The Rifflandia Music Festival has been a staple of the Victoria BC community since 2008! What started out as a handful of downtown venues, has now grown into a multi-weekend extravaganza with major artists and flat-out music legends, along with fantastic emerging artists that have climbed to fame since they first hit the Rifflandia stage.
My first Rifflandia experience was in 2012 and I was hooked instantly, attending every year since then! The atmosphere at Royal Athletic Park was pure fun! Two stages filling the air with music all day, a family friendly vibe, vendors and booths showcasing various businesses, and food trucks galore! At night, my wristband got me into venues scattered around downtown, each focusing on a different genre of music so there was something for everyone. I loved the feeling of walking down the street and hearing a beautiful song coming from a venue enticing me to go check it out. It was 4 days where live music was my whole world - anything happening in the real world would still be there when I got back to it.
Flash forward 4 years, and I was encouraged to apply for the volunteer photo crew. Thus launched my first website, created solely to submit a portfolio of photos I had built from various concerts I had been to. I was elated to find out I had been selected to join the team! Being on the photo crew brought a whole new level of fun to the Rifflandia experience! I met and was warmly welcomed by some incredibly talented photographers who have become part of my festival community and it’s always great to catch up in the pit!
Getting to be up close and capturing some incredible performances was a thrill, and the camera helped bring me out of my shell as people would stop to strike a pose and share their joy. I felt more a part of the festival vibe than I ever had before.
With nine Rifflandia’s under my belt in total, I love it more than ever. I’ve been able to see some of my favourite bands perform, some music legends, and have discovered countless amazing artists that I still follow!
Rifflandia 2023 was just a couple months ago and I’m already counting down to next year!
#SeptemberForever
