How to Watch The Tragically Hip Farewell Show 10th Anniversary Special Online

By Tim Chan

Tim Chan

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Legendary Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip will be in the spotlight one more time tonight, as the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation re-airs the group’s 2016 Kingston, Ontario concert, to mark the 10th anniversary of what turned out to be their final show.

The Tragically Hip: A National Celebration will air across Canada at 7 p.m local time, with the broadcast available to watch on TV on CBC, and streaming online on CBC Gem. Viewers from outside of Canada can use a virtual private network like ExpressVPN to watch The Tragically Hip special online.

ExpressVPN

$2.99

Simply download ExpressVPN (currently discounted to $2.99+) and set your location to Canada. You’ll be able to stream The Tragically Hip: A National Celebration on your computer, tablet, phone or smart TV through the CBC website or CBC YouTube page, allowing you to watch the entire special from outside of Canada.

Viewers can also watch The Tragically Hip rebroadcast from the U.S. using NordVPN, with pricing for the top-rated virtual private network starting at $3.49 (with a 30-day money-back guarantee). Use NordVPN to livestream the broadcast online from outside Canada.

The Tragically Hip took the stage for the final time in their hometown of Kingston, Ontario on August 20, 2016 and the concert was broadcast live across Canada. According to the CBC, more than one-third of the country tuned into the show, which was billed as a final farewell to lead singer Gord Downie, who had announced his brain cancer diagnosis just months prior.

Still, Downie insisted on completing the tour with his bandmates, and even released a solo album — his fifth — titled Secret Path, in October 2016. While fans prayed for a miracle in hopes that the beloved Canadian icon could continue making music, the Hip frontman died a year later, on October 17, 2017.

In honor of the 10-year anniversary of The Tragically Hip’s final show, CBC will rebroadcast the recording of the concert in full tonight, August 22. In addition to the concert, the special will begin with a new short film directed by Downie’s brother, Mike, which features never-before-seen footage of the band on tour. Titled A Beautiful Thing, the film will also include clips of “notable Canadians sharing what The Hip has meant to them and the historic significance of that last concert in Kingston,” per a release.

The final concert — and tour — is also being commemorated on a special three-disc vinyl release that features live recordings from the band’s final cross-Canada run.

The Tragically Hip: Live July 22 – August 20, 2016

$72.98

Appropriately titled, Live July 22 – August 20, 2016, the live album is available on vinyl and as a two-CD set here. The CD version includes a special pull-out booklet with behind-the-scenes photos from the tour.

The Tragically Hip: A National Celebration airs at 7 p.m. local time across Canada, and you can watch it on TV on CBC or stream it online at CBC.ca. The Canadian stream is geo-blocked but you can use a VPN like ExpressVPN to access the livestream for free.

Tonight’s televised special concludes a three-day-long celebration of the band and Downie’s life, that kicked off in The Hip’s hometown of Kingston on Thursday.