Shambhala Music Festival Proves Smaller Is Better

Shambhala is the namesake of a mythical kingdom hidden within inner Asia, known as the Buddhist pure land, whose reality is as visionary and spiritual as it is physical. It’s this ideal that serves as inspiration for the annual Shambhala Music Festival of Salmo River Valley, British Columbia. Since its inception in 1998, the festival has cultivated an organic following to achieve global notoriety, and now enjoys a spot as one of North America’s most respected festivals.

In less than 28 days, over 10,000 music lovers will once again make the pilgrimage to the 500 acre Salmo River Ranch for a weekend of insurmountable beauty. Though this number pales in comparison to the 400,000 attendees of Ultra Music Festival or Electric Daisy Carnival, the relative size of the festival offers an unprecedented focus on the quality of the experience. Instead of succumbing to hordes of sponsors, Shambhala continues to deny any corporate involvement, staying true to its roots as a family-run event. The event’s organizers entrust its volunteers with maintaining its integrity, allowing them the opportunity to shape the festival according to their vision.

2015 marks the 18th anniversary of Shambhala, and its gearing up to be a monumental edition. The festival has consistently produced some of the most awe-inducing lineups in the world, and this year boasts one of Shambhala’s biggest rosters to date. AC Slater, Pretty Lights, Bonobo, Camo & Krooked, Skrillex and Big Gigantic are just a few of the massive acts that will be making an appearance at this year’s festival. The folks behind Shambhala have even scheduled a mystery headliner, leaving us frothing at the mouth in speculation.

All the action of Shambhala is dispersed amongst its 6 stages: The Living Room, AMP (AMPhitheater), The Fractal Forest, The Grove, Nebula, and The Pagoda which serves as the festival’s main stage. Each one centers around a different theme, all comprised of only the best of vibes. The Pagoda in particular continues to garner serious attention, this year playing host to a Dirtybird takeover. Claude Von Stroke’s iconic label will take the wheel on Friday of the event, featuring performances by Kill Frenzy, Justin Martin, Thomas Jack, J. Phlip, and many, many more.

Although now completely sold-out online, tickets are still available through Shambhala Music Festival’s official ticket outlets. Stay tuned for further updates as the magical date approaches.