20 Favorite Moments from Shambhala’s 20th Anniversary

Article by: Lauren DeGaine|@BettyandKora

Wed August 16, 2017 | 12:31 PM


In the year 1997, Shambhala Music Festival was just a big party in the tiny mountain town of Salmo, British Columbia. Twenty years later, Shambhala has evolved into an event that influences the electronic music festival industry worldwide. To mark this momentous occasion, Everfest and Betty and Kora present the 20 most majestic moments from Shambhala’s 20th Anniversary.

20. Arriving on the Farm

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Photo by: Bobby T Photography for Betty and Kora

That moment when you pull onto the dirt road leading to Salmo River Ranch, deep in the Kootenays, is undoubtedly one of the most exciting. Jimmy Bundschuh, who started the festival back in the 1990s, believes that the location is part of what makes Shambhala an industry leader. It’s a pilgrimage to reach the working farm that’s run by the Bundschuh family, but you are rewarded for your efforts with one of the most beautiful festival sites in North America.

19. The Surprise Tuesday Parking Lot Party

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Sometimes waiting to get into a festival can be a drag, but Shambhala took care of that with a special treat for the 20th Anniversary! The directors for each of Shambhala’s six stages performed for guests who had freshly arrived on the farm!

18. Setting Up Camp

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Your home base for the weekend can be a cozy place to take little breaks from the whirling carnival of the festival. Once you get your home away from home set up, you are ready to get your boogie on, and that is a great feeling.

17. LONGWALKSHORTDOCK’s Set at the Amphitheatre

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Longwalk is a Shambhala favorite. He always does something special for the crowd, and this year he tossed glowing light saber toys out onto the dance floor

16. Riverside Shenanigans

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The biggest daytime party is out on the gorgeous Salmo River.

15. Chill-Out Time in All the Cozy Spaces

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Whether it’s grabbing an organic whole-food Freezie from the Living Room’s snack shack and cuddling up in the Eno hammock pods, or grabbing a group of friends and kicking it in the aerial lounge in The Grove, Shambhala creates tons of chill spaces to spend the super hot afternoons and chilly evenings.

14. Enjoying the Epic Art and Stage Design

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The production level has evolved over the years to rival festivals across the world. Andrea Bell of Trend Prive recalls going to one of the first Shambhalas. “They had strung up these strands of orange and red christmas lights in The Portal [now the Grove], and I remember we walked through and just thought, ‘This is so cool!’ There’s no way we could have known then what it would become today!”

13. Meeting Your New Best Friend

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At Shambhala you’ll find tons of like-minded souls. Making those instant connections and bonding with the new addition to your FARMily is 100% on the list as far as great moments go.

12. Afternoons in the Grove, Especially Moontricks and Lazy Syrup Orchestra’s Sets

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Bringing live instruments into an electronic music festival is always a nice change of pace, especially when it comes with a Funktion-One sound system!

11. The Funk Hunters with Chali 2na at The Village

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PK sound was the perfect match for Chali’s deep tones and the funky tunes of these hometown heroes.

10. Z-Trip’s Set in the Fractal Forest

Because of the nearby forest fires, tensions were high and the festival was on pre-evac alert for most of the week. Mid-set, Z-trip requested that his fans dance for rain. The moment turned into an impromptu meditation, with everyone on the dance floor sitting down, holding hands, and taking a moment to ground themselves.

9. Seeing the Completely Revamped Living Room Stage for the First Time

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The Living Room, run by Hoola and Lion-S, is home to some of the originating members of the Shambhala family. Right on the river and known for its chill beach vibes, the stage got a huge level-up this year with an expanded dance floor, balconies, and a gorgeous new look.

8. Rich-E-Rich’s Sunrise Set

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A yearly tradition, you can’t imagine the glory of this moment until you experience it for yourself. It’s truly is the best way to close the festival. (We wish we had a photo of this, but the Fractal Forest prefers that you come experience the magic firsthand!)

7. Seeing the New Pagoda Stage for the First Time

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For the 20th Anniversary, Shambhala decided to completely tear down and rebuild their biggest stage. The castle-sized structure was projection mapped with mind-blowing imagery and — as usual — featured some seriously epic laser action.

6. Excision’s 10-Year Anniversary Set

And for that matter, all the heavyweights on the Village lineup this year, including Subvert, ill.Gates, Datsik, and Pendulum!

5. Monday Morning in The Grove, with Phaeleh, Leon Switch, and Frameworks

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As the sun rose over the farm, The Grove’s dance floor saw some of the best vibes of the whole weekend.

4. SkiiTour’s Party-Starting Thursday Afternoon Set

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A Shambhala tradition!

3. The Fractal Funk Jam

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Always one of the greatest moments of the weekend, everyone dresses up super funky and goes all-out for this afternoon of spiced-up retro tunes hosted by the Smalltown DJs.

2. The Third Time was Truly the Charm for Lucent Dossier Experience

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Their return to Shambhala, and their performance at The Village, was one of our favorite moments of the festival. “Shambhala is just a heartfelt festival,” said Linda Borini, LDE’s creative director. The troupe’s Cirque-du-Soleil-style performance is set to heavy electronic music, and it totally blew our minds! “For me it was a blessing being back on the farm doing what I really love to do,” says LDE’s producer and tour manager, Kelly Parker. We are pretty stoked on it, too, Kelly.

1. When the Rain Saved the Rave

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Photo by: Bobby T Photography for Betty and Kora

Due to a nearby fire, Shambhala made the difficult decision on Saturday to cancel the last day of the festival. While there was no imminent danger to attendees, Shambhala’s safety experts and local government officials wanted to get a head start on clearing the farm. Many were disappointed, but with Saturday being our last night, we had to give it our all! We must have made the rave gods proud that night, because they provided us with a miracle! Waking up to the sound of rain on Sunday morning, after hoping for it all weekend, was a dream come true! Later that morning, attendees received official notice that the party was back on! Sunday had risen from the ashes like a phoenix, and it was the perfect way to close out Shambhala’s 20th Anniversary.