By Lexi McFarlane, Times Chronicle
Prepare to get groovy, as a performer with a strong history of performing in the South Okanagan is coming to Oliver for the first time.
Ben Thompson is a premier Elvis Tribute Artist (ETA), with a list of achievements that include being crowned the Ultimate Elvis Champion as best ETA, being an official representative of Elvis Presley Enterprises, and getting to play the role of Elvis in the movie “Blade Runner 2049”.
He will bring the “Birthday Tour Okanagan” to the Venables Theatre on January 10, the first time he’ll play Oliver’s star arts venue.
That weekend date is significant with regards to the late Elvis Presley, says LMS Entertainment President Mike Schell, magnified by the overall tour’s name.
“We booked this to celebrate the life and legacy of Elvis over the course of his birthday,” Schell explained. “Elvis’s birthday was January 8, so we’ll (begin celebrations) being in the studio on January 8.”
Ben Thompson brings the King of Rock’n’Roll to Venables for one night only on January 10, 2026.
LMS Entertainment photo
The Oliver show is part of a larger BC tour that will include a stop in Penticton the day after the Oliver show. Penticton is where many of Thompson’s previous Okanagan performances have historically been, and just two years ago he headlined the Penticton Elvis Festival, the largest festival of its kind in Canada.
Being the president of that festival, Schell witnessed and still remembers the impact it had on the festival to get a major performer like Thompson.
“He blew the stage up, and it was a capacity, sold-out (crowd),” Schell said of the energy at the show.
Tying tribute artist to the original artist, perhaps the most significant claim Thompson has is being set to perform at a place that “The King” himself graced in the 1970’s, at what is presently known as the Westgate Las Vegas Resort, which Schell also detailed.
“A good thing with Ben Thompson, he’s just been hired for numerous engagements in Las Vegas, on the stage that Elvis played from 1970 to 1977, and he’s gonna be there in 2026, along with coming to the Okanagan for our Elvis birthday tour.”
What helps Thompson stand out are two things. Unlike some ETAs who may stick to one era of Elvis, Thompson can offer the entire 25-year Elvis experience, playing each point in time just as well as the others.
Above all else, though, Thompson stays humble and level-headed, which is critical to being a successful ETA.
“For me, as the producer and promoter of the show, we want to tour and work with people that are very humble and kind, and they don’t think they are Elvis,” Schell says. “This is (Thompson’s) job, as a full-time entertainer, paying tribute to Elvis. He’s one of the most down-to-earth, humble, kind, and very well-respected in the Elvis world.”
The January 10 Oliver show falls on a Saturday night, making it all the more attractive for patrons to attend, and promising an extra-special experience as a result.
“That’s your golden night, and you know it’s gonna be (special),” Schell agrees.
Tickets are available for purchase at the Venables Theatre, including online. Fans are encouraged to act fast and get in on being a part of what promises to be a special night in Oliver.
For more, contact the Venables Theatre at venablestheatre.ca and LMS Entertainment at lmsentertainment.biz.
