The first annual HAPPYLAND Festival, a fully inclusive Pride celebration, takes place July 31, 2022 at the PNE Amphitheatre and Playland Amusement Park in Vancouver. HAPPYLAND will bring a one-of-a-kind experience to festival-goers with exclusive access to the concert venue plus Playland’s thrill rides, and all the unique amusement park food Playland has to offer. Additional festival attractions include a 19+ VIP section, a food truck area, an alcohol-free zone, merch area and more. Hosted by Thanks Jem, with Berlin, Cookie, Kara Juku, Rogue and Venus, with sounds by Softieshan.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW

The event was headlined by Orville Peck, a South African born, Canadian based country musician who wears a fringed mask and has never shown his face publicly. Also on the bill was Perfume Genius, a singer/songwriter with a musical style described as art pop/indie rock, and Big Freedia, a rapper known for their work in the New Orleans genre of hip hop, called Bounce. So that’s country, indie rock, and hip hop. Oh, and it wouldn’t be a Pride event without local drag queens. With all this diversity of entertainment, it would be difficult to find any line up more eclectic than this one.

With the amount of cowboy hats and butt-less chaps onsite, it was certain the crowd were there for Mr. Peck, and the diversity of attendees was just as mixed as the music genres. From families and seniors, to punks, cowboys, and queers, this was a great people watching event. The only downfall to everything was having Big Freedia on first, and not advising attendees of set times in advance. There were more than a few individuals who arrived later in the day (to avoid the scorching heatwave), and missed the Kween of Bounce entirely. 

With Perfume Genius a local act, and Big Freedia coming in from New Orleans, it’s quite obvious who should trump who here. No slight to Perfume Genius who put on a strong show to adoring fans, but hey, social media numbers show that Big Freedia should have been either billed second, or even the headliner for this event. Again, no slight to Orville, whose husky voice, sexy saunter, and cowboy charm captured the eyes and ears of all in attendance. 

As for the venue itself, it’s fairly dated with the wooden bleachers, and fairly uncomfortable to stand around on the pavement in 30+ degree weather, so one can’t blame those who arrived late to avoid the heatwave, but in the end many sacrificed giving Big Freedia the big Vancouver welcome they deserve. Let’s chock this up to being a first year event, and a good college try for effort. Here’s hoping there’s more of this form of eclectic festival programming from Timbre Concerts in the future.

Happy Pride Vancouver!

Timbre Concerts and Sunrise Series will be donating proceeds from each ticket sold to Vancouver Pride Society and QMUNITY who help support and facilitate funding for LGBTQAI2S+ community members and organizations.

Happyland Festival – Sunday July 31, 2022 – PNE Amphitheatre

All Ages Event w/ 19+ Bar | Doors 5:00pm, Show 6:00pm

GA Tickets $55.00-$75.00 (plus appl. s/c) 

19+ VIP Area Tickets $79.50-$99.50 (plus appl. s/c) 

Buy Tickets

Instagram: @happyland.fest

TikTok: @happyland.fest

Presented by Timbre Concerts and Sunrise Series

About the Author

Bryen Dunn is a freelance journalist with a focus on travel, lifestyle, entertainment and hospitality. He has an extensive portfolio of celebrity interviews with musicians, actors and other public personalities. He enjoys discovering delicious eats, tasting spirited treats, and being mesmerized by musical beats.