Festivals
Republic Live Opens Submissions For 2025’s Edition Of The Boots And Hearts Emerging Artist Showcase
Republic Live, producers of the internationally acclaimed and multi-award-winning Boots and Hearts Music Festival, are proud to announce the return of their Canada-wide talent search: the Boots and Hearts Emerging Artist Showcase (EAS), held at Burl’s Creek Event Grounds.
Beginning today, unsigned Canadian artists are invited to apply for a chance to win a $10,000 cash prize, a single release with Universal Music Canada, artist development sessions with RLive Management, a J-45 Special Gibson Guitar, a VIP tour of the Gibson Garage in Nashville, and a performance slot at the 2026 Boots and Hearts Festival. Additionally, the remaining seven artists will each receive a complimentary one-year STRUT VIP membership—an exclusive annual program designed to equip emerging artists with the tools, support, and industry access needed to fast-track their careers.
For full details and to apply, visit: www.bootsandhearts.com/emergingartistshowcase.
For over a decade, Republic Live and the Emerging Artist Showcase have championed rising Canadian country talent, providing artists with a high-impact platform to perform in front of one of the genre’s largest festival audiences and alongside top-tier industry names at Burl’s Creek.
“The Emerging Artist Showcase continues to be a cornerstone of our commitment to supporting homegrown Canadian talent. We are incredibly proud to offer a platform that helps launch the next generation of artists,” says Kate Howse, RLive Artist Manager. “Championing and investing in Canadian music has always been at the heart of what we do at Republic Live, and we’re excited to continue discovering and elevating the country’s brightest new voices.”
Past EAS winners and finalists have gone on to dominate the charts, break streaming records, and earn some of the industry’s highest honours, including multiple CCMA wins and nominations. The program has helped launch the careers of artists such as Canadian Country Music Award winner and Saturday night’s Front Porch Stage Headliner (8/9) Owen Riegling (2022), Josh Ross (2017), James Barker Band (2015), Tim Hicks (2012), and 2024 EAS winner Sarah Vanderzon—who will perform at this year’s Kick-Off Party (8/7) alongside Tyler Joe Miller and headliner Justin Moore.
“I’ve been working on my art for years, hoping for that breakthrough moment. That’s exactly what EAS was for me – it was the launchpad to my career,” says reigning EAS winner Sarah Vanderzon.
“It was one of the coolest experiences of my career, and still is,” says Owen Riegling. “Getting the chance to play the big stage and be surrounded by so many amazing artists was just a dream come true.”
Shantaia, 2023 EAS winner, adds, “It was one of the most unique and incredible experiences I’ve ever had—something I’ll never forget.”
For more information on festival artists, tickets, RV and tent camping, and parking, visit: www.bootsandhearts.com
Festivals
Governors Ball 2026 Release Daily Schedules
The set times are in. Governors Ball Music Festival just dropped its daily schedules for June 5–7, and the usual game begins: mapping your day, picking your battles, and accepting you can’t see everything.
Friday, June 5
Day one leans indie-pop into rap by night. Lorde closes the main stage at 8:30, opposite the tail end of Baby Keem(7:30–8:30). That’s your first big call: polished pop spectacle or Keem’s high-energy set.
Earlier, things get messy in a good way. KATSEYE (6:35–7:30) overlaps with Pierce the Veil (5:30–6:30) bleed, and The Beths (6:00–7:00) sit right in between. Indie fans will feel that pinch.
Midday conflicts are lighter, but The Dare (4:00–4:45) vs. Arcy Drive (3:30–4:15) creates a small fork in the road.
If you’re pacing yourself, the cleanest run is late afternoon into Mariah the Scientist (4:45–5:30), then pick your lane.
Saturday, June 6
Saturday is the most chaotic on paper. Stray Kids headline at 8:30, directly after Kali Uchis (7:30–8:30). That transition is smooth if you stay put.
The real trouble hits earlier. Major Lazer (6:30–7:30) collides with Blood Orange (5:30–6:30) and the start of Amyl and the Sniffers (7:30–8:30). Dancehall vs. alt-R&B vs. punk. Pick a mood and commit.
Mid-card is stacked with clashes: Ravyn Lenae (4:00–4:45) overlaps with Jane Remover (3:30–4:15), and Snow Strippers (4:45–5:30) runs right into Wet Leg (4:45–5:30). That last one is a true coin flip, two buzzy acts at the exact same time.
Sunday, June 7
Sunday might be the strongest day top to bottom. A$AP Rocky closes at 8:45, opposite the end of JENNIE (7:45–8:45) and Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist (7:45–8:45). That’s the toughest final hour of the weekend.
The lead-up is just as tight. Dominic Fike (6:45–7:45) overlaps with Clipse (5:45–6:45) and Hot Mulligan (6:15–7:15). Three different crowds, same window.
Earlier, Japanese Breakfast (4:00–4:45) and Holly Humberstone (3:15–4:00) form a nice back-to-back if you stay mobile, but Between Friends (2:30–3:15) cuts into that flow.
The takeaway
Friday is manageable. Saturday is conflict-heavy. Sunday is stacked late.
If you hate missing songs, plan short splits. If you want full sets, accept you’ll miss something big. That’s part of the deal, and honestly, half the fun.
Festivals
PNE Summer Night Concerts Announce 2026 Lineup
Vancouver’s summer concert calendar is locking into place. The annual Summer Night Concerts are set to return to the Pacific National Exhibition from August 22 through September 7, bringing live music back to one of the city’s biggest seasonal events.
This year carries a bit more weight than usual. The series will debut at the brand-new Freedom Mobile Arch, a 10,000-seat outdoor amphitheatre built for large-scale performances. The venue promises better sightlines, improved sound, and a more immersive setup for fans. It’s a major shift for the fair, which spent much of last year dealing with construction that limited its footprint and contributed to a drop in attendance.
Now, with the full site back in action, organizers are aiming for a reset. The 2026 lineup leans into that idea, mixing legacy acts with newer names across genres like rock, pop, hip-hop, and electronic.
Headliners include Blue Rodeo, The Guess Who, The Beaches, Nelly, and Zedd, alongside artists like Mt. Joy, Train, and Barenaked Ladies. Special performances include Cynthia Erivo backed by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, as well as appearances from Punjabi Virsa, Weird Al Yankovic, Earth, Wind & Fire, Pierce the Veil, Sarah McLachlan, and Boy George & Culture Club.
The full schedule runs nightly:
- Aug. 22: Blue Rodeo
- Aug. 23: The Guess Who
- Aug. 25: The Beaches
- Aug. 26: Nelly
- Aug. 27: Zedd
- Aug. 28: Mt. Joy
- Aug. 29: Cynthia Erivo with VSO
- Aug. 30: Punjabi Virsa
- Sept. 1: Train
- Sept. 2: Barenaked Ladies
- Sept. 3: Weird Al Yankovic
- Sept. 4: Earth, Wind & Fire
- Sept. 5: Pierce the Veil
- Sept. 6: Sarah McLachlan
- Sept. 7: Boy George & Culture Club
Tickets start at $49 plus fees and include admission to the PNE Fair. Presale began April 19, with general on-sale launching April 20 through TicketLeader.
New venue, full fairgrounds, and a lineup that leans both nostalgic and current. After a quieter year, the PNE looks ready to feel busy again.