The Cat Empire

Formed in Melbourne at the turn of the 2000s, The Cat Empire forged a sound where jazz, funk, ska, reggae, Latin rock and pop move as one. Horns up front, keys weaving through, a bass-and-drums engine, turntables and voices that ride the pulse: the band grew on improvisation and brass-driven hooks, shaping songs that shift from laid-back swing to percussion-led sprints. Over the years and across festival stages on three continents, they’ve kept that open formula alive, letting Afro-Caribbean rhythms, soul colors and sharp grooves circulate without losing focus.

On 14 June 2026 at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver, The Cat Empire brings this elastic setup to the stage, mixing new tracks with staples from across their catalog, including detours into reggae and trumpet lines that lean into jazz phrasing. The set favors movement and interplay: breaks that open space, call-and-response passages, then tight choruses snapping back into the groove. It’s a show built for momentum, carried by collective energy and the taste for live arrangements that has defined the group since its early club days.