Today, Bud Light Canada announced the Buckle Up Tour featuring rising Canadian country music star, Owen Riegling. The free tour, which is being produced by Live Nation Canada, will kick off on May 6th, 2024, making 12 stops in small-town country bars across Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario.
Building on its deep roots in creating exceptional live music experiences as a frequent festival sponsor and creator of the Bud Light House Party Tour, the Buckle Up Tour, presented by Bud Light and powered by Live Nation Canada, aligns with the brand’s focus on engaging country-music fans.
“Country music was born in small towns, but as artists grow in their careers it often leads them to big stages in big cities,” said Andrew Oosterhuis, Vice President of Marketing, Labatt Breweries of Canada. “Given this insight, Bud Light wanted to find an authentic way to bring country music home to small-town country bars for Canadians to enjoy.”
Budding country music star and Mildmay, Ontario native, Owen Riegling, started his career playing in his hometown’s bars. Recently, he won the 2022 Emerging Artist Showcase at the Canadian country music festival Boots & Hearts. The prize, part of a partnership with Universal Music Canada, led to the release of his debut single and a record deal with the country’s leading music company. Owen has been playing live ever since, touring as the opening act for established country artists including Tyler Hubbard – all part of his notable upward trajectory in the Canadian country music scene.
“A few years ago, I wrote a song inspired by Bud Light titled, Bud Light The Way,” said Universal Music Canada artist Owen Riegling. “With the release of this track finally coming to all major streaming platforms, it’s a dream come true to have Bud Light Canada be a part of this experience and supporting the country music scene. I can’t wait to visit small-town bars across the country – including my hometown of Mildmay – playing free shows to fans and hopefully finding some new fans along the way.”
“Owen has rapidly been gaining recognition on some of Canada’s biggest stages, but his very public desire to stay connected to his hometown is one of the reasons he was the perfect artist to collaborate with for this tour,” said Oosterhuis. “Layering in his personal connection to our brand and writing a song inspired by Bud Light further confirmed his natural fit to this campaign.”
The Buckle Up Tour, presented by Bud Light and powered by Live Nation Canada, will make 12 stops throughout the month of May in Fort McMurray, Banff, Blairmore, Saskatoon, Brandon, Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Timmins, Embrun, Brantford, Chatham and a final homecoming show for Owen in Mildmay. Each stop will include a unique opening performance by a local musician.
Free tickets for each of the 12 shows will be available beginning Friday, April 12, at 10 a.m. local time at BuckleUpTour.ca. Tickets will be available on a first come, first serve basis, with a limit of two tickets per customer. Tickets cannot be resold and orders will be voided if tickets are found being resold online. A limited number of free tickets will be available at the door on the night of each show, subject to venue capacity. Individuals attending the event grant permission for Bud Light, Owen Riegling and its representatives to use photography and video content captured at each venue in future communications, and collateral.
BUCKLE UP TOUR, PRESENTED BY BUD LIGHT AND POWERED BY LIVE NATION CANADA TOUR DATES & CITIES:
Monday, May 6, 2024 – Fort McMurray, AB
Wednesday, May 8, 2024 – Banff, AB
Thursday, May 9, 2024 – Blairmore, AB
Saturday, May 11, 2024 – Saskatoon, SK
Monday, May 13, 2024– Brandon, MB
Wednesday, May 15, 2024 – Thunder Bay, ON
Thursday, May 16, 2024 – Sault Ste. Marie, ON
Saturday, May 18, 2024 – Timmins, ON
Sunday, May 19, 2024 – Embrun,
Tuesday, May 21, 2024 – Brantford, ON
Wednesday, May 22, 2024 – Chatham, ON
Friday, May 24, 2024 – Mildmay, ON
