Music festival season is nearly upon us. I can practically smell the wristbands and flower crowns from here, which can mean only one thing: it’s time to start planning.
Whether you’re planning on an epic follow-the-festivals tour or are trying to decide which single event deserves your hard-earned tip money, here’s what you need to know.
The Name: Squamish Valley Music Festival
The Location: Squamish, BC – an hour or so south of Whistler
The Dates: August 8, 9 and 10
The Tunes: Eminem, Arcade Fire, Bruno Mars, Arctic Monkeys, Foster the People, The Roots, Serena Ryder, Sam Roberts Band, The Zolas, and so forth.
The Logistics: Driving down for the day is easy: parking isn’t cheap, but it’s decently organized. There are several campgrounds to choose from, too, though you can’t have your car on your campsite, which is a bit of an incovenience. Lastly, you can opt for the festival shuttle from Whistler ($50 a pop).
The Cost: Weekend tickets are $325, and single day tickets are $149. VIP tickets are available at $799. Camping is extra.
The Analysis: The Squamish Valley Music Festival has had a few years to work through their kinks, and has been getting better and better with every year. This year’s line up is insanely good—I don’t care who you are, seeing Eminem live is going to be incredible. Tickets aren’t unreasonable, but all the add-ons of the weekend could add up. Still, a worthy investment.
The Name: Pemberton Music Festival
The Location: Pemberton, BC – a mere half hour north of Whistler
The Dates: July 18, 19 and 20
The Tunes: We don’t know yet—despite promises of a January line-up release, later revised to “sometime in March”, hungry festival-goers (some of whom have already purchased tickets, including yours truly) are getting nervous.
The Logistics: There is no on-site parking: you’ll need to camp on-site (same no car on the campsite restriction as Squamish), or partake in the Pemby-Whistler shuttle.
The Cost: Weekend tickets are $279, VIP tickets are $899 and Super VIP tickets are $1,499. Single day is not an option. Camping is extra.
The Analysis: Pemberton Music Festival, we need to talk. The line-up mystery was cute at first, but now it’s worrisome. The fact that the once active Facebook page hasn’t seen a new post in over a month furthers this concern. Pemberton Music Festival was supposed to be an epic comeback event, but at this point, you’re gambling if you buy tickets. A recovery might be possible if the line up knocks our socks off, but at this point, our socks are almost unknockable. Or something.
The Name: Sasquatch! Festival
The Location: The Gorge in George, Washington – a 6 and a half hour road trip from Whistler
The Dates: May 23, 24 and 25—there was supposed to be a second weekend, which was recently cancelled.
The Tunes: Outkast, The National, Queens of the Stone Age, M.I.A., Foster the People, Kid Cudi, Haim, Violent Femmes, City and Colour and many more.
The Logistics: Unless you secure a spot in a nearby hotel, you’re going to be camping. The cost of camping is included in the ticket, which is nice, though you can upgrade for a fee if you want fancier digs (yurts, anyone?).
The Cost: $325 (USD)
The Analysis: Sasquatch is now in its 13th year, so they know how to put on a good event. They tried to mix things up by offering a second weekend, but ticket sales were slow, so they’re sticking to the original format. The Gorge is probably one of the top venues on the planet—you need to check out a show here at least once in your life. If you can pull together a solid road trip/festival crew, Sasquatch will definitely be a worthwhile adventure.
The Name: Shambhala Music Festival
The Location: Salmo River Ranch in Nelson, BC—10 hours from Whistler.
The Dates: August 8, 9, 10 and 11
The Tunes: It’s an electronic music festival, and headliners include Andy C, Bassnectar, Mark Farina, Datsik, Justin Martin, Z-Trip, and Skream, with more performers to be announced in April.
The Logistics: “Shambhalodging” is the on-site camping option.
The Cost: $305 for a weekend pass, including camping.
The Analysis: An electronic music festival on a 500 acre cattle ranch? Sounds like a good time. This is as grass-roots as a festival gets, with no corporate sponsors and staffed by volunteers. There’s a nudie beach, too.
The Name: Keloha Music Festival
The Location: Kelowna, BC—about 6 hours from Whistler
The Dates: July 11, 12 and 13
The Tunes: The line up hasn’t been released yet, but last year’s included MGMT, Matt and Kim, Mutemath, the Arkells, Capital Cities, The Trews, Shad, and some other nice acts.
The Logistics: No on-site lodging at Keloha, but there are tons of camping and accommodation options throughout Kelowna, including some affiliated hotels. On the plus side, no communal showers.
The Cost: A weekend pass is only $160, with day passes clocking it at $75.
The Analysis: The line up probably will not be as fancy as some of the other festivals, but past years indicate that there will still be some good talent to check out. It’s a cheap concert option (though don’t forget to factor in hotel costs) and a great excuse to spend a summer weekend in Kelowna.
