The Safety Dance will be played for all home team home runs

January 30, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

VICTORIA, B.C. — A Victoria-based band is now the official rock group of the Victoria HarbourCats.

MEN WITHOUT HATS, originally from Montreal but now Island-based with co-founders and brothers Ivan Doroschuk and Colin Doroschuk living in Victoria, has been declared the OFFICIAL BAND OF THE VICTORIA HARBOURCATS.

Their smash hit legendary song The Safety Dance (“We can DANCE if you want to!”) will be played whenever a HarbourCats player hits a home run, and the iconic Pop Goes The World will be used to add spice after pop ups lead to outs by the visiting team.

“I am humbled that Men Without Hats has been chosen as the OFFICIAL BAND of the Victoria HarbourCats, and that Safety Dance will be the home run song,” said Ivan Doroschuk, lead singer — and a baseball fan back to his days going to Expos games at Parque Jarry.

“I’ve been a huge fan and proud supporter of the HarbourCats for many years so I truly consider this to be a great honour. I’m looking forward to watching another amazing season of ball! Let’s go HarbourCats!”

Doroschuk is a season ticket holder with the HarbourCats, attending games at Wilson’s Group Stadium at RAP when MWH isn’t on yet another tour, playing their classic songs and debuting new material. In 2021, the band unveiled No Friends of Mine, a rework of the 1982 classic The Safety Dance — it’s become a smash hit on tours that have taken the band through Canada, the United States, the Caribbean, and to Europe in recent years.

Men Without Hats routinely showcases with other 80s staples such as The Thompson Twins, Right Said Fred, The Motels, Escape Club, Haircut 100 and others — including the Totally Tubular Festival dates slated for June and July, starting in San Jose on June 27 and planned to complete in Indianapolis on July 24. Other stops include New York, Detroit and Cincinnati — proof of the demand that has grown for their distinct sound.

“It’s been great to get to know Ivan at our games, and to have him even sing the anthems for us — which we will try to plan again,” said Jim Swanson, managing partner of the HarbourCats.

“This is an exciting announcement for us, cross-branding our events with their great music.”

The Safety Dance and Pop Goes The World were inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020.

The HarbourCats open their 2025 home schedule on Friday, June 6, with the Port Angeles Lefties visiting Wilson’s Group Stadium at RAP. Season Tickets, 10 and 32-Game Flex Passes and Single Game Tickets are now on sale for all 33 home games and three “Showcase” events through the HarbourCats new and one-and-only ticketing partner SHOWPASS at harbourcats.com/tickets.

Tickets can also be purchased in person at the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street or by calling 778-265-0327.

Get your copy of the full 2025 Schedule HERE.

ATTENTION 2024 SEASON TICKET HOLDERS:  If you have not already done so, please renew your seats for 2025 so that they can be locked into the new ticketing system.  Season Tickets will be sent to all members electronically this season on April 1, 2025, perhaps sooner.  Any seats not renewed by that time will be released and placed back into the system. Contact Christian at the office at 778-265-0327 to renew.  

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Season Ticket Holders

New Season Tickets are now available to be purchased online for the first time ever at https://www.showpass.com/m/nanaimo-night-owls-season-ticket-holders/ Visit the seat map, see what is available, select your preferred ticket type, and checkout securely.

Season Tickets will be delivered to all members by e-mail (planned for April 1, 2025) with an option for printing classic paper tickets. Members can transfer tickets as needed through their accounts, and print their tickets via PDF or simply save into their mobile wallet on their phone.

Renewals are simple, with reminder emails coming from showpass late in the season, or early fall, with details for the following season and secure, online renewal.

NOTE: Season Ticket holders who have not yet renewed their seats for 2025 should ensure they call or visit the office to do so as soon as possible so that all relevant details are updated in the new system and so their seats are locked in for 2025. Any seats not paid / renewed by April 1, 2025 will be released for sale to the public at that time.

10-Game and Season Ticket Flex Packs

10-game flex packs and our Season Ticket equivalent flex-packs (32 vouchers) are also now available to purchase and manage on-line in the showpass system.
General Admission vouchers will still be available at all Save On Foods locations from Ladysmith to Parksville, the five partner stores of our premier partner.

https://www.showpass.com/10-game-flex-pack-2/
https://www.showpass.com/32-game-flex-pack-2/

Once purchased, fans can skip coming to the office or box office and can easily exchange their vouchers / credits on-line for the games that they wish to attend. Once exchanged, fans can also e-mail those tickets to someone else, if they don’t plan to attend the game themselves.

Fans with existing 10-packs or season ticket packs purchased during the off-season can come into the office and get set up properly in the new system in order begin to exchanging vouchers on their own.

Single-Game Tickets

Single game tickets are now available on-line and can be purchased at https://www.showpass.com/o/nanaimo-nightowls/

Scroll down the list to find the game of interest, including three “Showcase” games being held this season, click through to the seat map, select your seats and check-out with your tickets delivered to the e-mail used to set up your account.

Group Tickets

Group tickets (10 people or more) can also now be purchased on-line in most of our seating areas and larger groups can be set up and ticket sales managed through a convenient Group Sales platform within showpass.
The showpass system also comes with a very easy to use Help system to guide users through the ticketing sales or exchange process and of course, fans can always come to the office or the box office on game days to order their tickets in person.

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SCHOOL DAY SOLD OUT!  Second Mayfair Optometric Clinic School Spirit day added to 2025 schedule

January 22, 2025

For Immediate Release

VICTORIA, B.C. — Even with a chill still in the air, the Victoria HarbourCats have already sold out a summer baseball game.

How’s that for a warm feeling in January?

The super-popular Mayfair Optometric Clinic SCHOOL SPIRIT DAY, slated for June 12 at Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park, has already sold out with area schools signed up with haste — the office already had a waiting list before the year changed to 2025.

So, the HarbourCats have decided to add a SECOND SCHOOL SPIRIT DAY — an 11am start on Thursday, June 19, with special $9.00 pricing for students and teachers to bathe in sunlight and cheer on the HarbourCats.

“The June 12 game filled up right away, and it led us to look at this second offering,” said Christian Stewart, GM of the HarbourCats. “More than 3,200 school kids are already coming to see us play that day against the Island rival Nanaimo NightOwls — and we can look to sell out a second game, also against the NightOwls, with the same energy the kids bring to the park.

“If you haven’t been to this game before, it’s magic with the excitement, and the lineups for Sub Zero Ice Cream and other concession items — it’s a day our food trucks and the city concession are very busy, that’s for sure!”

For any teachers or schools looking to join the fun, email chris@harbourcats.com or call the office at 778-265-0327, to get signed up.

Tickets for all games can be found online with our Showpass ticketing system, at harbourcats.com/tickets— single game tickets available including opening night, our famous fireworks nights, and all special promotions.

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