2022 So Far

the news

2022 First Quarter Pulse

It has been an amazing start to the year, with 380 gigs already played, just shy of 50 venues active already, and over 90 musicians and bands who have had gigs. To get a more complete picture, please read our 2022 First Quarter Music Scene Pulse article.

Capacity Restrictions Coming Off February 16th, 2022

In what is feeling to many like a breath of fresh air, to the local music scene, including the musicians, bands, venues, and fans, it feels like much more than that. Indoor veneus are now back to 100% capacty.

78 Gigs Played in January

What a difference a year makes!

While there were a number of gigs cancelled in January, 28 artists still managed to play 78 gigs at 23 different venues in and around Kelowna in the first month of the year. It took us until May 23 last year before we had that many gigs take place.

Leading the way for in town venues were Barn Owl Brewing, Grizzly Bear Bistro + Bar, Rotary Arts Centre, O'Flannigan's Pub, and Shore Line Brewing.

Over 330 Gigs Already Booked for 2022

Barn Owl Brewing is once again leading the way, and Grizzli Winery is right up there with them. Newcomers Grizzly Bear Bistro & Bar and Salt & Brick are also getting very active. It's also great to see Whiski-Jacks booking a bunch of stuff again as well. It's all solos and duos there for the next couple months, but the goal is to have bands back in as soon as that sort of thing is allowed again.

There are some big changes afoot, and some significant moves being made by venues for the upcoming outdoor season that we can't wait to announce, but we will wait until we get the go ahead from the venues involved. These announcements are going to excite music fans in Kelowna in a big way.

Could This Be The Year of the Breweries?

Red Bird Brewing, Barn Owl Brewing, Copper Brewing, and Others

Barn Owl Brewing finished 2021 as the second busiest venue in Kelowna, and they've alread booked artists through to the end of March, with James Hay starting their year on January 5th. Red Bird Brewing, last years 4th busiest venue, is in the midst of a major renovation and expansion and the end result sounds very exciting, but they won't be anything happening there for the next few months.

Copper Brewing ended up just outside the 5 busiest venues last year and we expect similar numbers from them this year. Things usually pick up there when the weather warms up and they start using the patio space outside the venue. On top of that, Shore Line Brewing started their Live Music Mondays late last year and are looking to continue with that schedule. Great for locals looking for something to do on a Monday night.

The Wineries Keep Coming Through, Can They Do It Again?

The Vibrant Vine, Peak Cellars, Grizzli and others.

An amazing array of wineries came through with gigs for musicians last year, providing artists a chance to play as well as giving their patrons a chance to listen to live music in a safe, outdoor setting. Places like The Vibrant Vine in Kelowna, Peak Cellars out in Lake Country, and Grizzli Winery in West Kelowna, who have all been hosting dozens of shows each year for a long time now, were able to still move forward with a large number of shows, albeit in front of smaller crowds.

Grizzli Winery has already booked over a dozen shows for this year, and it's just the first week of January. Sperling Vineyards entered into the live music space last year and the owners have expressed the desire to do more of that in the years to come.