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2018 summer festival preview: Music, theatre, community events around Island

The top 12 festivals coming to Greater Victoria and Vancouver Island this summer
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The crowd listens to A Tribe Called Red at the Rifftop Tent during Rifflandia at Royal Athletic Park on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017.

The summer festival season covers more ground with each passing year, the official start now arriving in May. That gives Vancouver Island programmers four months in which to do their thing, good news for those who like to enjoy their music outside and want choices.

Change is inevitable. And while the rising tide of festival economics has become too much for some organizers to bear — Port Renfrew’s Tall Tree Music Festival took the year off, as did Ucluelet’s Otalith Music Festival — others have returned from respite, tops being Colwood’s massive Rock the Shores. Another festival even changed its name (Cumberland’s Atmosphere Gathering will now operate as Cumberland Wild) as a way of cutting through the stiff competition.

That is the elephant in the room. Festival followers have more choices than ever, and could fill every Saturday and Sunday of their summer with cultural programming of some sort, be it music, art, dance, theatre or food. (Vancouver Island is not alone in this conundrum, of course. Options abound in nearby hubs such as Seattle and Vancouver, but when temperatures rise, the Island can be a more comfortable place.)

Thanks to the organizers, who provide a veritable smorgasbord of options, there is something for every member of the family on a daily basis through Labour Day. The difficult task will be deciding the who, what, where and when. Fear of missing out is very real at this time of year.

VICTORIA SKA AND REGGAE FESTIVAL

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Mighty Mighty Bosstones

June 20-24

victoriaskafest.ca

The 19th annual Victoria Ska and Reggae Festival has an impressive and varied lineup this year, which should help fill the festival’s main stage area at Ship Point for sets by the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Ozomatli, Chali 2na, and Culture featuring Kenyatta Hill. There’s plenty happening off site as well, from workshops and guest speakers to visual arts showcases.

TD VICTORIA INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL

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St. Paul and the Broken Bones - David McClister

June 22-July 1

jazzvictoria.ca

The big buzz at Jazzfest this year has been reserved for Alabama’s St. Paul and the Broken Bones, one of the leading soul revival acts in the U.S. at the moment. Fear not, purists: There’s plenty of classic and contemporary jazz on tap, from Dee Dee Bridgewater to Morgan James. The 35th edition of this longtime local favourite wins points for its breadth.

LAKETOWN ROCK

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Colin James

June 29-July 1, Lake Cowichan

laketownrock.com

Colin James, Collective Soul, Big Wreck, Kim Mitchell, Barney Bentall, Creedence Clearwater Revisited — if rock ’n’ roll is your music of choice, you don’t want to miss this weekend of camping and music. Held on the 172-acre site that also houses the Sunfest Country Music festival, Laketown Rock is the closest thing we have to a true-blue classic rock festival.

SPECTACULAR SUMMER EVENINGS AT BUTCHART GARDENS

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Alan Doyle

June 30-Sept. 1

butchartgardens.com

The two-month entertainment calendar at Butchart Gardens (shows are included with paid admission to the gardens) is rich with nightly offerings, from Cecile Doo-Kingue (July 23), Stephen Fearing (July 25), and The Bills (Aug. 29) to Alan Doyle of Great Big Sea (July 18). The bigger shows push the park to capacity, so plan ahead if you’re hoping to attend and score a seat.

VICTORIA PRIDE WEEK

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Pride Parade - ADRIAN LAM

July 1-8

victoriapridesociety.org

Talk about options. From a “dragball” baseball game to the Big Gay Dog Walk, Victoria Pride Week offers a week-long run of events capped by the massively popular Pride Parade on July 8. The majority of events are free, which only adds to Pride Week’s awesomeness.

ROCK THE SHORES

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Brian Wilson

July 13-15

rocktheshores.com

The West Shore will be energized this summer thanks to Rock the Shores, which took a breather in 2017. Three days of performances by Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, Social Distortion, X Ambassadors, Bahamas, and the Sheepdogs will bring several thousands to the site, resulting in a most welcome return.

VANCOUVER ISLAND MUSIC FESTIVAL

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Ry Cooder

July 13-15, Courtenay

islandmusicfest.com

An impressive roster of headliners that appeal to both younger (Walk Off The Earth, Passenger) and older (Ry Cooder, Arlo Guthrie) audiences is one of the reasons this mid-Island festival sells out ever year. A treed setting and friendly staff are among the other outstanding elements of what has become one of the last Vancouver Island festivals to adopt an old-school approach.

PHILLIPS BACKYARD WEEKENDER

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The Revolution

July 20-22

backyardweekender.com

The spirit of Prince will be alive and well as The Revolution, backing band for the ’80s icon, closes the Phillips Backyard Weekender in style next month. The rear lot of Phillips Brewery will be shaking for all three nights, thanks to sets from Reggie Watts, Chk Chk Chk, and Kelis, among others. The Backyarder is expected to sell out, so don’t sleep on getting tickets.

SUNFEST COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL

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Eric Church

Aug. 2-5, Lake Cowichan

sunfestconcerts.com

North Carolina’s Eric Church is headlining Vancouver Island’s biggest paid festival this year, following in the record-setting footsteps of past headliners Carrie Underwood, Dierks Bentley, Little Big Town and Toby Keith. Sunfest is an experience unto itself, one that should be embraced fully by those wanting to have a fun-filled weekend.

CUMBERLAND WILD

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Jesse Roper

Aug. 18-19

Cumberland is a thriving enclave of artists, and the programmers of this newly named festival (formerly the Atmosphere Gathering) always make an effort to showcase what the community has to offer. Headliners bring the masses up-Island from Victoria, however, which is why the mixture of electronic, acoustic and indie rock acts such as Elliott Brood, Jesse Roper, Defunk, Freestylers, Five Alarm Funk and The Pack A.D. sits atop the bill.

VICTORIA FRINGE FESTIVAL

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Carolyn Rhamey of The ADHD Project

Aug. 22-Sept. 2

victoriafringe.com

The Fringe will enter its 31st year through Labour Day weekend, with 58 shows and 330 performances to offer its rabid following. The Fringe’s 10-day run will no doubt be met with lots of laughs and positive reviews. One of the oldest festivals of its kind in Canada, The Fringe just keeps on giving.

RIFFLANDIA

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Jessie Reyez

Sept. 13-16

rifflandia.com

Rifflandia had its best year to date in 2017, the festival’s 10th year. Organizers have branched out in terms of programming, with celebrated pop and R&B acts Daniel Caesar and Jessie Reyez leading the charge. One thing is for certain about each instalment of Rifflandia: No matter what fans think about it going in, the music rarely disappoints.

The best of the rest

THE BREAKWATER BARGE SERIES, May 25-Sept. 28. Popular acts on a floating barge at Ogden Point every Friday. gvha.ca.

VICTORIA INDIGENOUS CULTURAL FESTIVAL, June 21–23. Three days of free Indigenous programming on the grounds of the Royal B.C. Museum Plaza. tourismvictoria.com.

HERMANN’S JAZZ FESTIVAL, June 22– July 1. View Street club enters the festival game for the first time. hermannsjazz.com.

VICTORIA CELEBRATES CANADA DAY, July 1. Everything from music to fireworks for 30,000 people in the Inner Harbour. canadadayvictoria.ca.

EVENTIDE MUSIC SERIES, July 5-Aug. 23. A range of free live music in Centennial Square every Thursday this summer. eventidevictoria.com.

TD ART GALLERY PAINT-IN, July 21. Hugely popular showcase of 170 local artists along Moss Street. aggv.ca.

ISLANDS FOLK FESTIVAL, July 21-23. Endearing folk festival held on the grounds of Providence Farm in Duncan. islandsfolkfestival.ca.

VICTORIA FLAMENCO FESTIVAL, July 26-29. Flamenco music and dance in Centennial Square and Beacon Hill Park. victoriaflamencofestival.com.

FREE-B FILM FESTIVAL, Aug. 3-18. Mean Girls, Some Like it Hot and four other films are on the big screen at Beacon Hill Park. freebfilmfest.com.

FILBERG FESTIVAL, Aug. 3-6. The largest juried arts and craft fair in Canada also has a strong musical component. filbergfestival.com.

HORNBY FESTIVAL, Aug. 2-11. Could be the best year yet for this 10-day Gulf Island festival. hornbyfestival.com.

VICTORIA SYMPHONY SPLASH, Aug. 5. A rousing performance by the Victoria Symphony highlights the summertime favourite. symphonysplash.ca.

VICTORIA DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL, Aug. 10-12, Nearly a quarter-century of fun for this community-building bash at Ship Point. victoriadragonboat.com.

VICTORIA FRINGE THEATRE FESTIVAL, Aug. 22–Sept. 2. One of the largest alternative-theatre festivals in Canada continues to roll. victoriafringe.com.

DOWNTOWN VICTORIA BUSKERS FESTIVAL, Aug. 30– Sept. 3. A free, five-day festival showcasing street performers from around the world. victoriabuskers.ca.

VANCOUVER ISLAND BLUES BASH, Aug. 31–Sept. 3. Annual celerbation of local and regional blues stars spices up Ship Point on Labour Day. jazzvictoria.ca/blues-bash.