My K-pop tourism pilgrimage to Seoul was a BTS fan's dream come true
It was either a poem or a meme that said 'People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.' I wholeheartedly believe that South Korea's biggest Kpop group BTS came into my life so that I could meet some of the best people.
Being part of Army, the BTS fandom, opened the door to so many precious friendships, including two of Canadian media's biggest Asian baddies: Lainey Lui and Hannah Sung. If you spent your formative years in Canada is the 2000s, you know exactly who these two women are. From ' MuchMusic ' to 'The Social,' they carved out spaces for Asian women in this country's media landscape. Frankly, they are probably why I even have a job in television, as the host of 'The Great Canadian Baking Show.'
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Global News
2 hours ago
- Global News
Don Cherry, 91, signs off podcast after 313 episodes, future uncertain
Famed Canadian sportscaster Don Cherry signed off from his podcast for the final time — or so it seemed. The 91-year-old Cherry had hosted 'Don Cherry's Grapevine Podcast' since November 2019, producing 313 episodes in total. His son and co-host, Tim Cherry, said on the finale that it had racked up 6.5 million downloads. 'Well, Tim, this is our last show. … Thanks everybody for listening and toodaloo,' Cherry said on the episode posted Monday. Cherry's official X account shared a link to the episode with the caption, 'Don Cherry Says Goodbye in Final Podcast,' reinforcing the impression that the series had come to an end. But in a Tuesday interview with the Toronto Sun, Cherry said the goodbye was meant as a seasonal sign-off, not a permanent farewell. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Even so, Tim Cherry told The Canadian Press he doesn't foresee any new episodes in the future. Story continues below advertisement 'That being said,' he added, 'if something wild happens like McDavid being traded to the Leafs, I'm sure Don will want to do a quick podcast about it. As for the start of next year, we'll see.' The podcast has been Cherry's most regular platform since his departure from television — a continuation of a storied and often controversial career in broadcasting. His bold suits were matched only by his even bolder opinions. For nearly 40 years, Cherry — a pugnacious former minor league defenceman who later coached the NHL's Boston Bruins and Colorado Rockies — made his name on Coach's Corner during Hockey Night in Canada. Cherry had long been known as a polarizing voice in hockey circles, but no moment left a lasting mark quite like Nov. 9, 2019, when he delivered a televised rant about people not wearing poppies, seemingly aimed at immigrants. Cherry, who denied targeting new Canadians, was fired two days later. Rogers Sportsnet president Bart Yabsley announced the decision, saying Cherry 'made divisive remarks that do not represent our values or what we stand for.'
Toronto Sun
4 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
98 Degrees, Moist join packed CNE concert lineup
'90s boy band 98 Degrees are among the latest music acts added to the CNE Bandshell for this year's fair. Photo by CNE 98 Degrees, The Commodores and Moist are among the acts that have been added to this year's CNE bandshell lineup. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account They join previously announced headliners Shawn Desman, Loverboy, July Talk, Bishop Briggs, Dean Brody, and Marianas Trench. Also coming to the fair are Canadian supergroup Trans-Canada Highwaymen made up of Moe Berg (The Pursuit of Happiness), Chris Murphy (Sloan), Craig Northey (Odds), and Steven Page (ex-Barenaked Ladies). The free nightly concert series on the CNE grounds runs Aug. 15-31. Three Dog Night was announced to perform at the CNE previously, however, due to unforeseen circumstances, their show scheduled for Aug. 23 at the Bell CNE Bandshell has been cancelled. In addition to the Bell CNE Bandshell stage, there are five other music stages throughout the CNE to entertain visitors during the 18-day fair. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. For more information, go to The complete lineup: Aug. 15 — Shawn Desman w/ Ari Hicks Aug. 16 — Loverboy Aug, 17 — STARS & Chantal Kreviazuk Aug. 18 — Moist Aug. 19 — Rêve, Jessia, Aqyila Aug. 20 — Trans-Canada Highwaymen Aug. 21 — Luciano & Jay Douglas Aug. 22 — July Talk w/ The Darcys Aug. 23 — 98 Degrees w/ Alyssa Reid Aug. 24 — The Commodores with Jully Black Aug. 25 — Cold War Kids Aug. 26 — Bishop Briggs Aug. 27 — The Dirty Nil w/ Ben Quad Aug. 28 — The Rural Alberta Advantage w/ Special Guest Yukon Blonde Aug. 29 — Marianas Trench w/ Nicolina Aug. 30 — Dean Brody Aug. 31 — Soca Night ft. GBM Nutron, Mical Teja, Coutain, with DJ Ana, Ultra Simmo and Dr. Jay jstevenson@ NHL Toronto & GTA Toronto Maple Leafs MLB Toronto & GTA
Winnipeg Free Press
5 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Count down to Glastonbury with all the numbers you need to know
LONDON (AP) — This week, thousands of music lovers from across the U.K. and beyond will flock to a farm in the southwest of England for the legendary Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts. But just how many? Find out in this guide to Glastonbury — and all of its quirks — by the numbers. 210,000: Full capacity of the festival The festival's current license allows up to 210,000 people on-site, including fans, staff and performers — but, this year, a few thousand fewer tickets have been sold, to avoid overcrowding. The closest village of Pilton has a population of around 1,000 people. During the festival, though, the area becomes the seventh-largest largest city in the U.K. (more than double that of nearby Bath, which has a population of around 94,000). 1,200,000: Pints of beer stocked across more than 100 bars Brooklyn Brewery's pilsner has been the official beer of Glastonbury since 2023, keeping festivalgoers well lubricated. This year, they are preparing more than 1.2 million pints of lager for a hot and thirsty crowd. That's equivalent to two standard-size swimming pools. And that's despite Glastonbury's B.Y.O. standing, unique at British music festivals where bringing alcohol in from the outside is usually prohibited. At Glastonbury, if you can carry it, you can drink it, and it's not uncommon to see wheelbarrows and small trailers being pulled into campsites with a weekend's worth of supplies of food and drink. 120,000: Largest-ever crowd for one set The headliners on the iconic Pyramid Stage traditionally attract the biggest crowds, and Elton John's 2023 farewell gig attracted more than 120,000 fans as he closed the festival. Paul McCartney pulled in more than 100,000 festivalgoers for his headlining Saturday night set in 2022. 4,000: Number of toilets As well as standard portable toilets, the more than 4,000 toilets include the infamous 'long drops' — lockable, open-air toilets set up on high with a huge concrete gutter around 10 feet (3 meters) below (looking down not recommended) and 'compost loos,' with a bin of sawdust located outside to scoop and scatter over your business. There are also both men's and women's urinals for a speedy pee! By contrast, there are scarce few public showers. Organizers instead recommend a 'good ol' fashioned stripwash and making do.' 3,972: Performers across 120 stages this year This year's headliners are English indie rockers The 1975 on Friday, Canadian-American singer-songwriter Neil Young on Saturday and American pop star Olivia Rodrigo closing on Sunday. But if that's not your thing, there are 3,969 other acts to choose from. 35: Minutes it took for 2025 tickets to sell out Tickets for this year went on sale in November 2024, more than 6 months before a single performer was announced, yet the general admission tickets sold out in 35 minutes. The resale round in April saw remaining tickets sell out in just 20 minutes. 1970: Glastonbury's birth year This does not mean this week is the 55th edition though, as traditionally the festival takes a fallow year roughly every five years to allow the farmland to recover. The last official fallow year was 2018, but the festival's 50th anniversary in 2020 and the following year's edition were canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. If you're considering making Glasto plans for next year, don't bother: 2026 is a fallow year. 1,000: Acres constituting the festival's site This is equivalent to 500 soccer pitches or approximately 733 standard American football fields. That makes it the world's largest greenfield music and arts event. 1,000: Cows living on the farmland The rest of the year, that is — the humans and the cows don't cohabitate during the festival. Worthy Farm, where the festival is held, is a working farm with 500 milking cows and 500 young stock. During the festival, organizer Michael Eavis sends the dairy cows for a short stay at the Glastonbury 'Moo-tel,' a large shed based away from the action, while the rest go off to graze further afield. 400: Food stalls The more than 400 stalls go well beyond the traditional festival burger, offering just about every type of global cuisine you can imagine. Plus the Brits love a 'meal deal' (a combo of a main meal and a drink or side dish) and Glastonbury is no exception with 6-pound (roughly $8) meal deals offered across the site to keep things affordable. 30: Arrests made in 2024 Twenty-one of these were for drug-related offenses, but the festival retains a low crime rate overall. 8: Kilometers around the perimeter fence A 'Super Fortress Fence' was installed in 2002. Before this, there were tens of thousands of gate-crashers every year. Some jumped the fence, while others tunneled under, 'Great Escape' style. Eavis installed the impenetrable fence after he was fined in 2000 for breaching licensing conditions. 5: Days the festival site is open for business Ticket holders can get access starting 8 a.m. Wednesday to pitch their tents and bag the best spots. While there is entertainment and music over the first few days, the main stages start up on Friday morning and run through Sunday night. All festivalgoers must leave by 5 p.m. Monday, when the site officially closes. 5: Most headlining appearances of any band Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. Coldplay has headlined the Pyramid Stage a record five times. They first topped the bill in 2002, followed by 2005, 2011, 2016 and, most recently, 2024. Arctic Monkeys, Muse and Radiohead are among an elite group of artists who have headlined three times. 3: Banned items that may surprise you Among the list of banned items you might expect, including narcotics, weapons and fireworks, are the less assuming Chinese lanterns, body glitter and gazebos. The first two are verboten because of environmental concerns — a couple cows have died from ingesting the remnants of a Chinese lantern! — while a sudden rash of gazebos would take up too much space in the busy campsites. 0: Number of plastic bottles sold on-site Glastonbury banned single-use plastic in 2019, installing more drinking water fountains around the site and encouraging festivalgoers to bring reusable bottles — for water or some other liquid of choice, of course.
