BURST
SkyTrain riders may hear a familiar voice while pulling up to Vancouver’s Stadium-Chinatown station this week.
Pop superstar Bruno Mars is the first musical artist to lend his smooth speaking voice to a SkyTrain station announcement, said TransLink. The singer kicks off a record-breaking five-show run at B.C. Place on Wednesday.
The announcements will play at Stadium-Chinatown station on Mars’ concert dates: Oct. 14, 16, 17, 20 and 21.
“Most people don’t expect to hear Bruno Mars while they’re heading to work, school, or a concert,” said TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn in a statement Wednesday. “That’s what makes this so much fun, because it brings the concert experience to SkyTrain customers.”
The collaboration with Warner Music Canada will also generate additional revenue for TransLink, Quinn said.
Mars recorded two announcements. One says: “To everybody on the train, it’s Bruno Mars. Thank you so much for coming to The Romantic Tour. I hope to see you all very soon. I love you.”
The other, a near variation, says: “To everybody taking the train, it’s Bruno Mars. I can’t wait to see you all. It’s about to get real romantic tonight. I love you.”
TransLink teased the announcement on social media Tuesday with a series of emojis referencing Mars’ biggest hits, including Die with a Smile, Marry You and Locked Out of heaven.
Mars is the third celebrity to record a SkyTrain announcement. Vancouver-born actor Seth Rogen lent his voice to recordings about transit etiquette heard on board SkyTrains in 2018, while Canadian soccer star Christine Sinclair lent her voice on SkyTrain, buses, SeaBuses and the West Coast Express to help guide transit users to B.C. Place or the FIFA viewing sites during the FIFA tournament earlier this year.
Mars initially announced a one-night stop in Vancouver as part of The Romantic Tour but added four more shows in response to strong demand.
TransLink has advised concertgoers to take transit and allow extra travel time on show days.
Read more about Bruno Mars in Vancouver:
• Bruno Mars begins a record-breaking run of concerts in Vancouver
• Bruno Mars plays five shows at B.C. Place in Vancouver: What to know before you go
• Here’s where to shop for Bruno Mars merch in Vancouver
• Bruno Mars in Vancouver: 5 outfit ideas for the concerts at B.C. Place
• 10 restaurants near B.C. Place to satisfy your post-Bruno Mars concert cravings