Popular Vancouver Island festival Rifflandia pulls the plug after 18 years

Ra Ra Riot performs on the main stage at the Rifflandia Festival at Royal Athletic Park in Victoria on Sept. 23, 2011. Photo by DARREN STONE /TIMES COLONIST

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After nearly two decades of bringing the biggest names in contemporary pop to Vancouver Island, Victoria’s Rifflandia is the latest B.C. music festival to shutter operations.

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Citing the challenges of rising production costs, mounting such an event in a smaller market and the shifting tastes of consumers, organizers concluded that it is no longer possible to sustain the event at the level and quality audiences expect.

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“We are incredibly proud of what the festival became and deeply grateful to everyone who helped make it possible,” said Nick Blasko, president and CEO. “Artists, fans, volunteers, sponsors, vendors, partners, crew members, and incredibly dedicated staff have all played a role in building something truly special over nearly two decades.”

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In recent years, the festival attracted 8,000 fans annually to see groups including De La Soul, Arkells and Julian Casablancas + The Voidz.

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Victoria Times Colonist reporter Mike Devlin reported that access to $90,000 in funding from a 2026 provincial tourism, arts, culture and sports grant, Rifflandia Festival wasn’t enough to produce an event in keeping with past offerings. The article noted that the event had never been profitable.

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Rifflandia CEO Nick Blasko. PNG

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Noting that ticket sales didn’t generate adequate revenue to produce the event in today’s challenging entertainment economy without requiring significant compromises, organizers felt the time had come to end Rifflandia and explore other opportunities. The Rifflandia Foundation continues operations as an independent non-profit.

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“One of Rifflandia Festival’s greatest legacies has been inspiring creativity and community,” said Blasko. “As this chapter comes to a close, we look forward to seeing a new generation of creators, promoters, artists, and community builders who will shape the next chapter of live music and culture in Victoria.”

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Rifflandia’s entertainment company maintains a busy roster of projects in Canada and elsewhere. Some of the firm’s star attractions include Beyond the Streets, the world’s premier large-scale exhibition and cultural movement dedicated to graffiti, street art, and counterculture, currently on display in Paris, as well as Victoria’s Canada Day celebrations and the annual Unbreakable concert and fundraising event at Massey Hall supporting the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.

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The company’s other initiatives include W’Hoop It Up, the annual training camp and exhibition game for the senior women’s national basketball team, the Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience Vancouver, and executive producing films with Brookstreet Pictures, including the BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Academy Award-winning film The Brutalist.