For two nights this weekend the city is going a little bit country.
The first ever Coast City Country Festival is in town April 19 and 20, with two solid days of country stars taking the stages at BC Place in front of tens of thousands of fans.
With Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley closing it out, the festival will be one of the biggest country music festivals ever in Vancouver, perhaps B.C. Other top country stars coming include Bailey Zimmerman, Nate Smith, Walker Hayes, and Brett Young.
And that's missing Vancouver-based Nickleback who will be headlining the Friday night show, Elle King (who's had hits on pop and alt-rock stations prior to turning to country), Chayce Beckam (who had a Canadian country chart topping hit with "23") and Bailey Zimmerman (who's topped Canadian and American country charts three times in the last three years).
Other Canadian acts include rising star Josh Ross, P.E.I.'s Alli Walker and Saskatchewan's Tenille Arts. B.C.'s Cameron Whitcomb (who first raise to Internet fame after flipping on American Idol) was just added after Austin Snell had to drop out.
Arts is actually playing at one of the three off-site shows being held at the Commodore Ballroom; the Late Nights series will run from April 18 to 20 and feature Kameron Marlow, Travis Denning, the War and Treaty among others; tickets for those shows need to be purchased separately.
Shows
The festival can be broken up into five chucks: three after hours shows at the Commodore Ballroom and two festival days at BC Place.
The two festival days at BC Place features two stages: one inside under the dome and one outside on Robson Street near the Hampton Inn. Acts will be split between the two stages through most of the day, with the last two artists of each day taking the stage inside BC Place. Most sets, aside from the headliners, are about 30 to 40 minutes long.
Doors to the festival on both Friday and Saturday open at 3 p.m. The first act each day is on the outdoors stage at 3:40 p.m.
All tickets for shows at BC Place include a spot inside and access to the Robson Street concerts along with amenities.
All the Commodore Ballroom shows are being ticketed separately. The first night is a kickoff show with doors opening at 7 p.m. On Friday and Saturday, doors open at 10 p.m.
Tickets
As with any festival, there are several different ticket options.
Single-day tickets for both Friday and Saturday start at $69 plus fees (which brings it to $104). The cheapest two-day tickets currently available according to Ticketmaster are $139 (after fees).
On the other end of the spectrum is the 2-day Marriott Bonvoy Tree Top VIP ticket which runs $1,299. It includes VIP entry, access to a raised platform in the middle of the floor, a separate reserved seat, merch including a bandana, and access to the Surfside Lounge which has exclusive food and private flushable toilets.
Food
There will be a few food trucks outside at the event, along with an outdoor BBQ area.
Also, on Beatty Street several bars will be set up as part of the Outdoor Roundup near the Robson Roundup stage; they'll be doing a happy hour deal from 3 to 5 p.m. each day.
Transportation
TransLink hasn't announced any additional service for the duration of the festival.
On Thursday and Friday, Richmond-Brighouse Station will be closed after 9:30 p.m. due to work on the Capstan Station; a bus bridge will be in place to fill in.
Hullo has not announced any late-night ferry rides for fans wanting to return to Vancouver Island after the shows.
Restrictions
A variety of restrictions are in place for the shows at BC Place.
In-and-out access is possible with a wristband; each day there will be a new wristband. Access back into the stadium will end at 9 p.m.
Re-entry into the festival grounds will not be allowed without a wristband.
Also, anyone re-entering the stadium from the outdoors will need to pass through security again.
Prohibited items at BC Place include signs, glass bottles, selfie sticks, cameras with detachable lenses (so all DSLRs), along with other, common-sense items (like pocket knives, laser pointers, and skateboards).
BC Place has a strict bag policy and encourages people to not bring bags of any type unless it is a:
- Clutch purse or belt bag no larger than 6.5 by 8.5 inches
- Clear plastic bag (including clear plastic freezer bags) no larger than 12 by 12 by 6 inches
A bag check is available for $10 per piece.
Services
Sensory kits are available from guest services.
There are lactation pods located at two spots, in sections 225 and 252.
Notes and useful information
Merch will be available at floor level and at three locations on Level Two in BC Place.
BC Place is cashless.
The shows at BC Place are all-ages.
While smoking is not allowed indoors (and could lead to eviction from the festival), there will be an area for smoking and vaping outside at the Outdoor Roundup area.
