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Rifflandia's culture makes It magnetic
Victoria, BC Public Enemy's Chuck D said it best as Rifflandia's headlining act this past Saturday, "Culture is what brings us together as human beings."
This Victoria annual music fest, now in year 18, is setting the bar in how to leverage culture into an event for maximum impact. Within this community of Rifflandia are a whole bunch of funky people who make the festival one of a kind. Rifflandia is truly raising the festival game across Canada, bringing global influences into the stage set up and who is ultimately attracted to the event.
How about Mark Billey and Rheannon Brooks who biked from Prince Rupert, ferrying along BC's coastline to the northern tip of Vancouver Island, peddling to its southern tip and adding some serious adventure tourism to the Rifflandia scene.
Mark Billey and Rheannon Brooks at Rifflandia, after biking to the fest from Prince Rupert.
Or how about Penelope Greenwood who flew in from Winnipeg to join one of the hundreds who are Rifflandia volunteers.
Rifflandia's partnership manager, Morgan Sutherland worked the four-day event alongside the Fest's accessibility adviser, Daniel Ashworth, from his accessibility consulting firm Access in Excess.
I scored an accessibility tour along with colleagues from the BC Music Festival Collective to learn how Rifflandia ensures everyone who wants to come to this firecracker of a four-day fest was not just welcome, but seen and heard.
Rifflandia’s Morgan Sutherland and Access in Excess's Daniel Ashworth setting the bar for the Festival’s accessibility approach.
Chris Jones and his team of 30 people from across his Victoria-based hospitality company, putting out the awesome daily via the Rifflandia Supper Club.
Festival ticket buyers can upgrade their experience and pay one price for a one-and-a-half-hour feast that included 100 menu items over the weekend.
Chris Jones, “Jonesy”, your maître'd' for Rifflandia's super cool Supper Club
And of course, we can't forget about the entertainment: two stages, one comedy tent, serving up over 100 bands, DJs and comedians over this four-day, four-night entertainment epic.
The Dome Stage was home for those who wanted to get their groove on with acts including "Mood Swing and Chevy Bass" who almost blew the roof of this covered gigantic igloolike structure. Their set included the always entertaining guitar and vocals by Mark Woodyard, with Dizzy McEvoy on the keytar, paired with their blistering DJ set.
Mood Swing and Chevy Bass mixing live music with their blistering DJ set.
The legendary Funk Hunters took the main stage Friday with Chali 2na, opening for Public Enemy. Nick Middleton and Duncan Smith of the Funk Hunters are all about putting anyone's dance grooves into overtime with a set that left everyone in the audience grooving in full effect.
The Funk Hunters time on stage reminded us how much culture feels like home, especially when they unleashed their latest track on us—a skookum remake of Moontrick's "Home (The Funk Hunters Remix)".
Other musical highlights for me included:
Maribou State, with special guest Talulah Ruby who moves in hypnotic ways, paired with a voice of an angle and their solid beats.
The Victoria Symphony Orchestra gave me and the other 10,000 or so attendees a reminder on how soul charging the symphony can be, especially when they do something as special as a series of Daft Punk covers.
Thomas Anthony—put some more spring in your step punching up Thomas Anthony on your favorite streaming network for some get up go house music.
And they had been out of my rotation for a while, but Fort Knox 5’s set in the Dome on Saturday reminded me just how awesome they are.
Rifflandia’s constant state of evolution
The culture of Rifflandia is rooted in the constant upgrades the festival has made since its launch in 2008.
The festival is produced by Rifflandia Entertainment Company, based in Victoria but organizers are now putting on cultural/entertainment experiences around the world.
Started by Nick and Casey Blasco, the company offers event service management and special projects to a variety of festivals all over. The value for those in attendance to Victoria's Rifflandia means those global influencers make their way into the festival.
You wanna get married at a music Festival? Rifflandia has you covered.
Do you have special needs for assistance whether you are vision or mobility challenged? Rifflandia has you covered.
You wanna eat well and enjoy the best of BC on your plate? Rifflandia has you covered.
And some of the most important, if you want to sink your teeth into a culture celebrating live music and entertainment in all types of forms? Rifflandia certainly has you covered.
For my first Rifflandia in September of 2025, I was left grounded knowing that with all the crap going on around us in this world today, quality cultural experiences like this music festival affirms that the world is going to be AOK.
When you go
Tickets for the 2026 edition of Rifflandia will be available in spring 2026 and as included in their branding approach "It's September Forever."
Sign up to their socials or go to the bottom of their website for "Rifflandia Exclusive" e-news sign up and stay in the know.
I stayed at the Quality Inn Inner Harbour Victoria, which came with a great rate and was literally a two min walk to the water and 15-min stroll to the festival. The Quality offers a pool and the perfect courtyard where you meet a bunch of other Riffers who are pre-gaming for the big nights ahead.
Victoria is an easy commute from Vancouver with flights from around the world landing 20 mins out of town.
Did you make Rifflandia this year, or in past years? Join us on FestivalSeeker's Facebook page to check out the LIVE I did from the event and lay down your best pics and or your best clips.
And don't forget to enter that content or some of your best pics or video from other festivals and possibly score a $500 prize for your creative talents via our latest FestivalSeekers contest, linked here.
Rifflandia Festival is located on the traditional territories of the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations.
