Exploring the Wild, Wonderful World of Shambhala Music Festival

Shambhala Music Festival continued to hold a secret pocket of magic and music that feeds the soul during its 24th edition.

There were small pockets of peace found throughout the weekend of the Shambhala Music Festival, set in the forest of Salmo River Ranch in British Columbia, Canada. For five days, attendees got lost in the music until they found themselves at the end of the journey. From all angles, you could see friendships forming, new music gracing the stages, and lasers filling the starry skies. Whether you’re hunting for the perfect techno set or want to soak in the summer vacation sun, there is a place for everyone at Shambhala.

With the party starting as early as Tuesday, attendees reached the grounds with high hopes for what was to come. Arriving early seems to be the big move for Shambhala. It allows the best time to get a feel of the grounds and set up the ultimate campground.

There were various campsites to choose from based on your price tier. Sunshine got the main back area for tent and car camping, farthest from the festival entrance. Starlight was RV camping, Metta was tent-only with tree-lined areas, and the Shambhalodging provided riverside camping with RV options. There were upgraded glamping options as well, which provided the closest access to the festival grounds.

The entrance into the festival itself is a notoriously long haul, with wait times of ten hours (and sometimes more) for eager campers.

VIP and camper vans get to skip the line, but the wait can sometimes be brutal for them as well. This year seemed to be a doozy, with a sold-out weekend and overcrowding issues resulting in longer wait times. Logistically, the area where cars are searched and separated into their designated campgrounds became a bottleneck. There was one big search point with rigorous screens, and this year the card machines shut down at some point, causing the traffic jam.

It looked like veterans of the scene came prepared with snacks, shade structures, and set playlists for the line party. For those planning to go: Make sure to bring extra jumper cables in case you or a friend run into car trouble!

Photo Credit: DIVISUALS

When Thursday morning hit, it seemed that the volunteers got off to a rocky start.

The first round of showers had broken, and limited staff presence caused a delay in getting them up and running for the first few hours. The lack of water stations and distant Porta Potties seemed to be a recurring problem through the weekend for those also camped in Sunshine and farther-out areas. That being said, the Porta Potties seemed to be kept clean throughout the whole weekend. Some were a trip in themselves, decked out in string lights, cartoons, and all sorts of art plastered on the walls. They are also permanent on the grounds, so you can take your time reading all the silly messages left on the door over the past few years.

One redeeming quality of the festival’s logistics was the routine misting of the premises, which kept all the dust at bay. Despite the ground getting muddy from time to time — especially at some stages — it was a godsend to go to a festival where I didn’t need to wear my bandana more than half the time to protect from all the dust kicked up.

There was also an active medical presence around the grounds, and safe spaces were provided not only for all attendees but also ones for marginalized groups to receive resources and feel comforted. Their central presence in the festival made me feel safer than some festivals I’ve attended in the US, which lack sanctuaries for attendees overwhelmed by an experience without needing medical attention.

Photo Credit: DIVISUALS

As a first-timer for Shambhala, I was interested in learning and experiencing a rave culture different from the type I’m used to in the US.

At first glance, the community of Shambhala itself drew an extremely kind and calm crowd. I barely experienced guests around me expressing anger or frustration, even during occasional logistical errors. Almost everyone was open and willing to spark a conversation. Many came with a funny story about previous years or a gift to pass on.

Something that comforted me was the focus on self-expression and not image. Everyone was dressed to the nines in a weird way that didn’t emphasize what brand they were wearing or whether they fit the theme. I saw people dressed as full-on Teletubbies and many gorgeous fairies prancing the garden, amongst others in jeans and sandals. It was a free-for-all of personal freedom!

One of the most interesting aspects of Shambhala is its emphasis on being a dry festival.

No alcohol is allowed or sold on the premises. Coming from events where alcohol brands are usually the sponsor and bars are placed throughout the grounds, it was surprisingly a bit of a culture shock — but in the best way possible. It was comforting to be in a crowd of people who weren’t losing control of themselves and were arguably more present in the moment.

Shambhala also boasted one of the biggest presences of drug testing and harm reduction I’ve ever seen at a festival, with a giant drug testing and education booth in the center of the grounds. They gave out pamphlets that covered all sorts of information, from how to party and partake safely to matters of consent in dance music culture. This environment made the crowds way more enjoyable and made me feel a lot safer exploring by myself.

Photo Credit: DIVISUALS

The setup of the stages set the bar high, with their production on another level from any transformational festival I’ve attended.

What left me stunned was the level of sound design and production put into the stages. Each had its own camp with a fully decked-out sound system that encompassed the entire circumference of the stage. The way the festival was set up gave each one its own little pocket encircled by speakers, preventing any major sound bleeding to other stages. This helped each environment curate its own completely unique experience without one affecting the other. A great deal of architectural craftsmanship also went into the stage designs. Each had its own curated theme and vibe to match the music.

Grand opening sets kicked off the weekend on Thursday with smith., Jon Casey, and Canabliss starting everything off strong on the AMP stage with fresh bass tunes to christen the PK Sound system.

We basically lived at the Village stage on Friday, enjoying rich grooves during the annual Stylust takeover. Gigantic NGHTMRE kicked off their debut set hot with brand new tracks and fire remixes to show the crowd. K+Lab and Stickybuds brought a funky, wonky welcome to the Fractal Forest with 360-degree visuals to match. We ended the night back at the Village, where drum and bass favorites Goddard. and Vibe Chemistry played a whopping selection of goodness.

On Saturday, most attendees spent their day cooling off in the river and jamming out at the Living Room stage. This waterside area had a unique setup thanks to its cozy feel and lamp decorations. The AMP was lit up with anticipated sets from Curra, Visages, Alix Perez, IMANU, and Mr. Carmack. John Summit and Testpilot‘s house and techno grooves brought an electric crowd to the massive Pagoda stage.

While I was most excited for GRiZ, it seemed the Fractal Forest stage could not handle the massive crowd he brought.

I couldn’t even squeeze in for a minute to catch a song when GRiZ was on stage. Luckily, a surprise set from Ivy Lab at the woodsy, owl-themed Grove stage brought the vibe back up, as well as an upbeat dance jam from ASH HALO and a gorgeous sunrise set from Of The Trees. There was even a massive owl’s nest platform with a birds-eye view of the stage!

Sunday brought the heat down but kept the vibes going. While I anticipated sets from Shiba San and Seth Troxler b2b Skream, I found myself absolutely captivated by the production value of the Pagoda stage. Wreckno played out some brand-new tunes and set the night off with a bang before Of The Trees effortlessly mixed new tunes of his own. To really showcase the power of the Pagoda’s visuals and sound quality, Zeds Dead played an eclectic set that brought many forms of dance music to new heights.

Photo Credit: DIVISUALS

What really took the cake for me as the most memorable moment was when the sun came up Monday morning.

My phone died halfway through Sunday night. It didn’t bother me — in fact, it allowed me to be in tune with my surroundings. I found all sorts of easter eggs hidden on the grounds, including a wedding chapel, two secret stages (one of which included a garden), a late-night chess tournament, and many fairy houses scattered about with little gifts for whoever finds them. And no Shambhala could be complete without a funky visit to the Frick Frack Black Jack booth, where people traded treasures for even better ones.

The highlight of my night was finding the notorious rubber chicken slide. It took all weekend to find it, but doing so made the mission worthwhile! The number of easter eggs and hidden gifts left to help attendees create memories and inside jokes made Shambhala an experience outside of the music, whisking revelers into a different world with a sense of magic and curiosity.

Monday morning allowed me to discover new music, as I usually am not a sunrise-set kind of person.

I stumbled upon sets like Wes Please at the Fractal, a hypnotic set from Tomahawk Bang & Notorious Cree at the Living Room, and some gorgeous melodic techno from Rohne at the Grove. But what set my morning off was a surprise throwback set from Skream at the AMP stage — which went on for more than four hours! I didn’t even realize how much time had passed until the sun started beating down on the crowd. I was dancing too hard to the classics!

Photo Credit: Kiet Le

Although Shambhala is light years ahead of most experience-wise, some logistical issues could be solved in future editions to elevate everyone’s time at the festival.

The lack of volunteer presence slowed down things like credit card machines, showers, and unmarked water station fill-ups—Ditto for the farther-out campgrounds, which were almost a 20-minute walk to and from the festival. There was also only one real ice station, making the trek back with multiple bags a mission in itself.

I was nonetheless impressed with the wide variety of food vendor options — the donut truck, multiple coffee shops, and Dole whip station deserve honorable mentions. The positive attitude from the staff and security generally kept the good vibes high despite the aforementioned issues.

Shambhala Music Festival is more than just a weekend of good music. It’s a chance for attendees to be open and vulnerable in their ability to connect with others and to live in the present moment.

Leaving the grounds Monday, I felt like I had been able to both recharge and learn new things about myself. Although it may seem like one big party, each Shambhala attendee respects and upholds a special element of community and an understanding of personal space. Not once did I feel creeped out, uncomfortable, or unwelcome. I also respected the festival’s cleanness, showing the volunteers’ passion for keeping the earth and river clean.

Whether it’s a gift hiding in a hole, the wish you make on the Wishing Tree, or a hug from a stranger-turned-friend, so many little things make up the vibration that lights the ranch up with love. Festivals in the US should look to Shambhala as a source of inspiration, even though the experience may be one of a kind.

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