Celebrating Shambhala’s 25th Anniversary (DMNW Review)

This July we returned to beautiful British Columbia to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Shambhala Music Festival. Declared the best music festival in North America by DJ Mag in 2019, this family-run festival that started as a small gathering on a farm in Salmo, BC has become one of the biggest and longest-running electronic music festivals in Canada. From July 26th to 29th, we gathered with thousands of fellow ravers to enjoy the sights, sounds, smells, and sights of Shambhala.

Arrival

As the thousands of attendees began pouring in early in the week, we were excited to see old friends, make new ones, and prepare for a great weekend. As we traveled down the long dirt road leading to the farm, the hard-working staff quickly led us and hundreds of other cars to our camping spots and scanned passes promptly. While people settled into their new homes for the weekend, basic accommodations and information were readily available to help those in need.

Vendors

We entered the festival grounds to find a wide arrangement of new and returning food vendors. The fantastic cuisine of Shambhala wowed us as it does every year, with locally sourced food harvested from the farm itself, authentic international foods, and festival staples. There were also plenty of healthy alternatives to the usual burgers, pizza, and poutine, but all of it was both high quality and reasonably priced. Alongside the many eateries of Shambhala, a wide variety of merchandise vendors provided festival goers with every garment and accessory one could want with a cornucopia of trippy styles and unique fashions.

Credit: @focalessence

Pre-Party

By the time the first sets started on Thursday, three-quarters of ticket holders were already on the festival grounds, ready to hear their favorite artists play their favorite songs and premier some brand-new tunes at the AMP and Living Room Stages. We walked into the AMP stage to find some dynamic improvements that made the AMP even better. The Shambhala team had installed more wooden fencing along the exterior to allow more sound absorption and comfort for the audience, along with an even larger tent overhang and a new dirt ramp entrance carved into the back of the pit.

Credit: Michael-John Aprahamian

Stages

On Friday we got to see the full festival in action, with all of the stages open and endless adventures to be had. Each stage sounded incredible from every angle thanks to Shambhala’s trademark PK sound systems. The careful arrangement of speakers and natural sound barriers allowed little to no sound bleed between stages. We were rocked by the gargantuan subs and speakers of each stage and transported by the crystal-clear sound at each and every stage.

Stage Improvements

Besides the AMP stage, several others received some major makeovers for Shambhala’s silver jubilee. The Fractal Forest saw the biggest changes with an entirely new stage. The 360-degree design was replaced with a more practical forward-facing stage, keeping with the fractal style and design as well as providing extended standing room to accommodate a larger crowd. The Pagoda also received some massive upgrades: two huge screens were added to the sides of Shambhala’s biggest stage, along with some water features and additional observation towers. 

Credit: @focalessence

Artists

We saw dozens of sets over the four days of incredible music and meditation. Each performance on the lineup was as unique as they were entertaining.  The headliners for this festival could not have been more fitting for the occasion. Ganja White Knight blew us away with a jaw-dropping live performance that left us speechless at the talent and musical prowess of the dubstep duo. Excision put together a stunning performance that had audience members turning their heads as he ventured far outside his usual dubstep tracklists into nearly every genre of EDM.

For Shambhala’s 25th anniversary, we got two opportunities to see the electronic powerhouse known as Tipper perform. His daytime performance was the perfect soundtrack to bask in the sun and enjoy the riverside views with friends. For his headlining set on Sunday, he played a very different set with much more grit and energy. Both of Tippers sets were immensely impressive, and we were happy for the opportunity to see such rare performances. We also got the chance to see another unique set from two house superstars: Dr. Fresch and Destructo gave us one of the most memorable sets of the weekend, playing out songs new and old while expertly blending their projects for a perfect back-to-back set.

One artist brought us a special experience for one of his two hour-long time slots. LSDream took us into a guided meditation and sound bath for his daytime set titled “Lightcode.” This experience was a great way to step away from the usual fun and frolicking of the festival to center our intentions, reflect on ourselves, and for some of us, take a short nap. We walked away from the experience feeling refreshed, recentered, and thankful for LSDreams kind words and care. Some honorable mentions for us were Fungineers, Secret Recipe, and Mythm for being especially unique and bringing a special style and sound that had us dancing for their entire set.

Credit: Michael-John Aprahamian

Secret Stages

For those of us who went searching for the farm’s hidden gems, we saw some intimate performances at the Secret Garden and the new Rabbit Hole stage. Although these two stages were the smallest, they still had fully equipped sound systems, lighting, and ample room for audiences. On Thursday’s pre-party the Rabbit Hole was packed from front to back as an unknown lineup of artists played arrangements of chill tunes and energetic beats. As the weekend progressed, more and more people went in search of the Secret Garden, traveling through the many art installations and seldom-seen secrets of the farm. These stages never failed to provide a unique and enjoyable experience as well as a great place to discover new and upcoming artists.

Weather

The weather from day zero was perfectly temperate with warm sunny days with optimal cloud cover and cool windless nights. The lack of rain and scorching heat made it just that much easier to enjoy our favorite acts and activities from dawn to dusk and from dusk to dawn. During each day thousands of Shambhala attendees cooled off in the Salmo River while jamming to the sounds of the Living Room stage while some brought their own sound systems and DJ setups. As night fell many people changed into warmer clothing however temperatures allowed for comfort with nearly any apparel.

Overall Shambhala’s 25th anniversary was flawless. The staff, security, and medical professionals were quick to help anyone with any need big or small. The vendors were efficient and friendly, keeping the masses fed and clothed in the best food and fashions. The artist lineup was spectacular and had an even distribution of talent through all of the stages with minimal conflicts. The stages were the best we have ever seen them, with upgrades, remodels, and improvements throughout. We thank the Shambhala team for their successful efforts in making this year the best one yet, and cannot wait to return next year.