About us
40 friends, a fireplace,and a pair of speakers.
That was the plan in 2014, and nobody was trying to start a festival. 12 years later it's 2,500 people over one weekend in downtown Kelowna. Still a house party, technically. Just the biggest one in Canada.
2014
The living room
A seventies A frame on the lake, a couple of speakers in the living room, a fire going, and about 40 friends squeezed in wherever they fit.
Winter in the Okanagan gets quiet. It's cold, it's dark by 5, and there isn't much going on. So we threw something to go to.
Nobody called it a festival. It was just the best night of the winter.
2015 to 2017
Out of the house
Pretty quickly the living room stopped fitting everyone. We moved into real rooms with brick walls and proper PAs, and somehow it still felt like the house. People stood shoulder to shoulder and the bands played close enough to touch.
Somewhere in there it stopped being our party and turned into something Kelowna put in the calendar.
2018 to 2020
Fireside Sessions
Then the weekend spread out. Acoustic sessions in the daytime, hip hop at Dunnenzies, a full night at BNA Brewing Co. In 2020 we ran 3 venues over 3 days, which is still the most we've ever tried to pull off at once.
Then covid. 2021 and 2022 never happened, and they were 2 very long, very quiet winters.
2023 to 2025
Back, and bigger
Red Bird and BNA, 3 days, 40 artists a year. Lex Leosis, Smalltown DJs, Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Moontricks. By the 10th annual in 2025 The Funk Hunters, Haviah Mighty and Whipped Cream were on the bill, and the room was full both nights.
That's about when we stopped hoping people would show up and started figuring out where to put them.
2026
Back to the house party
In 2026 everything moved back under one roof at BNA. The Wardrobe got its own stage and 1,400 people came through over 2 days for Miley Serious, The Free Label, The Sponges and Rumpus. There were flash tattoos in the back room and a wall made of mirrored discs, and we decorated the whole building by hand.
Of all the years since, it felt the most like that first living room.
Now
Year 12,February 26 and 27, 2027.
Friday is the kick off. Bass, house and UKG on the main stage and in The Wardrobe, with live art going up around you while you dance.
Saturday goes all day. Doors open in the afternoon and the music runs until close, so pace yourself.
- Since 201412 years, 2 of them lost to the pandemic
- 2 stagesMain stage and The Wardrobe
- 40+ artistsKelowna, Vancouver and beyond
- 55+ crewIn house team, local volunteers
Still the best weekend of the winter.