Festivals
Rifflandia 2025 Lineup Packs a Punch With Public Enemy, Alessia Cara, Maribou State, NxWorries & More
Rifflandia is back for 2025, and it’s stretching its legs. The Victoria-based music festival just dropped a sprawling, genre-jumping lineup for this year’s edition, set to run September 11–14 at the Matullia Lands in Rock Bay.
This year’s bill has serious range: Alessia Cara, Public Enemy, Descendents, Sleater-Kinney, NxWorries (Anderson .Paak + Knxwledge), Charlotte Cardin, Walk Off The Earth, The Dead South, Maribou State, and TroyBoi are all confirmed. Not bad for a festival that’s still evolving its shape.
“If you look at some of the programming choices, we try to build these line-ups with a through-line so there’s something for every fan on every day, and that’s quite hard to do,” said Nick Blasko, CEO of Rifflandia Entertainment Co.
There’s a lot more where that came from: JP Saxe, William Prince, Macy Gray, Shakey Graves, The Funk Hunters with Chali 2na, and Whipped Cream are just a few more names on the loaded poster.
Rifflandia has been in reinvention mode for a while now. After going city-wide for years and bouncing between multiple venues, the fest switched things up in 2023 by centralizing at Matullia Lands. That format is sticking, but this time, they’re stretching it to four days, the longest it’s run since 2022.
This year, there’s no Phillips Backyard stage, but the new layout brings in extra stage setups at Matullia, bumping the total to five.
“That will be a really cool feature, I think,” Blasko said.
He’s also pumped about having a full extra day to play with. “We analyzed how things went last year, and given how much effort it took to set up the site and get it loaded in and ready to go, the opportunity is too great to not do it… The three days went too quick last year. And it’s an advantage when you’re programming to have four days to work with.”
The most out-of-left-field booking would probably be the Victoria Symphony performing Daft Punk. Not a remix. Not a DJ set. A full symphonic tribute to the legendary French duo. That one’s been on the wish list for a while.
“We’re thrilled to do something different and present different music under different contexts on our stage,” Blasko said.
Other standout moments to watch for: Public Enemy’s return to Victoria for the first time since 2010, and Sleater-Kinney’s first-ever local set. NxWorries, Maribou State, and Descendents also make their Victoria debuts. The latter keeps Rifflandia’s streak of hard-edged bookings alive, following recent appearances from Iggy Pop, Cro-Mags, Bikini Kill, and Suicidal Tendencies.
“Every year we try and do a little more punk and hardcore and offer something in that realm,” said Blasko. “It’s been really fun to include more of that this year.”
The lineup came together slowly, with some puzzle pieces still moving. “It’s not getting any easier, from a booking standpoint. You’ve got to be really strategic and purposeful with almost every slot. And stuff changes constantly,” he added.
Tickets go on sale Friday, May 9 at 8 a.m. via rifflandia.com.
Thursday, Sept. 11
- Maribou State
- TroyBoi
- The Victoria Symphony plays Daft Punk
- AHEE
- Mary Droppinz
- Mat The Alien
- Pigeon Hole
- Abstrakt Sonance
- Prayer Handz
- Dust Cwaine
Friday, Sept. 12
- Public Enemy
- Descendents
- The Funk Hunters feat. Chali 2na
- Shakey Graves
- Macy Gray
- WHIPPED CREAM
- Hollow Coves
- ProbCause (DJ Set)
- OMBIIGIZI
- Handsome Tiger
- Thomas Anthony
- Return Of The Jaded
- Canadian Beauty
Saturday, Sept. 13
- NxWorries (Anderson .Paak & Knxwledge)
- Sleater-Kinney
- The Dead South
- JP Saxe
- Billianne
- Phibes
- TVBOO
- Krafty Kuts
- Fort Knox Five
- Mood Swing & Chevy Bass
- Wyatt C. Louis
- Westwood In The Dome
- Control Room
- The Choirs YYJ does Radiohead
- Frog Eyes
- Stund
- Naturalist
- T3MPR
- S@M I @M b2b Steph Tsunami
Sunday, Sept. 13
- Alessia Cara
- Charlotte Cardin
- Walk Off The Earth
- William Prince
- Taiki Nulight
- Dirtwire
- Honeycomb
- Hoang
- Jake Vaadeland & The Sturgeon River Boys
- Cadence Weapon (DJ Set)
- The Choirs YYJ does Divas
- oncor
- GRIIMM
- DJ Boitano
- DJ Dabbler
Festivals
FIFA Fan Festival Vancouver – Kaytranada
The FIFA Fan Festival™ at the PNE closed out another memorable week on Sunday with the biggest match in world football and a fitting musical finale. Fans packed the site well before kickoff, creating a sea of jerseys, flags, and face paint as they gathered to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final between Spain and Argentina. Every big chance was met with gasps and cheers, and when Spain secured the victory, the celebrations spread across the festival grounds as supporters soaked in the final moments of a month-long tournament.
There was little time for the excitement to settle before the day’s entertainment shifted from football to live music. Montreal’s Kaytranada took over the Amphitheatre stage, giving fans one last reason to keep the energy going after the trophy presentation. Known for blending house, hip-hop, R&B, and electronic music into a sound that feels uniquely his own, Kaytranada delivered exactly the kind of set the festival needed to close the weekend.
With Spain crowned world champions and Kaytranada providing the soundtrack to the celebration, the FIFA Fan Festival wrapped up another successful day at the PNE. It was a reminder that throughout the tournament, football and music proved to be the perfect combination, bringing thousands of people together to celebrate on and off the pitch.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
KAYTRANADA
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer
Festivals
FIFA Fan Festival Vancouver – The Dead South, Jesse Roper, Colin James
The FIFA Fan Festival™ at the PNE Grounds delivered another full day of football and live music on Saturday, July 18, as fans packed the site to watch the FIFA World Cup third-place match before spending the afternoon discovering Canadian talent across the festival stages.
The day opened with one last piece of World Cup drama before the tournament finale. England defeated France in the third-place match, giving English supporters plenty to celebrate before the music began. Groups wearing England shirts could be spotted throughout the grounds after the final whistle, adding to the lively atmosphere that has become a daily feature of the Fan Festival.
Once the football wrapped up, the focus shifted to the Amphitheatre and Park Stage. Vancouver’s own Jesse Roper was among the first artists we caught, bringing his signature blues-rock sound to an enthusiastic crowd. His guitar work and easy stage presence made for a strong start to the afternoon, with plenty of fans gathering in front of the stage despite a full day of entertainment still ahead.
Over on the Park Stage, Canadian blues-rock legend Colin James reminded everyone why he has remained one of the country’s most respected performers for decades. His set mixed polished musicianship with plenty of groove, drawing listeners of all ages who appreciated every guitar solo and familiar chorus.
The Dead South closed out the day. The Saskatchewan quartet’s blend of bluegrass, folk and country proved to be a perfect fit for the outdoor setting. Fans sang along, clapped in time and danced throughout the performance.
With the World Cup final less than 24 hours away, there was already a sense that the tournament was nearing its conclusion. Even so, July 18 showed that the FIFA Fan Festival remained much more than a place to watch football. It continued to bring together sport, live music and community in a way that has made it one of Vancouver’s standout events of the summer.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
THE DEAD SOUTH
JESSE ROPER
COLIN JAMES
FANS
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer