Vancouver’s John Hendry Park transformed into an impromptu concert venue Tuesday evening as thousands of fans gathered for a surprise performance by Canadian R&B star Daniel Caesar.
The Scarborough-born artist announced the free show just hours earlier on TikTok and Instagram, sparking a rush of mostly Gen Z fans to East Vancouver.
“The crowd got crazy,” said 26-year-old attendee Kim Alunan. Fans stretched across the tree-dotted field, with many unable to catch a glimpse of Caesar as he performed. Some climbed trees or stood on garbage cans and bike seats to see him, while hundreds stood further back, content to just listen.
“I can’t see him at all, but the music is enough,” said Lance Palad, who praised the calming feel of Caesar’s songs as light rain fell and umbrellas popped open across the park.
The Vancouver Park Board later confirmed the event was “not expected or planned.” Permits are typically required for park concerts, involving multiple steps and pre-paid fees. Still, the pop-up show was part of Caesar’s new tour of free, surprise concerts, which began in Toronto earlier this week.
Vancouver police were stationed around the park, preparing for crowd control as the show wrapped.
For fans, though, the unplanned gathering felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience—an intimate connection with one of Canada’s most soulful voices, shared in the heart of the city.
