The Yukon Arts Centre is proud to partner with Lotteries Yukon to produce a series of free outdoor concerts throughout the summer of 2025.
These concerts will help celebrate the 50th anniversary of Lotteries Yukon by giving back to Yukoners and bringing communities together. The two organizations will present the summer concert series on the Yukon Arts Centre’s new mobile stage and will feature popular Canadian performers.
On June 28, Our Lady Peace will perform in Shipyards Park, with a corresponding day-long festival of family activities and Yukon performers at the Frank Slim Building.
The celebrations will continue with a free concert by Canadian hip hop artist Shad at the Dawson City Music Festival, July 18-20 and will be capped off with a concert by 54-40 on August 30 in Shipyards Park. More announcements for the communities will be made at a later date.
“For half a century, the Yukon Lottery Commission has proudly invested in projects that enrich the lives of Yukoners. Now, we couldn’t be more excited to celebrate the launch of a brand-new mobile stage and summer concert series in partnership with the Yukon Arts Centre,” said Sara Skelton chair of the Yukon Lottery Commission.
“We’re honoured to partner with the Yukon Lottery Commission to launch this incredible new mobile stage and summer concert series. This investment opens up exciting new possibilities for live performance across the territory — making the arts more accessible, more mobile, and more reflective of the communities we serve,” said Yukon Arts Centre CEO Casey Prescott.
About Our Lady Peace
When Mark Van Doren, the American poet and teacher, wrote his famous work, “Our Lady Peace” in 1943, he couldn’t have imagined the concept of rock’n’roll, let alone that a Canadian rock group would adopt his title for their name. Consisting of Raine Maida, Duncan Coutts, Steve Mazur and Jason Pierce. Our Lady Peace is one of the most successful bands in Canada today, one of only 11 artists with Diamond Certification in Canadian history. The band has sold over 5 million albums worldwide, won four JUNO Awards and ten Much Music Video Awards -one of the most MMVA’s ever awarded to any artist or group.
About 54•40
Neil Osborne -vocals/guitar Brad Merritt -bass Matt Johnson- drums Dave Genn -guitars /keys/backing vocals with David “Oz” Osborne -organ/backing vocals Over the course of 40+ years of performing and recording, 54•40 has not only made their mark on the Canadian music industry, but the entire cultural landscape. Led by chief songwriter Neil Osborne, 54•40 has carved out a legacy of gold and platinum albums and an outstanding reputation for their live performances that carries through to this day. With decades of hit songs and more in the making, the secret to 54•40’s longevity is their ability to redefine and reinvent themselves.
A 54•40 concert experience gives an understanding of how their songs have touched, inspired, and changed people’s lives. For those who have followed the band from their humble beginnings in East Vancouver to younger fans that are just discovering the band’s originality, 54•40 shows are extraordinary affairs that bridge gaps between generations through a shared love of music.
The band is currently preparing for the release of their 2023 album West Coast Band which was recorded remotely during the thick of COVID-19 lockdowns. Having come through the hardship with a sense of unity, the album celebrates the common history they share as band members.
About Shad
Shad is a Canadian rapper and broadcaster. Beginning his career in 2005, has released seven studio albums and three extended plays. He won a Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year in 2011 and five of his albums have been shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize, the most short-list nominations of any artist in the prize’s history. In 2013, CBC Music named Shad the second-greatest Canadian rapper of all time. Shad hosted Q on CBC Radio One from 2015 to 2016, and hosts the International Emmy and Peabody Award-winning documentary series Hip-Hop Evolution on HBO Canada and Netflix.
