Take a trip down memory lane at this year's magical Shambhala Music Festival [Festival Recap]

Every year thousands and thousands of attendees look forward to making their way down to the way to “the farm” also referred to as Salmo River Ranch in beautiful British Columbia. Attending Shambhala Music Festival 2022 in full action, this year was truly magical as the music community finally re-united to create memories that will undeniably last a lifetime. An iconic festival that has been recognized globally not only for the wide array of artists attending but for the life-changing experiences Shambhala Music Festival has to offer.

Positivity, acceptance, and freedom. These three words immediately come to mind when thinking of Shambhala Music Festival. Originating in 1998 and becoming one of the most recognized electronic music festivals in North America and beyond, the highly-anticipated festival has always been the highlight of the summer to many as attendees make their way down to their second home. A breathtaking experience indeed right from the very beginning, the festival offers six performance stages which are all individually curated known as The Living Room, AMP (AMPhitheater), The Fractal Forest, The Village, The Grove, and The Pagoda. A recent discovery this year was the bumping music and DJ lineup by the Muscle Beach entry point which was truly spectacular as attendees could enjoy the beautiful river while vibing out to those bass-infused beats playing. Upon entering the festival grounds and being happily greeted by the wonderful festival staff, the festival radiates positivity and there is no place comparable to truly be yourself for the week. Allowing attendees to arrive early on the campgrounds, Shambhala Music Festival offers early entry starting from Tuesday at 6:00 AM onwards and it is definitely a good idea if you are looking to take in all the festival has to offer. Officially taking place this year from July 22-25, the stellar lineup included world-class artists such as What So Not, Grandtheft, Chris Lake, Chris Lorenzo, Cordae, CloZee, DEATHPACT, Subtronics, SLANDER, Dr. Fresch, Boogie T, The Librarian and even a surprise set from the dubstep king known as Excision to officially welcome in a brand new Village stage which was absolutely epic. With a stacked lineup indeed starting from the early afternoon and past the sunrise, Shambhala Music Festival 2022 was definitely one for the books, and be sure to experience more of the magic below.

An unforgettable journey of exploration deep in the forest of Salmo River Ranch, as one enters the campgrounds you are immediately welcomed into a new family united through music and radiating positivity. When neighbors become some of your best friends, you can immediately tell the vibe is about to be one of a kind. As the festival offers a chance for attendees to explore several workshops including dance classes, yoga sessions, body painting, and more, there are actually endless amounts of activities attendees have the chance to partake in. One of my absolute favourite memories of Shambhala every year is taking a swim in the lovely river and cooling off from the sun as those majestic beats play in the background alongside all of your “farmily” attendees vibing out all day long. With a long list of experiences to mention, Shambhala also has a wide array of local shops for clothing, handmade jewelry, official merchandise, and more. Not to mention the delicious food and drinks one has to offer down there including their famous lemonade, burgers, pasta, and much more which feature Salmo River Ranch-raised beef and pork, as well as the highest-quality fruit and veggies which are also grown on-site.

Moving into the majestic stages which all craft a unique vibe and aura individually, a few highlights from Friday definitely would start from Nostalgix, Cloonee, Chris Lake, and Chris Lorenzo all throwing it down at the Pagoda Stage non-stop for all those house music lovers. The Village stage was absolutely destructive as Excision threw down a legendary surprise set as well as top-notch artists such as Virtual Riot, Dion Timmer, and many more. The AMP also welcomed Off The Trees and the legend Apashe for a monumental set indeed. Ending it off right at my absolute favourite stage known as The Fractal Forest where photos would never do justice to the live immersive experience it has to offer, Joseph Martin closed off the stage which was bumping until early Saturday morning. Saturday also brought on a highly stacked roster of artists including Truth and a wild extended set from Shlump and his friends in replacement of Mr. Carmack at The AMP, DJ Premier, and DJ Jazzy Jeff throwing it back to the classics at The Fractal Forest, Vinyl Richie at The Living Room, Justin Martin and Felix Cartal at The Pagoda and a superwave of drum and bass madness at The Village from Phibes, Delta Heavy, Downlink and more. With Sunday being the cherry on top of the already impressive roster, a few highlights included Cordae at The Grove, Corrupt (UK), and a special House Call Records Fam Jam at the Fractal Forest, DEATHPACT at The Pagoda, and SLANDER at The Village.

With a very special performance at The AMP from the one and only What So Not. The vibes were truly immaculate from start to finish. A fully engaged crowd indeed as the legend took the stage from 1:00 AM, What So Not blessed his fan base with both classics and hidden gems which can be expected to be released soon in his highly anticipated “Anomaly” album release. As those audio and visual elements completely immersed the crowd into a full-on experience alongside What So Not’s ever-evolving sound design, PK sound could not have sounded better during this monumental set. The crowd was energized, engaged, and ready to groove to the sonic soundscapes and captivating melodies rinsed by this talented artist. A set that many could not miss during this year’s festival, What So Not absolutely killed his performance in the best way possible and allowed the music to speak for itself. To keep you sane until What So Not’s album release, be sure to add his latest single “As One” to your summer playlist.

 

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Easily a highlight of this year and past Shambhala Music Festivals, Grandtheft has continued to craft an eclectic set for the masses which ranges from trap, house, bass and much more to keep you grooving on the dance floor no matter what time of the day it is. Dedicating his time to deliver a one-of-a-kind experience to Shambhala attendees joining him at the Pagoda, Grandtheft shares:

“Coming back to play here at Shambhala is the best because I often say it is my favourite festival. It’s just a unique vibe and people are here to vibe out and here for the music more than most festivals. Also, it is an independent festival and a lot of festivals these days are corporate and owned by the same people and companies. This one has a unique vibe because it is independent. I love coming here to play. I have been coming here for ten years now and this is my fourth time playing and it is exciting. Also, with the pandemic there’s been a big gap, and being able to come back out here I think it’s exciting for me and all the DJs playing. It is special this year for sure.”

A stellar set indeed to initiate the groove with house signatures at The Pagoda and not to mention a legendary trap history throwback as he rinsed all those hard-hitting classics to get those bandanas up in action, Grandtheft did not disappoint. Dropping more than one can handle, the legend flawlessly shifted levels from distorted sound and fast-paced momentum to ring off all the alarms in the energy department. With a 2:30 AM set, the energy could not be contained and you could tell this genre-defying artist really put all of his energy out there to deliver one of the best sets of the weekend.

“My favourite part about Shambhala, from a DJ standpoint I make an entirely different set for Shambhala. I am still working on it right now as we speak. I make a lot of edits just for this set and my last one in 2019 I felt was special and full of music I never usually get to play. I feel like you can go a bit deeper, and people are there to experience it in a different way here.”

Experiencing a high-energy and immersive set for the books, Grandtheft is only getting warmed up this year as he exclusively shares:

“I am always out there performing and all that. I have been in the studio like crazy and working on a bunch of stuff. Have some new Grandtheft music coming out! I just put out an album in November on Fools Gold. It is more rap and R&B vibes. I am super proud of that album. It is not all DJ bangers but some bump-in-the-car kind of music. Working on a lot of new Grandtheft music and a secret side project. A ton of records for that and fire one is out August 19th with more details to come.”

With a vibe and aura like no other, the festival speaks for itself and it is definitely not only about the music. It has so much more to offer. With Shambhala Music Festival already preparing for its 2023 edition, official dates and ticket sale information can be found here. Taking care of their “farmily” of attendees is just natural to the staff at Shambhala and let us tell you the experience is like no other. Stay tuned for more announcements from the festival and be sure to grab your tickets early once released.

Message us when you get home safe, okay? ?

Take care on our mountain roads, expect delays, and take breaks when you need to.

? @thejosephcapone pic.twitter.com/U83H5hkrsn

— Shambhala Music Festival (@shambhala_mf) July 26, 2022

Featured Photo Credits: Pulse Photography