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.
We’ve checked out The Village, The Grove, The Amp & The Living Room, and The Fractal Forest, and now we’re going in-depth with the artists performing at the main stage of the festival: The Pagoda. The site for countless memorable performances, including the likes of Pretty Lights, Zeds Dead, and a Dirtybird Records takeover just last year. Shambhala 2016 is full of similarly attractive artists, and even features another of our favorite labels making their presence felt at the festival. There’s a lot to see and a lot to do, at Shambhala, but nobody misses-out on The Pagoda.
The Pagoda
Friday
The first day of tunes at The Pagoda features a few of our favorite bookings of the festival, and provides plenty of conflicts on the loaded first day of Shambhala. The Pagoda opens for business at 3 p.m. on Friday, with Logan Hart, a house DJ from BC, and continues with Brazilian nu-disco artist Trotter from 4 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. After the stage has warmed up a bit, two Nelson-natives take control, as De Block performs from 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., and DJ Soup spins from 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Fan-favorite Nora en Pure shows-off her brand of Swiss Indie house tunes from 8 p.m. – 9 p.m., and we will be making sure to catch at least a portion of her set. She’ll be followed by Indie dance and house artist SNBRN, who’s performed at festivals around the world and will fit right in at The Pagoda.
From 10 p.m. – 12 a.m. The Pagoda will be manned by a familiar face in Justin Martin. The tech house superstar has performed at The Pagoda in 2013, 2014, and as part of the Dirtybird Takeover last year as well. We will never complain about too much Justin Martin, as the San Francisco-based artist is one of our Shambhala-favorites.
Two London-based acts take the stage after Martin, as one of the performances we’re most looking forward to kicks-off at midnight. AlunaGeorge, the renowned vocalist/producer combo that has produced hits we’ve all heard on the radio, and in sets from major artists around the world, will be a big draw when they take the stage from 12 a.m. – 1 a.m. They’re followed by Shambhala-returners and fan-favorites Gorgon City from 1 .m. – 2:30 a.m. Also London-based and a duo, Gorgon City are centered more around house music, and will be the perfect compliment following AlunaGeorge.
All of that great action builds up to one of our biggest ‘can’t miss’ sets of the festival: Boys Noize. A legendary artist who never fails to deliver, the German will be showcasing his blend of electro house, techno, and everything in-between from 2:30 a.m. – 4 a.m. Lots of great artists fit in at The Pagoda, but few fit the bill as well as Boys Noize, and his set is one that every attendee should make time for.
The stage will close out day one with Brimingham’s Chris Lorenzo’s combination of bass and house music guiding us through sunrise from 4 a.m. – 5:30 a.m. Then, Nelson-native Wallis finishes up the festivities with his set from 5:30 a.m. – 7 a.m.
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