Image: Jaden D / 54-40 / Provided / Long-time Canadian rock band 54-40 is set to perform at Hope Brigade Days Saturday, September 6.

By Alyssa Conti

ROCK BAND HEADLINER

Iconic B.C. rock band gears up to play at Hope Brigade Days

Aug 31, 2025 | 12:43 PM

HOPE — A longtime Canadian rock group is rolling up to celebrate a new chapter of its more than four-decade career at this upcoming annual Hope Brigade Days.

54-40’s first gig took place in 1980, when frontman Neil Osborne performed with Brad Merritt and then-drummer Ian Franey. Since then, the band has gone on to have four certified platinum albums and eight Juno award nominations.

“When I started playing, I was an angry young man with a big mission,” chuckled Osborne. “I used to say, ‘If I’m still doing this when I’m 30, I’m going to shoot myself.’ And then I said, ‘If I’m still doing this when I am 40, someone please shoot me.’

“Now it’s like, ‘If I am still doing this at age 50 and over…’”

The group will be headlining at the Entertainment Bowl on Saturday, September 6, with tracks from their latest album “West Coast Band”.

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“Get ready to sing your heart out to iconic hits and soak in the electric energy of live rock in the heart of the mountains,” said Hope Brigade Days on its website. “This is going to be a night to remember!”

Hope Brigade Days has been a community staple event since 1968, celebrating the end of the tourist season with a grand parade, amusement park rides, live music and more.

The annual event is set to take place from September 5 to 7 at the 6th Avenue Fairgrounds.