Vancouver 2010 unveils headline performers for nightly Vancouver Victory
Ceremonies

Tickets on sale now for $22 to $50 at www.vancouver2010.com

VANCOUVER , Dec. 8 /CNW/ - The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) unveiled today an exciting lineup of top Canadian acts who will pay tribute to medal-winning Olympians at Canada's Games in 2010 during nightly Victory Ceremonies held indoors in downtown Vancouver .

The 12 headliners, which include Nelly Furtado , Barenaked Ladies, Loverboy, and Hedley, are part of the Vancouver 2010 concert series, presented by Bell, and will perform for one night each from February 14 to 26 inside BC Place during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

The full night of entertainment is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to gather together with fellow Canadians and Olympic fans from around the world to celebrate the world's best winter athletes as they receive their medals in speed skating, snowboarding and freestyling skiing - including the first medals to ever be awarded in the newest Olympic event of ski cross and potentially Canada's first Olympic gold medal on home soil. Ticket holders will also experience the excitement and pride in Canada hosting of one of the world's largest sporting events with great homegrown entertainment. See below for the full list of headliners and dates they appear, as well as a breakdown of nightly medal presentations.

Tickets are on sale now at www.vancouver2010.com and by phone at 1-800-TICKETS, as well as Main Ticket Centres in Vancouver at Robson Square and in Whistler near Whistler Medals Plaza. Regular tickets cost $22 , while premium tickets - the first time VANOC has offered this designation - are available for $50 and these premium ticketed seats are centre stage. Visa is the only payment card accepted. Cash is accepted ONLY at the Main Ticket Centres.

"The Victory Ceremonies will be the place to be in the evenings in Vancouver during the Games. For 12 nights only, spectators will get a chance to witness in person the top athletes of the day in their shining moments on the podium," said David Guscott, VANOC's executive vice president in charge of celebrations and partnerships. "At the same time, they will also be treated to an amazing night of top Canadian music and international acts, from punk rock to country to pop, thanks to our partners Bell and the Canadian provinces and territories."

The first Victory Ceremony held in Vancouver opens on Valentine's Day and has a British Columbia theme with Grammy Award-winning recording artist Nelly Furtado headlining. Medals will be presented on the podium to the world's newest men's and women's speed skating and freestyle mogul stars as they watch their flags rise to the rafters at BC Place. The medal presentations and entertainment will take place against a backdrop featuring the dynamic blue and green palette of the Games within a specially built concert bowl in the stadium.

Each of the Vancouver Victory Ceremonies, which start at 6:25 pm (Pacific Time ), begins with a 30-minute show by the host province or territory. Each nightly ceremony is sponsored by a territory or province, starting with British Columbia (February 14), Quebec (February 15), Nova Scotia (February 16), Alberta (February 17), Prince Edward Island (February 18), Northwest Territories (February 19), Yukon (February 20), Nunavut (February 21), Saskatchewan (February 23), Ontario (February 24), Manitoba (February 25), and closing with Newfoundland and Labrador (February 26).

Details on their individual nights will be released by the individual governments at a later date. The Vancouver Victory Ceremonies are part of the Contributing Province/Territory Program (CPTP) agreements each signed with VANOC to participate in the 2010 Winter Games.

The provincial/territorial show is followed by the inspiring athlete medal presentations, which are broadcast to a worldwide audience, wrapping up with an hour-long performance by that night's headlining act.

There will also be a live video feed of the medal presentations at Whistler Medals Plaza shown at BC Place so audiences can also celebrate these history making moments.

Whistler Victory Ceremony headliners will be announced on December 15 .

    
    Vancouver Victory Ceremony headliners' lineup and dates
    -------------------------------------------------------
    Sunday, February 14:     Nelly Furtado (www.nellyfurtado.com) - British
                             Columbia night
                             Live medal presentations in short track speed
                             skating (men's 1,500 m), ladies' freestyle
                             skiing moguls and speed skating (men's 5,000 m
                             and ladies' 3,000 m).

    Monday, February 15:     To be confirmed - Quebec night
                             Live medal presentations in men's freestyle
                             skiing moguls.

    Tuesday, February 16:    Barenaked Ladies (www.barenakedladies.com) -
                             Nova Scotia night
                             Live medal presentations in men's and ladies'
                             snowboard cross, as well as men's 500-metre
                             speed skating.

    Wednesday, February 17:  Paul Brandt (www.paulbrandt.com) - Alberta night
                             Live medal presentations in ladies' 500-metre
                             speed skating.

    Thursday, February 18:   Hedley (www.hedleyonline.com) - Prince Edward
                             Island night
                             Live medal presentations in short track speed
                             skating (ladies' 500 m), men's snowboard
                             halfpipe, as well as men's and ladies'
                             1,000-metre speed skating.

    Friday, February 19:     Theory of a Deadman (www.theoryofadeadman.com) -
                             Northwest Territories' night
                             Live medal presentations in ladies' snowboard
                             halfpipe.

    Saturday, February 20:   Stereophonics (www.stereophonics.com) - Yukon
                             night
                             (xx)no Vancouver medal presentations(xx)

    Sunday, February 21:     Trooper & Loverboy
                             (www.loverboyband.com/www.trooper.com) - Nunavut
                             night
                             Live medal presentations in short track speed
                             skating (ladies' 1,500 m and men's 1,000 m),
                             men's 1,500-metre speed skating and men's
                             freestyle skiing ski cross.

    Tuesday, February 23:    Billy Talent (www.billytalent.com) -
                             Saskatchewan night
                             Live medal presentations in ladies' freestyle
                             skiing ski cross and men's 10,000-metre speed
                             skating.

    Wednesday, February 24:  INXS (www.inxs.com) - Ontario night
                             Live medal presentations in ladies' 5,000-metre
                             speed skating.

    Thursday, February 25:   Burton Cummings (www.officialburtoncummings.com)
                             - Manitoba night
                             Live medal presentations in short track speed
                             skating (ladies' 3,000 m relay) and ladies'
                             freestyle skiing aerials.

    Friday, February 26:     Great Big Sea (www.greatbigsea.com) -
                             Newfoundland and Labrador night
                             Live medal presentations in men's freestyle
                             skiing aerials and ladies' snowboarding parallel
                             giant slalom.
    

About Bell

Bell is Canada's largest communications company, providing consumers and business with solutions to all their communications needs, including Bell Mobility wireless, high-speed Bell Internet, Bell TV direct-to-home satellite television, Bell Home phone local and long distance, and IP-broadband and information and communications technology (ICT) services. Bell is proud to be a Premier National Partner and the Exclusive Telecommunications Partner to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Bell is wholly owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE). For information on Bell's products and services, please visit www.bell.ca. For corporate information on BCE, please visit www.bce.ca.

About the Contributing Province/Territory Program

VANOC's Contributing Province/Territory Program (CPTP) offers a structured avenue for provinces and territories to participate in the 2010 Winter Games. Under the CPTP, signatory provinces and territories receive a package of benefits that create a close association with the Games, similar to those of corporate sponsors. In return, participating provinces and territories make a financial contribution towards the success of Canadian athletes in 2010 through the Own the Podium 2010 program; culture and arts, through the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad and directly, to staging successful Games in 2010. VANOC developed this new program in response to interest demonstrated by Canada's provinces and territories outside of British Columbia to allow for greater involvement in the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

About VANOC

VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com.

For further information: Media contacts: Janet Miller, VANOC Communications, Tel.: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]