Prince Harry's Invictus Games 2025 Unveils Star-Studded Lineup: Jelly Roll, Barenaked Ladies and The War and Treaty
"We are so honored and thrilled that so many incredible musicians want to be connected with the Invictus movement," Invictus Games COO Robyn McVicker tells PEOPLE
The closing ceremony of Prince Harry's upcoming Invictus Games is going to be one rocking concert!
On Nov. 20, the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 announced that the band Barenaked Ladies and the duo War and Treaty will join Jelly Roll in performing at the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games in February. Jelly Roll's involvement as a headliner was revealed in a hilarious video released on Nov. 19, where he gave Prince Harry a neck tattoo.
The group of Grammy Award-nominated artists will perform at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada, on Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025, closing the seventh cycle of the international adaptive sports tournament for wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans that Prince Harry, a former captain in the British Army, founded in 2014.
Robyn McVicker, Chief Operating Officer of the Invictus Games, exclusively tells PEOPLE that the Duke of Sussex, 40, had "input" in the headlining acts.
"We’ve been thrilled to be able to work with him on the approach to the [ceremonies]. We’ve kept him posted about shortlists and what we’re talking about. He’s had input," McVicker tells PEOPLE.
Tickets for the closing ceremony start at $61, with the price point designed to create greater access for the community.
In September, the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 revealed that the headliners for the opening ceremony will be Noah Kahan, Nelly Furtado and Roxane Bruneau.
Speaking about all the starry talent, McVicker tells PEOPLE, "We are so honored and thrilled that so many incredible musicians want to be connected with the Invictus movement."
She adds that Prince Harry was delighted that Jelly Roll, 39, joined the lineup. (The country music superstar is also PEOPLE's cover star this week!)
"The Duke was so thrilled to be able to have Jelly Roll to be able to agree to play at the closing ceremonies. It’s such an honor, we’ve been keeping it a secret for a little while, we’re thrilled with Jelly Roll’s announcement of his major tour that’s going to be hitting Canada as well," McVicker says.
Related: How Prince Harry's Invictus Games Are Transforming Veterans' Lives Worldwide: 'We're Healing'
Speaking about the "Save Me" singer’s philanthropic interests, McVicker described the star as committed to causes that align with the Invictus mission.
"Jelly Roll is absolutely committed to the causes that are important to the Invictus movement. Not only is he supportive of the Wounded Warrior Project, but he actually is deeply involved in an organization that provides scholarships for the family and friends of service members who have been injured so that they can get the best education and it’s scholarships," she tells PEOPLE. "From an Invictus perspective, every Invictus athlete brings two family and friends to the Games because it’s a family that goes through this challenge or struggle. It’s a family that we need to constantly work with and support from a community perspective, so Jelly Roll just connects."
Jelly Roll isn’t the only closing ceremony headliner with a tight tie to Invictus' ethos. The War and Treaty, an Americana duo starring husband-and-wife team Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter, can especially connect, as Michael is a U.S. veteran.
"Michael is a veteran for 20 years. He was in the Iraq War; he did two tours. He also struggled with PTSD, so he just connects with the mission and movement of Invictus and really wants to be part of what we’re doing and what we’re putting forward,” McVicker tells PEOPLE.
Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!
Touching on the other talent, the executive says Kahan and Furtado (who is from British Colombia) are commendable for how they highlight mental health. Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, have made advocating around mental health a core value of their work through their charitable Archewell Foundation.
"When we think about the opening ceremony, we talked about Noah Kahan, who is a huge up-and-coming artist. He really is looking at mental health and how do we make sure we’re putting people’s mental health first and foremost," she says. "Same with Nelly Furtado, not only is she an incredible local British Colombia, internationally-acclaimed artist, but she is somebody who has been very open about ensuring that she is taking care of her mental wellness."
When it came to the closing ceremony, McVicker says it wouldn’t be a party without Barenaked Ladies.
"We could not forget the Barenaked Ladies! We can’t close a show in Canada without making sure that one of Canada’s greatest bands is doing an amazing set at the end so we can send everybody off after experiencing what is going to be a spectacular 11 days in Vancouver and Whistler," she says.
The next iteration of the Invictus Games will be held in Vancouver and Whistler, Canada from Feb. 8 to 16, 2025. Around 550 competitors from up to 25 nations go for the gold in 11 adaptive sports, including the debut of several winter sports for the first time.