In Vancouver a meteor flew at roughly 100 times the speed of sound, local metal bands are competing for a slot at Wacken, and Bruno Mars set a record by adding a fifth show at BC Place.
Meteor over Vancouver: a cosmic visitor traveling about 100 times the speed of sound
A thrilling cosmic show played out over the night sky of British Columbia that had both witnesses and scientists talking. A bright flash lighting the horizon and a booming sonic thump that shook houses turned out to be the calling card of a rare and impressive visitor — a meteor whose speed, NASA says, reached an astonishing 33 kilometres per second (about 74,000 mph).
On the evening of March 3, at roughly 9:10 p.m. local time, residents of southwest British Columbia and Washington state witnessed an unusual phenomenon. Social media quickly filled with videos of a bright flash described as stretching from one horizon to the other, followed by a roar that made windowpanes vibrate. As North Shore News reports, the event triggered an explosive online reaction and drew attention from specialists. Michael Unger, programming director at the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre in Vancouver, noted that such events happen regularly, but what made this case unique was that the sonic boom occurred over a densely populated area, which is extremely rare.
NASA, having analyzed data from the NOAA satellite and reports from the American Meteor Society, confirmed it was a meteor. It became visible at about 98 kilometres above the city of Coquitlam and was moving slightly east of north at a colossal speed of about 119,000 km/h (roughly 74,000 mph). To put that in context: that's roughly 100 times the speed of sound in air. After traveling some 71 kilometres through the upper atmosphere, the space object broke apart at an altitude of 65 kilometres above Mount Greymantle in British Columbia. Robert Lunsford of the American Meteor Society explained that the bright flash qualifies as a “fireball” — a meteor much larger and brighter than the typical “shooting stars.” He emphasized that the object was relatively small, perhaps the size of a softball, but its immense speed turned it into a blinding spectacle. Ordinary meteors, which leave short streaks across the sky, are often only the size of a pea.
The event was strong enough to be recorded not only by witnesses’ cameras but also by specialized equipment. Seismologists at Natural Resources Canada registered vibrations at several stations in the region. Seismologist Allison Burd clarified that the system clearly recorded the jolt at 9:10 p.m. but could immediately tell it was not an earthquake, since the system is tuned to movements in the Earth’s crust rather than in the atmosphere. The sonic boom caused by the meteor breaking the sound barrier was heard from the Fraser Valley to Washington. Michael Unger suggests the meteor, likely made of nickel and iron, could have left small fragments on the ground, though searching for them would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Beyond the scientific interest, the event serves as an important reminder of potential threats from space. Unger drew a parallel with the 2013 Chelyabinsk meteor, whose sonic blast caused widespread glass damage and injuries. While the probability of a catastrophic impact from a large asteroid is vanishingly small, it is not zero. “We haven’t seen an event like this in a very long time, but just as we prepare for earthquakes, for the ‘big’ jolt, we need to prepare for the potential moment when such a rock could hit Earth,” the expert said. He added that various space agencies around the world are working on early-warning systems, since the fall of a larger object could cause large-scale disaster. Thus, the beautiful and rare phenomenon over Vancouver’s skies became for thousands not only a spectacle but a moment to reflect on our place in the universe and the importance of planetary defense.
Battle for Wacken: Vancouver metal bands will fight for a ticket to the legendary festival
In the world of heavy music there are places that become a true Mecca for fans. One of them is the German festival Wacken Open Air, which has gathered tens of thousands of fans and stars like Iron Maiden and Slayer since 1990. Canadian metal bands now have a chance to reach that sacred-for-metalheads stage through the national contest Wacken Metal Battle Canada, the first round of which kicks off in Vancouver this weekend.
On Friday and Saturday, March 5 and 6, ten local bands will meet in the first regional round of the nationwide contest on the stage of the legendary Astoria club in Vancouver. The winner of this musical duel will receive not just an honorary title but a real ticket to the big leagues: the right to perform at the planet’s biggest metal festival — Wacken Open Air in Germany. As Vancouver Is Awesome notes, Wacken is not just a concert but a phenomenon attracting about 85,000 fans, with camping towns, a distinct community and an atmosphere of madness that makes it a dream destination for any extreme-genre musician.
On Friday, March 5, audiences can expect performances by The Evan Williams Project, Omniesia, Deserted, Heathanz Sinz and Circle of Titans. On Saturday, March 6, the lineup continues with Caerrian, Black Ivar, Cruzer, Space Queen and Abandoned Yesterday. This variety of acts illustrates why metal remains such a beloved and multifaceted genre: across the two-day marathon listeners will hear metalcore, speed metal, technical death metal, emo and thrash. The contest structure is somewhat reminiscent of the NCAA March Madness basketball tournament: battles will take place in several Canadian cities, including Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal, to determine finalists who will meet in the final show on May 9 in Montreal. The regional final for Metro Vancouver is set for March 28 and will also take place at the Astoria.
The Vancouver rounds’ jury includes respected local-scene figures: concert promoter Abelardo Mayoral, former Scrape Records owner JJ Keitcart, musician Klein Lamb, Mike Shafflik from All-Star Pacific and Michael Johnston from Mykillink Media. Besides the invaluable experience of playing at Wacken, the national final winner will receive professional show equipment, CAD 1,000 for travel to Germany and VIP camping spots at the festival. For British Columbia this victory would be historic: in the contest’s more-than-decade-long history, no band from the province has yet earned the title. The current national champion is Killotine from Hamilton. Astoria’s doors open at 7:00 p.m., kicking off a battle that determines not just a prize but the chance for local talent to step onto a global stage and inscribe their name into the history of one of the planet’s most iconic metal scenes.
Bruno Mars sets a new Vancouver record by adding a fifth show
Vancouver’s music scene in fall 2026 will be fully devoted to Bruno Mars. The pop superstar, known for hugely successful hits and spectacular shows, has just announced a fifth concert date for his upcoming “The Romantic Tour” at BC Place. That decision lets the artist break his own record for the number of shows on a single tour at that venue. As Daily Hive Vancouver reports, fans can now see the 16-time Grammy winner on October 14, 16, 17, 20 and 21, 2026.
This tour will be Mars’s first world tour in nearly a decade and will coincide with the release of his fourth studio album, The Romantic, scheduled for February 27, 2026. In Canada the tour will hit only two cities: Vancouver and Toronto, where Rogers Stadium will also host five concerts. That puts Vancouver in a privileged position, hosting a run of dates that surpasses recent sold-out runs by other global stars. For comparison: Taylor Swift played three BC Place shows in 2024 during the Eras Tour, and Coldplay did two in 2023. Bruno Mars, who also holds eight Guinness World Records, continues to dominate the charts. His recent duet with Lady Gaga, “Die With a Smile,” spent a record 18 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200, and the collaboration with ROSÉ, “APT.,” was named Apple Music’s most globally streamed song of 2025. His solo single “I Just Might” also conquered the Billboard Hot 100. Over his career Mars has sold more than 150 million records and appears on prestigious lists from Billboard, Time and Forbes.
What is the Billboard Global 200? It’s the main global singles chart that ranks the most popular songs based on streaming and digital sales around the world, combining data from many countries. Mars and Gaga’s 18 weeks at No. 1 is exceptional, underscoring the track’s unprecedented global popularity.
Tickets for the first four Vancouver shows are already on sale; tickets for the added fifth show will go on sale March 12 at noon. The concerts promise to be grand events not only because of Mars himself but also due to special guests. Multi‑Grammy winner Anderson .Paak will appear as DJ Pee .Wee for the opening sets, and Brit Award winner Raye will join as well. Given the titles and popularity of the performers involved, this tour will be one of the most significant musical events in the city’s history. The decision to add a fifth date, clearly driven by overwhelming demand, reflects the enduring love of the public for an artist whose blend of funk, R&B and pop has set the tone for the global industry for more than a decade. For Vancouver, it is not just a series of concerts but a historic cultural moment that underscores the city’s status as a key stop for artists of this caliber.
