Skip to content

Judas Priest and Uriah Heep to play Kelowna show

Heavy metal legends announced for Sunday, June 16

Legendary English heavy metal band Judas Priest, with special guests Uriah Heep, have announced a stop in Kelowna next June as part of their Firepower tour.

The bands play Prospera Place on Sunday, June 16 at 7:30 p.m.

Judas Priest’s latest studio album, Firepower, is one of the most successful of the band’s entire career, landing in the top five of 17 countries. This includes their highest chart placement ever in the U.S. at No. 5.

Their 32-date North American tour starts May 3 in Hollywood, Fla., and wraps up June 29 in Las Vegas.

B.C. stops also include Dawson Creek on June 13, Prince George on June 14 and Abbotsford on June 17.

There are few heavy metal bands that have managed to scale the heights that Judas Priest has during their nearly 50-year career.

All-time classic albums include British Steel, Screaming for Vengeance, and Painkiller, as well as the anthems Breaking the Law, Living After Midnight and You’ve Got Another Thing Coming.

Priest’s presence and influence remains strong, as evidenced by the chart performance of Firepower and its glowing reviews, a Grammy Award win for Best Metal Performance, and being a VH1 Rock Honors recipient and a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominee.

The band was formed in 1969 and has sold more than 50 million copies of their albums.

Also, Priest can be credited as being one of the first metal bands to pioneer wearing leather and studs – a look that would eventually be embraced by metalheads throughout the world.

Uriah Heep, also from England, have been around just as long – formed in 1969 – and have released 25 studio albums, 18 live albums and 39 compilation albums.

Their best known songs in North America include Easy Livin’, The Wizard, Sweet Lorraine and Stealin’, and their most successful album is Demons and Wizards.

Tickets go on sale starting Friday, Dec. 14 at ticketmaster.ca.