10 Reasons You Don’t Want to Miss Next Year
In early August, music-lovers of all kinds were treated to 4 days of unbelievable live musical acts taking place on 5 different stages at the 6th annual Squamish Music Festival. Festival-goers had an absolute blast this year, enjoying the crowds, the food, and the atmosphere. Those who skipped the festival or weren’t able to make it may want to consider booking early so they don’t miss next year’s lineup. The following 10 reasons may provide some extra incentive to do so:
1. The 2015 Squamish Music Festival was a Record-Breaker
This year, an estimated 118,000 people showed up for one or more days of the festival, setting a record for the highest attended Squamish Music Festival so far!
2. The Food Options are Phenomenal
Sure, people attend the Squamish Music Festival for the music, but let’s not discount the importance of staying hydrated and fueled up on delicious eats! More than 80 vendors were present at the festival this year, serving up everything from crispy French fries and creamy French vanilla ice cream to ward off the heat of the day to the delicious pulled pork poutine offered by Jeffer’s Fryzz or the piping hot pizzas served by the Whistler Wood Fired Pizza Co.
3. There’s Never a “Boring Set” to Wait Through
There are 5 different stages at the festival, including the Tantalus Stage, Blueprint Arena, Sawamus Stage, Garibaldi Stage and the Perrier Greenhouse. With the huge variety of musical acts, often times several bands are playing at one time. Those who don’t care for the musical stylings of one particular band can drift over and check out the tunes of another. For instance, on Thursday night, while The River and The Road jammed out on the Stawamus stage from 6:35 until 7:25pm, Matt the Alien was making a splash at the Blueprint Arena stage from 7:00 to 8:30pm.
Saturday evening, while Drake played to an adoring audience from the Tantulus Stage between 9:45 and 11:00pm, LOVE TAPS and Flipout were playing the Perrier Greenhouse stage. On Sunday, The Grammy-nominated Alabama Shakes tore up the Tantalus stage between 8 and 9pm, while The Kills entertained thousands on the Stawamus stage during the same time. It’s the perfect environment to check out new music and enjoy some favorites; there’s something for everyone.
4. Fans Can Pay to See Only the Band They Really Love
While many people show up to see as many musical acts as they can, to some, there are only one or two bands they really, really want to see. Those people don’t have to pay for the entire weekend festival pass. They can purchase a single-day pass for the day their favorite band is performing.
5. VIP Tickets are Available to Those who Want to Spoil Themselves
Music lovers who are 19 years of age and older can have the complete VIP experience with VIP passes. They’re available as single-day VIP passes and weekend VIP passes, and offer a lot of special privileges. VIPs skip the line and go right into the festival through the VIP gate. They also enjoy raised viewing decks and social areas at the three largest stages, as well as having access to VIP bars and beverages, air-conditioned luxury washrooms, and crowd-free access to merchandise.
Those who really want to enjoy the festival in style and luxury can purchase the MUSICBOX and Timber Lounge package. The MUSICBOX is an exclusive (top of the line) VIP area located at the Tantalus Main Stage. It features private suites with the Timber Lounge, which is a unique viewing terrace adjacent to the main stage. These VIPs enjoy customized food and host bar beverage packages, daytime leisure sports, special entertainment with DJs during main stage set pauses, concierge services, a host of complimentary services including WiFi, air-conditioned luxury washrooms and more.
6. The Quality of the Acts is Top-Notch
Not only did this year’s events include superstars like Drake and Sam Smith, but there were a host of acts with dedicated cult followings, some indie bands, and newer musical acts as well. True music lovers enjoy being introduced to new bands, getting a chance to see some of their favorite underground artists, and seeing their favorite mainstream artists as well. This year, fans were ecstatic to see the main acts, but also truly enjoyed some of the opening acts as well. Mumford & Sons, The Alabama Shakes, George Ezra, Mother Mother, Of Monsters and Men, and Chance the Rapper really blew it out of the water.
Robert Delong truly impressed dedicated fans as well as those just being introduced to him as he did his entire set as a solo act. Songs from last year’s album, “Long Way Down” thrilled the audience, and the artist showed his talent by playing the keyboards, a tambourine, drum kits, and a joystick with MIDI interface all on his own. Alabama Shakes lead singer Brittany Howard was so beloved by the audience that she had to pause for a moment to answer a screaming fan before continuing to delight the audience with her music.
Homegrown bands also lit up the stages, including SonReal, Alvvays, and the Rural Alberta Advantage. A fan favorite was K-OS (a Juno Award winner), who played on the Stawamus stage. Some of the audience’s favorites played by K-OS were the classics “Crabbuckit” and “Man I Used to Be.”
7. Music-Lovers are Surrounded by Stunning Art while Jamming Out
Nothing goes better with music than art, and this year’s festival certainly accommodated the audience with a fair share of stunning and gorgeous art. brand.Live and Live Nation collaborated with local artist Drew Young to create an unbelievable artistic vibe throughout the entire festival site. This included large-scale murals, sculptural installations and more – all created by more than 40 talented artists, both locally and nationally known. An excellent example was the Poly Bear mascot recreated in a massive sculpture at the main gates.
Festival-goers also thoroughly enjoyed The Art Pavilion, which consisted of a 3-tier arts castle with constantly evolving art pieces. Some highlights included the 20 live-painted murals surrounding the structure, one of the world’s largest mechanized kaleidoscopes, the light and laser display for nighttime viewing and the 40-foot psychedelic interactive animation wall.
8. The Muscle and the First Responders Take Care of All Attendees
Any time a person goes to an event like this, with the potential to get a little rowdy, they want to be sure that they are safe. The Squamish Music Festival event organizers took precautions to ensure that everyone would enjoy the music safely, by hiring 820 security and medical staff personnel to be present at the festival for each day. These staff members ensure that no little argument gets out of hand, and that becoming “a little overheated” doesn’t turn into a full-blown medical emergency.
9. Other Caregivers Provide Various Types of Assistance
In addition to the medical and security staff, each day of the festival there were more than 500 volunteers who provided a range of services. These individuals passed out water to those who were looking a little parched, helped festival-goers carry camping equipment, and did their best to keep discarded trash off the ground and in the designated receptacles. More than 3,000 individuals apply to volunteer each year, helping keep the grounds cleaner and the people happier.
10. Bragging Rights
Of course, in addition to enjoying the outstanding music, the delicious food and the fun, those who attend the Squamish Music Festival have plenty of bragging rights. More than 1,800 photos were uploaded to Instagram this year, using the hashtag #SMVF2015, and almost 30,000 images were uploaded using the hashtag #SMVF.
This year’s festival was such a success that organizers have already announced that next year’s festival will take place between August 5th and 7th. Because of the record-breaking number of attendees this year, it’s a safe bet that next year’s festival could bring even larger headliners. Those who plan on attending should consider doing a little pre-festival preparation to minimize their wait times. For instance, during the first day of the music festival, attendees picking up SMVF packages at Will Call waited in massive lines (nearly 400 people were waiting in line at around noon on the first day, and there was a 3-hour wait).
Book hotel rooms early, reserve rental cars early, and plan to purchase Squamish Valley Music Festival tickets online with the ability to receive them via mail or print them out. This will help eager fans avoid the problem of hotel rooms being entirely booked for miles around, as well as those long lines.