Music News
Vancouver Rise FC Joins Northern Super League: A New Era For Women’s Soccer
Vancouver’s latest addition to the sports scene comes with a bold vision and a name that embodies ambition and empowerment. The city’s Northern Super League franchise has officially been unveiled as Vancouver Rise FC, signaling the dawn of a new chapter in professional women’s soccer.
“I think it has that sense of empowerment, that sense of feeling,” said sporting director Stephanie Labbe. “I get goosebumps, still, thinking about how much the word ‘rise’ and this team, Vancouver Rise, can embody and can be connected to.”
The announcement on Monday also introduced the team’s logo: a teal shield featuring three snow-capped mountains and a radiant golden sun. For Labbe, Canada’s former Olympic gold medal-winning goalkeeper, the logo holds personal significance.
“Personally, I really like having gold in there,” she shared. “It has a special place in my heart.”
Creating a name and logo that resonated wasn’t an easy task, according to Rise president Sinead King.
“You’ve got so many ideas and you want to get it perfect. You start to overthink absolutely everything,” King explained. The goal was to capture the essence of being a woman in professional sports—to elevate and celebrate the opportunities available to them.
“We feel like Rise really brings that to life,” she added.
The Northern Super League’s inaugural season is set to kick off in April, featuring six founding teams based in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and Halifax. Other franchises, including Ottawa Rapid FC, Halifax Tides FC, and Calgary Wild FC, have already revealed their identities.
Each team will play a 25-game schedule, but Vancouver Rise FC still faces significant logistical hurdles, including determining where they will play. While B.C. Place—home to Major League Soccer’s Vancouver Whitecaps—is a possibility for select games, King emphasized the importance of establishing a unique home for the team.
“We want to have our own home and our own stadium,” she said.
Despite sharing ownership with the Whitecaps under Greg Kerfoot, Rise FC will operate as an independent entity.
Labbe, now tasked with constructing the team’s roster, sees the challenge as an exciting puzzle.
“One good thing is I love doing puzzles, and so I feel like every time I’m doing something, I’m adding another piece to the puzzle,” she said. “It doesn’t scare me. It’s really, really exciting. And every time I get a new piece, it just brings more excitement and makes it feel more real.”
The club is actively searching for a head coach and aims to make an announcement within the next month. News of their first player signing is also expected soon. According to Labbe, the roster will feature athletes with experience in the World Cup, Olympics, and youth national teams.
Labbe, who has competed in Europe and the NWSL, highlighted the depth of Canadian talent waiting to be tapped.
“The amount of talent that comes out of this country is unbelievable. And to me, it’s a lot of untapped talent right now,” she noted. “I think giving these players a place where they can actually pursue these opportunities … really dreaming of this and being a part of this.”
The Northern Super League has set its sights high, aiming to become one of the top five women’s soccer leagues globally, rivaling established leagues in the U.S., U.K., Germany, and Spain.
Although updates may be slow, King reassured fans that progress is steady.
“The Northern Super League is incredibly organized. It’s really collaborative through all the clubs. We all want to make sure we’ve got a sustainable and successful league,” she said. “There might be some hiccups along the way because launching a league is a massive undertaking, but we’re not looking to push (the start date) back.”
As the countdown to April begins, Vancouver Rise FC stands ready to inspire, empower, and elevate the sport of women’s soccer in Canada.
Music News
Young Miko Announces the ‘Late Checkout Tour’
GRAMMY®-nominated global artist Young Miko announces her “Late Checkout Tour.” The 31-date tour will span 11 countries, marking her most ambitious tour to date, the first time Young Miko will embark on an arena tour, and aligning with the defining moment she is experiencing in her career. Promoted by Live Nation, the tour kicks off July 3 at Roskilde Festival in Denmark, launching a European festival run before she heads to Mexico for a major stretch in September. From there, she will close out the year across key U.S. markets including Miami, Atlanta, Houston, Orlando, New York, and Los Angeles, marking her most expansive international routing to date. See full routing and ticketing information below.
The announcement arrives at a time when Young Miko has firmly established herself at the forefront of global music. Her sophomore album “Do Not Disturb” debuted at No. 3 on Spotify’s Top Albums Debut USA and No. 4 globally, while also landing on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart. Standout track “WASSUP” achieved global viral success and earned a spot on prestigious year-end lists, including Rolling Stone’s 100 Best Songs of 2025, while “Likey Likey” continues to resonate with audiences worldwide. That growing cultural impact was further recognized at the 37th Annual GLAAD Media Awards, where she was honored with Outstanding Music Artist.
Fans first got a taste of Young Miko’s arena presence last year when she joined Billie Eilish’s HIT ME HARD AND SOFT TOUR as an opening act for eight select dates in key markets including Orlando, Philadelphia, and New York. Shortly after, she made her arena headlining debut in her native Puerto Rico, announcing her first-ever headline show at the iconic Coliseo de Puerto Rico. The show sold out in just 90 minutes, leading to a second date being added, with both nights selling out. Beyond music, she has expanded her cultural impact in meaningful ways, most recently partnering with GAP for the brand’s “Sweats Like This” campaign. As the face of its first-ever Spanish-language campaign and the first openly queer Latina to star in a GAP campaign. With each milestone, Young Miko continues to shape the sound, style, and direction of a new generation, solidifying her role as one of the most influential voices in global music today.
TICKETS: Tickets will be available starting with presales beginning on Tuesday, April 7 at 10 AM local time. Additional presales will run throughout ahead of the general onsale beginning on Friday, April 10 at 10 AM local time at LiveNation.com.
CITI PRESALE: Citi is the official card of the Late Checkout Tour. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning Tuesday, April 7 at 10AM local time until Thurs., April 9 at 11:59PM local time through the Citi Entertainment program. For complete presale details visit www.citientertainment.com.
VERIZON PRESALE:Verizon will offer customers an exclusive presale for the Late Checkout Tour in the U.S – no strings attached, simply for being a Verizon customer. The presale for select shows runs from Tuesday, April 7 at 10AM local time until Thurs., April 9 at 11:59PM local time. Visit myAccess in the My Verizon app for more details. Learn more about Verizon Access here.
The tour will also offer a variety of different VIP packages and experiences for fans to take their concert experience to the next level. Packages vary but include premium tickets, Meet & Greet and individual photo with Young Miko, invitation to the pre-show Young Miko soundcheck, exclusive access to the pre-show VIP lounge La Casa Miko & more. VIP package contents vary based on the offer selected. For more information, visit vipnation.com!
TOUR DATES FOR THE LATE CHECKOUT TOUR:
^ General on sale for London on Mon, April 13
Jul 3 – Roskilde, DK – Roskilde Festival
Jul 4 – Nuremberg, DE – Latin Airport Festival
Jul 5 – Cologne, DE – Carlswerk Victoria
Jul 8 – Amsterdam, NL – Melkweg Max
Jul 10 – London, UK – Here at Outernet^
Jul 11 – Málaga, ES – TBA
Jul 12 – Paris, FR – Bataclan
Jul 15 – Montreux, CH – Montreux Jazz Festival
Jul 16 – Bern, CH – Gurtenfestival
Jul 18 – Berlin, DE – Lollapalooza
Jul 19 – Dour, DE – Dour Festival
Jul 23 – Milan, IT – Magnolia Club
Jul 25 – Coruña, ES – Morriña Festival
Jul 27 – València, ES – Far València
Aug 2 – St Charles, IA – Hinterland Music Festival
Sep 17 – Guadalajara, MX – Arena VFG
Sep 19 – Monterrey, MX – Arena Monterrey
Sep 22 – Mexico City, MX – Palacio de los Deportes
Sep 25 – Merida, MX – Foro GNP
Oct 13 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
Oct 15 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center
Oct 17 – Inglewood, CA – Intuit Dome
Oct 18 – Phoenix, AZ – Mortgage Matchup Center
Oct 22 – San Antonio, TX – Freeman Coliseum
Oct 24 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
Oct 28 – Miami, FL – Kaseya Center
Oct 29 – Orlando, FL – Kia Center
Oct 31 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
Nov 1 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center
Nov 4 – Philadelphia, PA – Xfinity Mobile Arena
Nov 5 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
Music News
MONSTA X Announce North American Dates On World Tour [THE X : NEXUS]
Global superstars MONSTA X today announced North American dates on their 2026 MONSTA X WORLD TOUR [THE X : NEXUS]. Promoted by Live Nation, the newly added shows kick off Saturday, October 3 in Fairfax, VA at EagleBank Arena, with stops in New York, Boston, Toronto, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and more before wrapping Saturday, October 24 in Seattle, WA at WAMU Theater.
The tour marks the group’s first large-scale outing in four years following their 2022 MONSTA X ‘NO LIMIT’ TOUR and first launched earlier this year with three nights at KSPO DOME in Seoul. Since debuting over a decade ago, MONSTA X have continued to evolve their sound and grow a global fanbase. Throughout [THE X : NEXUS] the group will reaffirm their reputation as trust-worthy performers, delivering their signature style with elevated live vocals and unmatched onstage chemistry.
The 2026 tour celebrates hits from across MONSTA X’s 11-year career while supporting their third full-length English album,《Unfold》released Friday, April 3. Listen to the album HERE. The 10-track project, featuring focus track ‘heal,’ and singles, ‘growing pains,’ and ‘baby blue,’ marks their first U.S. release in over four years and highlights a dynamic blend of pop and ballads.
As the first K-pop group to release three full English albums, MONSTA X continues to push the boundaries of global crossover, solidifying their place as one of the genre’s most internationally resonant acts. At its core, Unfold explores themes of healing and growth, confronting emotional challenges head-on throughout the album’s narrative.
The title [THE X : NEXUS] reflects a bond that goes beyond the long-standing connection between MONSTA X and MONBEBE (their official fanbase), signaling a deeper sense of unity and a new chapter forward. Built on more than a decade of shared growth, the tour represents a key artistic evolution and is set to further strengthen the group’s global impact.
TICKETS: Tickets will be available starting Tuesday, April 14 at 3pm local time at LiveNation.com.
2026 MONSTA X WORLD TOUR [THE X : NEXUS] NORTH AMERICA DATES:
Sat Oct 3 – Fairfax, VA – EagleBank Arena
Tue Oct 6 – New York, NY – Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden
Thu Oct 8 – Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway
Sat Oct 10 – Toronto, ON – Great Canadian Toronto
Tue Oct 13 – Rosemont, IL – Rosemont Theatre
Thu Oct 15 – Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
Sat Oct 17 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Theatre
Tue Oct 20 – Los Angeles, CA – The Kia Forum
Thu Oct 22 – San Francisco, CA – The Theater at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
Sat Oct 24 – Seattle, WA – WAMU Theater