For now, I will try my best to pinpoint why this festival is my favorite in North America. To understand what truly happens at Shambhala, one must attend and experience the venue for themselves. There are so many things that make Shambhala a special and magical festival, but they are so hard to capture in photos or in words. From Thursday to Monday afternoon, my ears were filled with amazing music, my stomach full of delicious Thai, and my heart overfull with joy from the vibes of the farmily.
This was the second time I headed North and across the border to attend this Canadian favorite. What is noteworthy about this is that alcohol sales and sponsorships pump a lot of money into a festival.
If you’re not impressed just yet, now may be a good time to mention that Shambhala is a dry festival (read: there are no alcohol sponsors or bars… anywhere).
If festival organizers could figure out what keeps festivals alive and thriving, they would continue on that path for as long as they could.įor Shambhala Music Festival in Salmo, British Colombia, they’ve figured out how to keep festival goers coming back for the past 21 years. Trying to figure out the secret to what keeps festivals alive is like trying to find a treasure chest under a rainbow. Here in North America, we’ve seen several festivals close their gates for a year or close the doors of the festival entirely and indefinitely. It’s no secret that festivals come and festivals go.
