Festivals
Republic Live Announces The Finalists For The 2025 Boots And Hearts Emerging Artist Showcase
Republic Live, the producers of the internationally acclaimed and multi-award-winning Boots and Hearts Music Festival, are thrilled to announce the eight finalists for the 2025 Boots and Hearts Emerging Artist Showcase (EAS), set to take place at Burl’s Creek Event Grounds. The finalists will perform on Thursday, August 7th to open the Kick-Off party featuring Tyler Joe Miller and headliner Justin Moore.
This moment marks a significant milestone for these rising stars. Along with the chance to perform on the festival’s main stage, the winner of the 2025 EAS will receive a $10,000 cash prize, a single release with Universal Music Canada, artist development sessions with RLive Management, a Gibson J-45 Special guitar, and a VIP tour of the Gibson Garage in Nashville.
All remaining finalists will be awarded a complimentary one-year STRUT VIP membership—an exclusive platform designed to empower emerging artists with vital tools, industry access, and personalized support to accelerate their careers.
The 2025 Emerging Artist Showcase Finalists are:
Amanda Couture – Medicine Hat, AB
Annika Catharina – Deroche, BC
Jade Hilton – Toronto, ON
Lake Porter – Kingston, ON
Lowell Lawson – Toronto, ON
School House – Ottawa, ON
Sean Michael Ryan – Riverview, NB
Warren Hargraves – Komoka, ON
Republic Live is also thrilled to announce that Sarah Vanderzon, winner of the 2024 EAS, has joined the roster of RLive Management. Raised just outside of Montreal, Vanderzon charmed audiences with her relatable energy and storytelling. Following the success of her 2023 independent EP, Same Sad Eyes, and her breakout festival performances, Vanderzon returns to perform at Thursday night’s Kick-Off Party (8/7), alongside Tyler Joe Miller and headliner Justin Moore.
“Partnering with the powerhouse team at RLive is truly a privilege. I have deep admiration for their work ethic and their unwavering commitment to growing artists’ careers,” shares Vanderzon. “The journey through the music industry is rarely easy, but with the support of my newfound collaborators, the road ahead feels a lot less intimidating, and I can’t wait to bring my vision to life.”
“This is an exciting day for our entire team. To officially welcome the 2024 winner Sarah Vanderzon to the RLive Management roster, while announcing this year’s Emerging Artist Showcase finalists, is a true testament to our dedication to building, supporting, and developing the best of Canada’s rising stars,” says Kate Howse, Artist Manager at RLive. “With an overwhelming number of entries this year, our finalists represent the best of the best from across the country, and we can’t wait to see them perform at Boots and Hearts this August.”
Visit www.bootsandhearts.com for more information about artists, tickets, RV and tent camping, and parking.
Festivals
Coachella 2026 Set Times Are Out, With Jack White Added to Weekend One
The schedule for the 2026 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is here, and weekend one is already looking packed. Music starts at 1 p.m. PST on Friday, April 10, kicking off three days of tight set clashes, late-night headliners, and one surprise addition.
Headliners Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber, and Karol G lead the bill across the weekend. Carpenter opens things on Friday with a 9:05 p.m. set on the Coachella Stage, running just over 90 minutes. She’s followed by Anyma, who takes over at midnight to debut a new production titled “Æden.”
Saturday belongs to Bieber, who closes out the night with an 11:25 p.m. start. Before that, The Strokes hit the same stage at 9 p.m. Sunday wraps with Karol G, with competing sets from BIGBANG and Kaskade pulling fans in different directions.
The big curveball this year is Jack White, who joins the lineup for a Saturday afternoon slot. He’ll open the Mojave Stage at 3 p.m., marking a return to the festival after last headlining as a solo act in 2015. His appearance follows a recent run of surprise bookings at Coachella, a trend that’s become part of the festival’s identity.
Saturday night also brings Nine Inch Noize—a collaboration between Trent Reznor and Boys Noize—to the Sahara Tent for an 8 p.m. set.
Elsewhere, Coachella is leaning into immersive experiences. A new installation tied to Radiohead, called “Radiohead Motion Picture House: Kid A Mnesia,” will debut near the Sahara Tent. The 75-minute film blends visuals and audio pulled from the recording era of their albums Kid A and Amnesiac, created by Thom Yorke and longtime collaborator Stanley Donwood. It’s free with a reservation, with standby access for anyone willing to wait.
Beyond the headliners, the real challenge this year is picking a path through the schedule. Set conflicts are everywhere: David Byrne vs. Interpol, FKA twigs vs. The Rapture, and a crowded overlap featuring The xx, Dijon, Ninajirachi, DEVO, and more. Late Saturday gets especially messy with PinkPantheress going up against The Strokes, and Sunday throws in clashes like Moby vs. Turnstile.
A few lineup tweaks round things out. Foster the People move to Sunday, and new additions include Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Afrojack x Smiza, Deep Dish, and more.
Weekend two set times are still under wraps. For now, weekend one already looks like a scheduling headache, in the best way.
More information on the festival’s website.
Festivals
Morrissey and The Smashing Pumpkins to Headline Darker Waves 2026
Morrissey and The Smashing Pumpkins will headline Darker Waves Festival on November 14, 2026 in Huntington Beach, CA. Returning to Huntington Beach City Beach at Huntington Street and Pacific Coast Highway, the ocean-side festival will feature legendary performances from over 35 artists across three stages including Simple Minds, Bad Religion, Adam Ant, The Psychedelic Furs, Soft Cell, The Damned, Manic Street Preachers, Gary Numan, Silversun Pickups, Buzzcocks, EMF, Circle Jerks, Spacehog, Marky Ramone and more. Fans can sign up now for the festival SMS list at DarkerWavesFest.com to receive a passcode to the presale beginning Thursday, April 2 at 10am PT with access to the lowest-priced GA tickets from 10am to 11am PT. GA, GA+, VIP, and Ultimate VIP Tickets will be available, with layaway payment plans starting at $19.99 down. Any remaining tickets will go on sale to the public following the presale.
GA+ tickets include access to the exclusive GA+ Lounge with shaded seating and air-conditioned restrooms, plus a dedicated entry lane at the festival main entrance, and more. VIP tickets include unlimited entry into the VIP Lounge with preferred viewing area by the main stage, charging stations, air-conditioned restrooms, dedicated entry lane at the festival main entrance and more. Ultimate VIP tickets feature all amenities of VIP, plus access to elevated and unobstructed views of both main stages with shaded open lounge seating, dedicated VIP concierge team, a complimentary locker to store personal items, three complimentary drinks including choice of craft cocktails, beer, wine or non-alcoholic beverages, a complimentary meal redeemable for exclusive food options in the VIP Lounge and more.
Official Darker Waves vacation packages from Jampack pair GA, GA+, or VIP tickets with beachfront stays at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa or The Waterfront Beach Resort, a Hilton Hotel, and more. Bundles include a dedicated entrance, re-entry access, and commemorative merch.
For tickets and the full list of amenities available in each ticket package, please visit DarkerWavesFest.com.