Concerts Reviews
Invictus Games 2025 Opening Ceremony – Live Review
The Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 kicked off in spectacular fashion with an unforgettable Opening Ceremony at BC Place on February 8th. With 40,000 fans packing the stadium, we knew this was a moment we couldn’t miss. The energy was electric as athletes, families, and supporters came together to celebrate resilience, strength, and the power of sport.
From the very start, it was clear this would be a day to remember. The Games, featuring over 550 competitors from 23 nations, made history this year by incorporating winter sports like skeleton, skiing, and wheelchair curling alongside classic events like swimming, sitting volleyball, and wheelchair basketball. The presence of the Four Host First Nations—Lil’wat, Squamish, Musqueam, and Tsleil-Waututh—set the tone for an event rooted in unity and shared healing.
We were thrilled that Invictus Games organizers kept ticket prices affordable, allowing us to grab floor tickets and be right in the middle of the action with the athletes and their families. There was no separation—just one big community celebrating the competitors who embody the Invictus spirit.
And what an entertainment lineup! The ceremony featured an incredible roster of performers, including Katy Perry, Roxane Bruneau, Noah Kahan, Nelly Furtado, and Coldplay’s Chris Martin. In a press conference ahead of the ceremony, event producer Patrick Roberge described it as the most “headliner stars” the Games had ever seen, and he wasn’t exaggerating. Chris Martin’s performance of his Invictus Games Anthem was a full-circle moment, tying back to the very first Games in London in 2014.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, took the stage to address the crowd, delivering a powerful speech that truly captured the essence of the Invictus Games. “In this moment of difficulty and division in many parts of the world, we gather here in Vancouver in a spirit of unity,” he said. He went on to encourage the athletes: “Show the world the grandeur in your attempt at victory. Show the world why you are Invictus.” His words were met with thunderous applause, setting the stage for the competition ahead.
Dominic Reid, CEO of the Invictus Games Foundation, called it “the most poignant and relevant Opening Ceremony the Invictus Games has ever seen,” and we couldn’t agree more. The visuals were stunning—a breathtaking humpback whale and dolphins soared above the crowd as 28,000 blue mylar pom-poms turned the stadium into a shimmering ocean. Indigenous drummers, British Columbia-based pipers, and larger-than-life puppets brought an artistic and cultural richness that made the ceremony even more special.
And, of course, the action didn’t stop at the performances. The day wrapped up with fast-paced wheelchair basketball matches, featuring Germany vs. Canada and Israel vs. France. It was the perfect way to launch nine days of intense and inspiring competition.
The Invictus Games are more than just a sporting event—they are a testament to perseverance, courage, and camaraderie. We left BC Place feeling inspired, grateful, and ready to cheer on these incredible athletes in the days ahead. Let the Games begin!
Check out our favourite photos of the ceremony below or head to our Facebook Page for the full gallery!
All Photo Credit: Marquise Monno
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: A Sold-Out Night of Performance Art With Sudan Archives
Words by Kali Moreno
Photos by Kelli Rothwell
A sold-out night at The Pearl set the tone for a show that felt half concert, half art installation. Sudan Archives brought her genre-blurring world to Vancouver following the release of The BPM in 2025, with support from Cain Culto.
Cain Culto confidently navigated an energetic, multi-media set backed by Indigenous, Latin American, and Bluegrass influences – what he calls Kentucky Latin Art-Pop. As he gradually shed layers of clothing, he added homemade props to deliver his song’s messages of empowerment and resistance in both Spanish and English. His musical skills as a vocalist and violinist, paired with his artistic expression as a visual artist, created a riveting piece of performance art.
Dressed in a skin-tight, full body suit and wearing otherworldly grey contact lenses, Sudan Archives commanded a sold-out stage for her one-woman set at The Pearl. The deeply human themes of her songs, which sit in genre around house, techno, and R&B, were shared with the rowdy audience alongside recurring mechanical sounds and choreographed robotic movements. This examination of technology and humanity reminded that her artistry and expression transcend her talents as a singer, violinist, and beat-maker. Sudan Archives performed three encore songs, jumping off the stage to dance with the screaming crowd before leaving Vancouver with the parting words: “y’all are fucking lit.”
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
Upcoming Tour Dates:
02-18 San Francisco, CA – Regency Ballroom
02-19 San Diego, CA – Music Box
02-20 Los Angeles, CA – The Fonda Theatre
More info on Sudan Archives’ website.
SUDAN ARCHIVES
CAIN CULTO
All Photo Credit: Kelli Rothwell
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: The Captain of the Castro: Why Sam Smith’s Residency Is San Francisco’s New Sanctuary
Words by Starr Lee
SAN FRANCISCO- After an intimate residency in Brooklyn earlier this year, Sam Smith has brought the concept west, settling into San Francisco’s newly reopened Castro Theatre for a five-week run that feels deliberate and personal.
The neon marquee glows against the fog like it has something to say. Inside the 1,400-capacity movie palace, restored after a $41 million renovation, the main level fills quickly. No floor seating. Just a standing crowd packed beneath the balcony, bodies shoulder to shoulder, faces tilted toward the stage. Above them, fans lean over the railing, drinks in hand, waiting.
Smith walks out without fanfare.
They open with “Lay Me Down,” nearly motionless beneath a single spotlight. Dressed in a structured captain’s hat and a sweeping lace coat fastened with an oversized flower pendant, they look like a romantic voyager arriving somewhere that already feels familiar. The first note is soft, almost cautious. Then it opens.
In a room this size, nothing escapes. The Castros’ acoustics catch the grain in Smith’s tenor, the slight ache at the edge of sustained notes, the inhale before a chorus swells. The crowd is silent, standing still, listening.
When “I’m Not the Only One” begins, the temperature shifts. Smith lowers their voice for the first verse, almost speaking the lines before lifting into the chorus. On “You and me, we made a vow,” their voice tightens just slightly, intentional and controlled. By the second refrain, the crowd is singing quietly along. Not screaming. Not overpowering. Just enough to be felt. Smith steps back from the mic for a beat and lets the lyric hover before reclaiming it with a steady rise. The moment feels shared rather than performed.
After the second song, Smith looks out across the standing crowd below the balcony.
“This city means a lot to me,” they say. “My first show here, I was 20 years old.”
They tell a story about being left alone in San Francisco while a partner explored the city without them. About wandering through neighbourhoods by themselves. About unexpectedly falling in love with the place. “It feels very full circle to be here for five weeks,” they admit, scanning the room.
Then they squint toward the front.
“Wait. Were you here last night?”
A fan screams.
“Oh my God. You’re doing the residency properly. I love that.”
Laughter spreads across the floor and up to the balcony. That’s the difference when an artist stays in one place. The room starts to recognise itself.
Midway through the set, the lace coat slips away, revealing a custom Vivienne Westwood look: a black poet’s shirt with dramatic sleeves, tailored cheeky shorts, towering heeled boots striking sharply against the stage. The shift feels freeing. Smith moves differently now. Looser. More playful.
They introduce a new track, “My Guy,” sharing that for the first time in their career, they are writing from a place where the love is reciprocated. Followed by a cover of Erasure’s “A Little Respect”, “It’s a Wednesday,” they laugh, “but I need you to shake your titties.”
The balcony answers first.
A sleek blend of “Ain’t Nobody” and “I’m Not Here to Make Friends” turns the theatre intoa late-night dance floor. But soon they bring the energy back down to another cover
Later, bathed in deep blue light, Smith steps toward the piano for “Angel From Montgomery.”
“It took me eight years to finally listen to Elton and sing this,” they admit.
The arrangement is stripped back to piano and voice. No embellishment. The lower register carries weight. The higher notes remain clear and measured. When the final line fades, the room holds still for a second longer than expected before applause breaks through.
Sam Smith’s residency at the Castro Theatre runs through Feb.10th-March 14th, 2026. Tickets are available via the theatre’s official website. With just 1,400 standing spots per night and word spreading quickly, availability is limited.
Five weeks in one theatre does something rare. It turns a concert into a chapter. And this one is still being written.