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
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.