A fevered buzz that has been building for weeks will reach an apex Friday night when the Tragically Hip begins its 15-date farewell tour at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.

The five-member band, whose frontman, Gord Downie, was diagnosed in May with incurable brain cancer, has been in Victoria for most of the week rehearsing in private at the arena, where a sold-out crowd of about 7,000 will celebrate what is expected to be the band’s final concert in the city. The stage will be positioned so that nearly every seat in the arena has an unobstructed view of the group.

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Downie, 52, was spotted outside the Blanshard Street venue on Wednesday, smiling broadly from underneath sunglasses and a hat. The singer looked thinner than usual as he exited the building with bandmates Paul Langlois and Gord Sinclair nearby.

Downie’s doctors have approved him for travel, but unconfirmed reports claim he is unable to spend much time outdoors, due to the associated health risks. He is also reportedly travelling with a doctor who is managing his condition and status during each stop on the tour.

The band’s impending farewell has captured the imagination of Canada in recent weeks, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressing his sentiments when news of Downie’s health was announced, stating: “I know I speak for all Canadians when I say: ‘We’re with you, Gord.’ ”

Cities across the country have been arranging for public screenings of the group’s Aug. 20 performance in Kingston, Ont., a show that is expected to be the Tragically Hip’s final bow.

Local fans unwilling to pay exorbitant ticket prices on the secondary market — topping $1,000 for a pair on some websites — received some good news Wednesday.

With the tour’s technical production finalized, 50 pairs of tickets for each show will be available for purchase through a lottery on the day of each concert.

Fifty winners from Victoria who enter the lottery at TheHip.com will be notified by email at 1 p.m. Friday if they have won a pair to purchase. Unclaimed lottery tickets will be released back to the Select Your Tickets box office for public resale at 7 p.m.

The start time of the concert has been moved to 8:30 p.m., according to promoter Live Nation.

mdevlin@timescolonist.com