with peyote-dosed psychedelia, coal mine-black Americana, and spaghetti-western pop. While Shakey Graves headlines the Freedom Mobile Arch, the Sadies steal the spotlight — 30 years of reinvention that sounds more like Leadbelly and Lefty Frizzell than contemporary country.
The full artist list is available online, but these dates show why the festival is worth planning around. The World Cup may be about soccer, but the soundtrack is the real story.