Canadian Music Legends to headline free Whistler Invictus Village Entertainment lineup Feb. 9-13: Jim Cuddy, Barney Bentall, Five Alarm Funk and Skratch Bastid
Vancouver, BC – December 11, 2024 – Legendary Canadian talent, block-rocking DJs and local favourites are on the Main Stage lineup for the free Whistler Invictus Village as the world-renowned mountain resort hosts five of the eleven sport events for the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 presented by ATCO and Boeing.
Headlined by JUNO Award-winning alt-country rock legend Jim Cuddy (Blue Rodeo) and JUNO Award-winning singer-songwriter Barney Bentall (Barney Bentall and the Legendary Hearts), the eclectic lineup also includes JUNO Award-nominated Five Alarm Funk, JUNO Award-nominated producer Skratch Bastid, JUNO Award-nominated Hey Ocean!, The Boom Booms, Lazy Syrup Orchestra, The Spiritual Warriors, Ira Pettle, Big Love, Taylor James, The Hairfarmers and a host of Whistler’s beloved DJs.
The Whistler Invictus Village is a free, fun, and family-friendly gathering place for everyone — locals, visitors, Invictus Games Competitors and their family and friends — to join in the spirited celebration of the Games. The Village features four zones including Whistler Olympic Plaza, Maury Young Arts Centre, Village Square and Mountain Square along the Village Stroll in the heart of Whistler. Visitors will enjoy interactive exhibits, family fun activities, live entertainment, live-action sport screens and more. The Whistler Invictus Mainstage at Village Square is in the heart of Whistler Village near the Whistler Conference Centre.
“I can’t wait to see the incredible energy of the Invictus Games, with its vibrant mix of sport, community, and celebration, come to Whistler,” said Whistler Mayor, Jack Crompton. “Seeing the music lineup takes the excitement to the next level. Whether visitors and locals are keen to check out the sporting events, bring their families out to soak up the spirit of the free Whistler Invictus Village, or get in some laps on the slopes while it’s all going down, this is going to be one heck of a time.
“One thing that’s unique about the Invictus Games is that, unlike the 2010 Olympics which significantly impacted skiing and riding logistics, the Invictus Games will integrate seamlessly, ensuring uninterrupted access to the mountains. We have a long history of bringing the world together in celebration, and these Games are shaping up to be an extraordinary chapter in that history.”
The free Whistler Invictus Main Stage music programming runs daily from 2:30pm to 5:30pm and is open to all. A full entertainment schedule is below.
February 9, 2025 (A big kickoff with Locals Day)
- 2:30pm The DJ Ira’s Dance Party
- 3:00pm Big Love
- 3:35pm Taylor James
- 4:15pm The Hairfarmers
February 10, 2025
- 2:30pm DJ Foxy Moron
- 3:00pm The Spiritual Warriors
- 4:15pm Jim Cuddy and Barney Bentall
February 11, 2025
- 2:30pm DJ Whitness
- 3:00pm The Boom Booms
- 4:30pm Five Alarm Funk
February 12, 2025
- 2:30pm DJ PRAiZ
- 3:00pm Lazy Syrup Orchestra
- 4:30pm Hey Ocean!
February 13, 2025
- 2:30pm DJ Vinyl Ritchie
- 3:30pm Skratch Bastid
The Whistler Invictus Village will celebrate the unconquered spirit of the hundreds of Competitors from up to 25 Nations competing in the first winter hybrid adaptive sport events in the 10-year history of the Invictus Games. Three days of Whistler snow and ice competition start on Monday, February 10 with Skeleton at the Whistler Sliding Centre, continue with Nordic Biathlon and Cross-Country Skiing at Whistler Olympic Park and Alpine Skiing and Snowboarding races at the Whistler Alpine Venue on Tuesday, February 11, and end on Wednesday, February 12 with the completion of Alpine Skiiing and Snowboarding. These sporting events are free with no tickets required.
Visit invictusgames2025.ca to learn more.
Canadian Music Legends bios follow below. For the full suite of artist bios, contact Nick Lewis at [email protected]
About Jim Cuddy
Jim Cuddy has written many of the songs that have become indelible in the soundtrack of Canadian lives. With the release of his sixth solo album, All The World Fades Away, he continues to contribute to that extraordinary songbook. The songs on All The World Fades Away map Cuddy’s unique compendium of memories and the emotions they stir. They are poignant, personal, and relevant, not just to his life, but also to our own.
While most rootsy singer-songwriter albums detail what the artist sees looking up, down, and around, All The World Fades Away goes deeper. Its windscreen is wider, maybe because Cuddy is that rare musician with decades to draw from and whose story is very much an arc in progress. “I’ve begun to wonder why some images have stayed with me over the years and others haven’t. So yes, this album is about looking back. However, I tried to make sure the record is affirming of life as it is now, reflecting how much I like where I’m at today. It’s not wrapping up or being nostalgic for old times. It’s just…surveying,” relates Cuddy.
As a solo artist and as one of the creative forces in Blue Rodeo, Jim Cuddy has received nearly every accolade Canada can bestow upon a musician including 15 JUNO Awards, and The Order of Canada. Along with his bandmates in Blue Rodeo, Jim has been inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, received the Governor General Performing Arts Award, a Star on the Walk of Fame and in September 2024, Jim he was inducted into the Canadian Songwriter’s Hall of Fame.
About Barney Bentall
Barney and his band The Legendary Hearts recorded and toured extensively in Canada through the late 80s and 90s. They sold over half a million records, won a Juno and were a staple on Canadian radio. In 2000, Barney traded in his rock and roll life for that of a cattle rancher in the Cariboo region of BC, deciding to step away from the music business treadmill, spend more time at home, put some blisters on his fingers and tour a little less frequently. During the next five years, he tended to write songs when the time would allow or “when an idea wouldn’t leave me alone”. That collection of songs became the critically acclaimed Gift Horse, recorded in Toronto with Blue Rodeo and produced by Barney’s friend Jim Cuddy. The whole process renewed Barney’s love of performing, both in the form of solo acoustic shows, with the newly formed Cariboo Express and the occasional rocking romp with the Legendary Hearts.
Barney has put out 16 records. A combination of solo works, albums with his band The Legendary Hearts, two with Bentall, Taylor and Ulrich (BTU) and two with The High Bar Gang (a bluegrass band of friends that has garnered two Juno nominations).
About Five Alarm Funk
Five Alarm Funk is Canada’s premiere sonic and visual assault. With 20 years of experience in high-voltage Funk infusion, FAF has carved a new path of live entertainment. The engagement, the hilarity, the precision and execution have heralded these manic Funk Bots with eight studio albums, two JUNO nominations, three Western Canadian Music Awards and a rap sheet of positive reviews. Over the last 20 years, the band has toured premiere festivals across the globe in Canada, the USA, Taiwan and even all the way to Mali, Africa at the UN headquarters. Five Alarm is ready to take this fun, energized, atomic economic sonic and visual ritual to your doorstep. In the words of frontman & drummer Tayo Branston: “Let’s Funkin’ GO!!”
About Skratch Bastid
For the past two decades, Skratch Bastid has been rocking parties and wowing crowds all over the globe, becoming one of the world’s best-known and most-loved DJs. Known for his electric stage presence, technical prowess and versatile selections that span the complete musical spectrum—from hip hop to house, disco to dancehall, reggae to funk and back again—Bastid is a true crowd favourite with an unrivaled ability to create unforgettable moments with music.
From humble beginnings in Bedford, Nova Scotia, Bastid cut his teeth in the battle scene of the late 90s and early 2000s, competing in the DMcs, ITF and Scribble Jam. The latter produced one of his most iconic moments, the “Imperial March” routine that became his first brush with viral fame and has over 7 million views on YouTube alone (and countless others from before social media even officially existed).
In addition to his genius as a DJ, Bastid has been expanding his empire into many other successful creative ventures, including his Skratch School DJ School, his eponymous line of hot sauces and of course, the infamous Bastid’s BBQ. This beloved traveling party has drawn sold-out crowds in a handful of global cities and has played host to a who’s who of hip hop and DJ culture, with appearances by DJ Premier, Maseo, Brother Ali, A Trak, Pete Rock, Lord Finesse and many, many more.
About the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025
The Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025, presented by ATCO and Boeing, is an international sporting competition for wounded, injured, and sick service members and Veterans. From February 8-16, 2025, the seventh Invictus Games will bring together up to 550 competitors from up to 25 nations in 11 adaptive sports in the natural beauty of British Columbia, Canada. Invictus means unconquered and the Games celebrate courage, resiliency and the strength of the human spirit. Through the power of sport, the Games will inspire recovery, support rehabilitation, and generate a wider understanding and respect for those who have served their country.
The Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 will be held on the traditional territories of the Lil̓wat7úl (Líl̓wat), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. True Patriot Love Foundation, the Government of Canada, and the Province of British Columbia are the valued Founding Partners of the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025.
Visit invictusgames2025.ca/media-hub/ for our latest news, supporting materials and full Games details.
Media contact
Nick Lewis
778-731-1040
