Win tickets to Invictus Games opening ceremony Feb. 8th in Vancouver!
pipes|drums readers might have wondered what happened to the story about the massed pipes and drums performing at the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 on February 8th.
Here’s what happened. A few hours after we published the news, which innocently came to us from a very reliable source involved with the event, we heard from one of the senior Invictus Games staff. They appreciated the pipes|drums story but asked nicely and respectfully if we might hide it.
They had promised an exclusive scoop to a major mainstream news outlet, and when they saw pipes|drums’ large readership and reach numbers, they were concerned the outlet might be upset.
We agreed to remove the story until their exclusive agreement was complete. In return, the Invictus Games offered us three pairs of tickets for the opening ceremonies to give away to lucky pipes|drums readers who would like to attend the February 8th event at BC Place stadium.
So, if you want to be included in the random draw, just send us a message before 18:00 ET on February 5th, and we’ll take care of the rest!
Click here to open an email to us, and be sure to make “Invictus” the subject line.
If you have trouble with the auto-generated email, just email us with the Invictus subject line to editor(at)pipesdrums.com)
Good luck!
Here’s the original story:
When the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 officially begins on February 8th, more than 350 pipers, drummers, and drum majors, mostly from British Columbia, will bring the world a display of pipe band music and talent at the 55,000-capacity BC Place stadium in downtown Vancouver.
The producers of the Invictus Games contacted the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band last summer with a request to pull together a large massed pipe band performance for the Opening Ceremonies, which will also feature pop superstars Katy Perry, Nelly Furtado and Noah Kahan.
British Columbia-based pipe bands performing:
- British Columbia Regiment Irish
- Delta Police
- Greater Victoria Police
- Greighlan Crossing
- J.P. Fell
- RCMP “E” Division
- Regimental Pipes & Drums of the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada
- Robert Malcolm Memorial
- Simon Fraser University
- Sons of Scotland
- Surrey Firefighters
- Surrey Police Service
- Vancouver Police
- White Spot
The Ottawa-based Sons of Scotland join the ceremonies with their famous Drum-Major Brian Wilson MBE. Thirteen drum-majors will lead the on-field performance, with Wilson and Greighlan Crossing’s John Paul DaSilva teaming up as leads.
“Each of these bands enthusiastically accepted the invitation,” said organizer Jack Lee, pipe-sergeant of Simon Fraser University. “We are anticipating a huge In-person and television audience, so I would call it a very positive day for piping and drumming in Canada.”
Lee was asked to take the lead in the pipe band performance, making recordings of tunes to be performed, sending them with the written music to the bands. SFU Lead-Drummer Reid Maxwell wrote the drum scores, made recordings and distributed them to the performers.
The story of Master-Corporal James Gendron, told by pipes|drums in September 2023, was a major inspiration to the Invictus Games organizers.
“It is an honour to play with Master-Corporal James Gendron. I consider him to be a Canadian hero.” – Jack Lee
Master-Corporal Gendron is a piper in the Canadian Armed Forces who played for 63 Ramp Ceremonies in Afghanistan, each honouring soldiers killed in action as their casket is moved up the ramp of a Canadian Forces plane to begin their final journey back to Canada.
Prince Harry, the founder and patron of the Invictus Games, made an emotional speech at the 2023 Invictus Games in Düsseldorf, Germany. In it, he paid tribute to Master-Corporal Gendron for what he did for so many. Prince Harry explained that it became too emotional for James to continue piping after those many Ramp Ceremonies.

Prince Harry described Gendron’s uncertainty about playing the pipes again as they brought back such emotion. Harry explained that perhaps the pipes could help heal Gendron, who has been a member of the Canadian Invictus Games team.
The Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 Opening Ceremonies will include a segment honouring Master-Corporal Gendron, with Gendron playing centre stage with First Nation Drummers.
The massed bands will join Gendron Centre Stage at BC Place in a show of physical, emotional and musical support for him.
“It is an honour to play bagpipes and drums with Master-Corporal James Gendron,” Lee added. “I consider him to be a Canadian hero.”
Starting in 2014, the Invictus Games is an international multi-sport event for wounded, injured, and sick servicemen and women, as well as both serving and veterans.
The word “invictus” is Latin for “unconquered.” The inspiration for the Invictus Games came from Prince Harry’s attendance at the 2013 Warrior Games in the United States.
Pretty funny to get this a couple of days late. It’s quite the secret to hide 14 pipe bands. We were indeed pleased to see all the pipe bands on the floor of the opening ceremonies. What a show of support!