Shambhala Music Festival given 'green light' to proceed with planning

Image Credit: FACEBOOK/ Shambhala Music Festival

April 13, 2020 - 4:00 PM

Shambhala Music Festival organizers say the show will go on, until they hear otherwise, knowing the COVID-19 pandemic will be part of their plans.

“On the advice of the public health authorities, we continue to actively monitor the developing situation and cautiously prepare our festival operations for the summer — however, we are aware that the future and aftershocks of the COVID-19 pandemic are unknown at this time. Shambhala Music Festival has been working directly with the relevant government authorities to ensure that as we proceed towards July, we do so in the safest way possible,” festival organizers said in a Facebook post.

The event is currently scheduled for the July 24 to 27 weekend.

Although the event currently has a "green light," if the pandemic situation escalates and the festival is postponed, all ticket and lodging purchases will be valid for a future date and redeemable at any time in the next three years, according to the post.

This year’s lineup includes popular electronic acts: BTSM, Bob Moses, Claptone, DJ Premier, Ekali and more with more than 200 artists performing on the festival’s six stages.

The music festival has been ongoing for more than 20 years, born from a Labour Day weekend in 1998 when some 500 people wanted to showcase local art and music at the Salmo River Ranch, according to the festival website.

READ MORE: Lineup announced for Shambhala Music Festival

"By 2010, 15,000 guests, artists and crew were coming to dance and be free in the wilds of interior British Columbia,” the website said. The festival also features an artisan market, with hand-crafted goods from more than 50 vendors.

For more COVID-19 updates, visit the festival’s website.

-This story was changed April 14 to reflect that the event is planning to go on, only if conditions are right, given COVID-19

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