10-vancouver-concerts-we-can’t-wait-to-check-out-in-december
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10 Vancouver concerts we can’t wait to check out in December

Dance and sing your way into December with these Vancouver concerts! Here are 10 concerts around town to add to your calendar this month, including Taylor Swift, The Funk Hunters, and more. And for more fun things happening around town, be sure to visit our Listed section. Taylor Swift @taylorswift13/X What: The biggest music superstar in the world is finally in Vancouver! Taylor Swift brings The Eras Tour to BC Place for three dates in December, and there are plenty of events and activities for Swifties to enjoy before, during and after the sold-out shows. When: December 6 to 8, 2024 Time: 7 pm Where: BC Place — 777 Pacific Boulevard, Vancouver Elf in Concert What:  Elf, one of the most beloved Christmas films of all time, is celebrating a milestone birthday this holiday season in Vancouver. The Will Ferrell comedy classic is getting the live concert treatment at the Orpheum Theatre. Vancouver Symphony Orchestra will bring John Debney’s heartwarming score to life while the film is projected onto a massive 40-foot movie screen. When: December 20 and 21, 2024 Time: 7 pm Where: Orpheum Theatre – 601 Smithe Street, Vancouver Cost: Various prices, purchase online Petunia and the Vipers: Calling Me Back Album Release What: Vancouver’s own Petunia and The Vipers are throwing a huge album release party at The Rio Theatre, and you’re invited. Get ready to party at the “hillbilly-flavoured-swing inflected-ragtime-goodtime-thunderously rolling-one-of-a-kind-you-don’t-want-to-miss-this-sort-of-a-show” while listening to their latest album, Calling Me Back. Featuring special guests. When: December 27, 2024 Time: Doors 6:30 pm, show 7 pm Where: Rio Theatre – 1660 East Broadway, Vancouver Tickets: $20 early bird plus fees, $26 general admission plus fees. Purchase online CP Holiday Train What: The CP Holiday Train rolls into BC this December, bringing lights, music, and holiday cheer to tons of communities across the province. It will be in Metro Vancouver on December 19 and 20. The 26th edition of the beloved holiday tradition will travel across Canada and the US this season to raise money, food, and awareness for local food banks. Attendees at each CP Holiday Train stop will also enjoy a free and festive concert by Juno winners Magic! and fast-rising star Sofia Camara. When: December 19 and 20, 2024 Time: Various times Where: Various locations Cost: Free; donations for the local food bank to help those in need are encouraged Billie Eilish — Hit Me Hard and Soft tour Billie Eilish Live at the O2 (Extended Cut)/Submitted What: Music superstar Billie Eilish is coming to Vancouver this fall on her new world tour, adding to the stacked lineup of artists coming to town. The nine-time Grammy winner will bring the new Hit Me Hard and Soft tour to Rogers Arena on Tuesday, December 3. Vancouver is just one of three Canadian stops on the highly anticipated tour. When: December 3, 2024 Time: 7 pm Where: Rogers Arena – 800 Griffiths Way, Vancouver Tickets: Various prices; purchase online Xmas in Skaville 21 – The Nightmare Before Skaville What: Xmas in Skaville is bringing high-energy holiday cheer to the Wise Hall in December. The lineup for the 21st edition includes Balkan Shmalkan, Brehdren, Mivule, The Wavebirds, and Bobbi-Jo Moore. The show promises to heat up the cold winter’s night, so make sure to bring your dancing shoes. When: December 13, 2024 Time: 7:30 pm Where: The Wise Hall – 1882 Adanac Street. Vancouver Tickets: $25 plus fees in advance, purchase online Vancouver Singing Christmas Tree What: Broadway Church’s 55th Singing Christmas tree is full of songs, drama, dance, and more. This year’s holiday production is themed “The Christmas Rocket” and will treat audiences to performances by singers, an orchestra, dancers, actors, and acrobats. When: December 6, 7, 8 and December 13, 14 and 15, 2024 Time: 7:30 pm (Fridays), 3 and 7 pm (Saturdays and Sundays) Where: Broadway Church – 2700 East Broadway, Vancouver Tickets: Free, register online Contact Winter Music Festival Contact Winter Music Festival What: Contact Winter Music Festival is returning to Vancouver, and some massive stars are coming for the party. Canada’s largest indoor winter music festival is taking over the Vancouver Convention Centre on December 27 and 28. This year’s headliners include multi-platinum and Grammy Award-nominated artist and producer deadmau5 and America’s Best DJ nominee Seven Lions. When: December 27 and 28, 2024 Where: Vancouver Convention Centre — 1055 Canada Place, Vancouver Tickets: Various prices, purchase online The 9th Annual Funk The Halls Featuring The Funk Hunters What: Canadian electronic duo The Funk Hunters are bringing their holiday extravaganza back to their home base of Vancouver. Multi-dimensional artists Nick Middleton and Duncan Smith will be taking to the stage at the Commodore Ballroom for two of the biggest parties of the season with Funk The Halls. When: December 20 and 21, 2024 Time: 8 pm Where: Commodore Ballroom — 868 Granville Street Tickets: Various prices, purchase online Christmas with Chor Leoni What: Chor Leoni is getting festive with its annual Christmas show. The holiday tradition is filled with folk music favourites, ancient chants and modern classics. The program is set to include songs like Silent Night, Joy to the World, Ron Sexsmith’s Maybe This Christmas, and more. When: December 19 to 21, 2024 Time: Various times Where: St. Andrew’s Wesley United Church – 1022 Nelson Street, Vancouver Tickets: Various prices, purchase online

ndp-calls-for-ticketmaster-investigation-over-alleged-taylor-swift-price-gouging
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NDP calls for Ticketmaster investigation over alleged Taylor Swift price gouging

The federal NDP has some “Bad Blood” with Ticketmaster and is calling for an investigation into the company after bots and scalpers drove up the prices of Taylor Swift concert tickets. In a news release, the party said that its critic for Innovation, Science & Economic Development Brian Masse wrote to federal minister François-Philippe Champagne outlining the reasoning for the investigation, noting that scalpers and bots were quick to purchase the tickets, selling them for excessively high prices. “Moms who have saved up for a gift for their kids and hard-working young people struggling to get ahead have been heartbroken to find out they cannot afford tickets,” wrote Masse. “Instead, scalpers and bots have been allowed to scoop up these highly sought after tickets and resold them for thousands of dollars each – far out of reach for ordinary people.” Masse noted that Ticketmaster dominates the ticketing and event industry, and uses dynamic pricing, which results in high ticket costs. The company also has its own resale platform, giving little incentive for it to crack down on resellers and bots. He added that the US has taken action, as an anti-trust lawsuit was recently launched, seeking to restore competition by breaking up Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation. Masse argued that not enough has been done to stop these practices in Canada. “The Competition Bureau last looked into Ticketmaster in 2019. At the time I warned your government that failing to go after Ticketmaster bots and resale practices was giving them a free pass to continue their predatory practices against consumers,” he wrote. “As Minister you have the power to launch an investigation into Ticketmaster and ticketing industry practices, yet you have stood by and done nothing.” He pointed to the Liberal Party’s promise made in Budget 2024 to work with provinces and territories to adopt ticket sale best practices and crack down on fraudulent resellers and reseller practices. “Anyone who has tried to buy a concert ticket recently can tell you this has been a failure,” Masse wrote. The NDP added that price gouging hasn’t ended with tickets, as hotel prices in Vancouver and Toronto have skyrocketed during the time Swift will be playing in those cities. “At the same time, these hotels are gouging fans they are failing to give their workers a fair deal.” In Canada, class-action lawsuits have been filed against Ticketmaster Canada over delays in refunding customers for tickets they bought to shows affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Canadian Taylor Swift fans have also tried to take action against the ticket seller, launching a petition demanding that Ticketmaster change its policies surrounding resellers and its Verified Fan registration process.