Themed stages at a festival aren’t anything new, especially for a festival in its 19th iteration. But, there’s something to doing it better than the rest, and there’s no doubting the unique energy and atmosphere that surrounds the six stages at Shambhala Music Festival. Custom-built for The Farm, each of the stages at Shambhala bring something different to the festival, with the end-result being incredible experiences and memories for thousands.
Each year these stages are curated by talented people who pair the locale with some of the best talent in dance music. This year is no different, with dozens of fan-favorites making their way to Shambhala this summer. So, we decided to take a look at what exactly we’ll be in store for at The Farm this year, checking out the artists each stage will be hosting for the weekend. As is the case with most major festivals, but especially applying to Shambhala: there are no bad set choices. Each stage at Shambhala is filled with tons of great acts, all well worth our attendance.
We’ve previewed The Village, and now, we delve into The Grove. A stage every attendee should make sure to make time for, sets at The Grove are capable of an atmosphere that can’t be duplicated. The incredible stage set-up, coupled with some of the best sound systems in the world, and a lineup full of quality artists, provides everything needed for an amazing time.
The Grove – Photo Credit: Joey Root
The Grove
The Grove is an incredible place to experience live music. One of the most intimate settings at Shambhala, the Grove always manages to create more than a few special moments. Liquid Stranger and JPOD The Beat Chef were two of our highlights of the entire festival last year, and we can’t wait for the memories we create at The Grove this year.
We’ll be able to begin our adventures at The Grove on Friday at 1 p.m., when the stage officially opens with a ceremony from Soul Fire Dance. Shauna Robertson, founder and director of Soul Fire Dance, has been bringing performance art to Shambhala since 2003, and the ceremonial prayers, dance and music production for the opening of the Grove stage is especially developed with consultation of local elders and ancestors.
The rest of day one at The Grove features highlights like the always-fascinating Russ Liquid Test at 4 p.m., and all-female DJ crew Meow Mix at 8 p.m., before one of our most anticipated 3-hour-blocks of the festival. At midnight, Aussie Hermitude takes the stage at The Grove and is followed by Troyboi, who will be performing the first of two sets at Shambhala this year at 1:30 a.m.
Saturday at The Grove opens up with the Lazy Syrup Orchestra 3:30 p.m., before we’re treated to a trio of fantastic performances 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. Vancouver’s Natural Alchemy will get things started at 6 p.m., and will be followed by Calgary’s Melo.Nade and Nelson-native Shiny Things. Later, we will undoubtedly be in attendance for Truth’s return to The Grove at 12:30 a.m., because bookings like this are exactly what Shambhala is all about. Truth is a Shambhala-regular who has worked with the best in bass music, and always comes up with something special for our favorite festival.
The final day of tunes at The Grove begins at 3 p.m., and features a few fan-favorites that will keep the groove going throughout day three. Portland’s Octabän will be performing at 5 p.m., before we get to enjoy Five Alarm Funk at 8 p.m., and JPOD The Beat Chef cooks up some melodic bass from B.C. at 9:30 p.m. Then, another of our can’t miss sets features Northwest-native Emancipator at 12:30 a.m. If you want to fit in as much time as possible, be aware that The Grove stage closes at 7 a.m. on Monday morning.
Let us know how excited you are for Shambhala and who you’re looking forward to seeing at The Grove this year! Comment below, on Facebook, or reply on Twitter!
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