Will Bruce Springsteen tour in Canada?

Bruce Springsteen is one of the most iconic and beloved rock musicians of all time. For over 45 years, Springsteen has been entertaining audiences around the world with his heartland rock sound, poetic lyrics, and legendary live performances. Though Springsteen has toured extensively throughout his career, visiting Canada multiple times over the decades, fans north of the border are wondering if The Boss will be returning anytime soon.

Bruce Springsteen’s Career Highlights

Springsteen first rose to fame in the early 1970s with his album ‘Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.’ which featured classics like ‘Blinded by the Light’ and ‘Spirit in the Night.’ His 1975 album ‘Born to Run’ cemented his status as a rock superstar. With smash hits like the title track, ‘Thunder Road’, and ‘Jungleland’, Springsteen connected with audiences through his operatic, literary rock songs about everyday American characters.

Over his illustrious career, Springsteen has released 18 studio albums, won 20 Grammy Awards, and sold over 135 million records worldwide. Some of his most acclaimed albums include ‘Darkness on the Edge of Town’ (1978), ‘The River’ (1980), ‘Born in the U.S.A.’ (1984) which spawned 7 top 10 singles, ‘Tunnel of Love’ (1987), and ‘The Rising’ (2002) inspired by the September 11 attacks. His most recent album, 2020’s ‘Letter to You’, marked Springsteen’s first time recording live in studio with the E Street Band since 1984.

In addition to his recording career, Springsteen is renowned for his marathon live shows which often last over 3 hours without an intermission. He has toured consistently since the 1970s, cementing his reputation as one of the most consummate and dynamic live performers in music. Some of his most famous tours include the ‘Born to Run’ tours (1974-1977), the record-breaking ‘The River’ tour (1980-1981), and reunion outings with the E Street Band on the ‘The Rising’ tour (2002-2003) and the ‘Wrecking Ball’ tour (2012-2013).

Beyond his music, Springsteen has also received acclaim for his activism and support of various social causes including workers’ rights, veterans organizations, LGBTQ rights, homelessness relief, and other human rights issues.

Bruce Springsteen’s History of Touring in Canada

Throughout his prolific touring career, Bruce Springsteen has made Canada a regular stop on his world tours. He first played in Canada in early 1974 when he did a series of club shows in Toronto supporting his album ‘The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle.’

Springsteen made his first arena headlining trek across Canada in 1975 during the ‘Born to Run’ tour. He performed multiple nights in Toronto and Montreal, with additional stops in Winnipeg, Vancouver, Ottawa, and other cities. This began a pattern of Springsteen frequently visiting Canada, especially the major markets of Southern Ontario and Quebec. Audiences got to witness Bruce and the E Street Band’s growing theatricality and musical prowess during marathon, exhilarating shows.

During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Springsteen continued touring Canada in support of blockbuster albums like ‘Darkness on the Edge of Town’, ‘The River’, and the commercial behemoth ‘Born in the U.S.A.’ He sold out arenas and stadiums across the country on these tours, cementing his immense popularity.

After his massive 1980s success, Springsteen toured somewhat less frequently but still made Canada a priority. He brought acclaimed Tunnel of Love Express tour to Canada in 1988. Then on his 1992-1993 ‘Other Band’ Tour supporting ‘Human Touch’ and ‘Lucky Town’, Springsteen returned to smaller venues including multiple nights at Toronto’s Massey Hall. This kicked off a pattern of Springsteen mixing smaller theaters with arena dates when visiting Canada.

In 1999, Bruce played his first ever concert in Calgary when the ‘Reunion’ tour with the E Street Band came to the Saddledome. The early 2000s saw Springsteen become even more popular in Canada, as he returned for multiple shows on both the ‘Rising’ and ‘Magic’ tours. He also did a string of solo dates billed as ‘Bruce Springsteen and the Seeger Sessions Band’ in 2006, where he paid homage to folk music traditions.

Springsteen’s appearances in Canada continued steadily into the 2010s, as he hit arenas across the country multiple times behind ‘Wrecking Ball’, ‘High Hopes’, and on a huge 2016 stadium trek with the E Street Band. Most recently, Springsteen returned in 2017 for ‘Springsteen on Broadway’, an acclaimed residency of intimate solo shows at Toronto’s Princess of Wales Theatre.

Will Bruce Springsteen Tour Canada on His Next Tour?

Currently, there has been no official announcement from Bruce Springsteen or his management regarding touring plans in 2023 or beyond. However, given Springsteen’s extensive history of playing in Canada and his massive devoted fan base there, it is very likely Canada will be included if and when ‘The Boss’ launches his next tour.

Factors that Support a Canadian Tour

There are several factors that point towards Springsteen prioritizing Canada again when he hits the road:

– *Long History of Touring Canada* – As covered earlier, Springsteen has toured Canada consistently since the 1970s. It is clearly a market he is comfortable in and knows he has a large built-in audience.

– *Major Cities are Regular Stops* – Springsteen has played several times in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and more. These major cities are anchors on any Canadian tour.

– *Mix of Small & Large Venues* – In recent decades, Springsteen has done Canadian tours hitting smaller theaters up to big stadiums. This flexibility allows him to design tours of various scopes to meet demand.

– *Canadian Fans are Loyal* – Canadian audiences are known for being very loyal supportive fans. Springsteen knows his Canadian fanbase remains huge regardless of waning popularity elsewhere.

– *Opportunity to Reach New Fans* – Vancouver, Alberta, and Saskatchewan offer chances to reach fans who maybe have not seen Springsteen before. Expanding his reach in Canada makes strategic sense.

Potential Hurdles or Issues

However, there are also some potential challenges or limiting factors:

– *Age/Health Considerations* – At 73 years old, Springsteen may be selective about undertaking major worldwide tours. His team may prefer more limited runs.

– *Favorable Exchange Rate* – The weak Canadian dollar compared to the U.S. dollar may make a full Canadian tour less economically appealing.

– *Competition from U.S./Major Markets* – Canadian cities may get less priority compared to ensuring U.S. fans in major markets get to see Springsteen live.

– *Reduced Recording/Touring Activity* – Springsteen has been less prolific in terms of new releases and touring since his Broadway residency ended in late 2018. If this continues, he may do less touring overall.

Setlist Expectations If He Tours Canada

If Springsteen does return to Canada on his next outing, fans can likely expect a career-spanning setlist covering classics alongside selected deeper cuts:

– *Staples like ‘Born to Run’, ‘Dancing in the Dark’, ‘Badlands’* – These iconic anthems will surely be played to satisfy casual fans.
– *Songs from ‘Western Stars’, ‘Letter to You’* – His two most recent albums will get some exposure, especially the track ‘Letter to You’.
– *Rarities* – Diehards will hope for obscure songs not played recently like ‘Roulette’ or ‘Loose Ends’.
– *Covers* – Springsteen loves surprising crowds with covers, whether folk, R&B, rock or Canadian artists like Neil Young.
– *Hits sprinkled throughout* – Rather than one big nostalgic block of hits, expect fan favorites spread across the setlist.

Of course Springsteen’s shows are quite spontaneous, so the setlists could vary widely city to city. No matter what though, Canadian fans can expect an unforgettable epic performance whenever The Boss rolls into town again!

Conclusion

Based on Bruce Springsteen’s longstanding relationship with Canadian audiences, his proven track record of touring there, and his very active fanbase hungry to see him live, it looks highly probable Canada will be included in his next worldwide touring plans. However, nothing is confirmed yet regarding his future tour plans. Fans will have to wait patiently for an official announcement from Springsteen’s camp to know with certainty if and when The Boss will perform again in Canada. Given his status as a bucket list live act and legendary performer, it’s likely that whenever the E Street Band hits the road again, Canadian cities will be high on the itinerary.