Thanks for the dance, Rifflandia: Victoria says goodbye to her festival after 18 years of celebration
It's a page that turns with emotion: after 18 years, the Rifflandia Festival in Victoria is taking its reverence. Its founders, Nick Blasko and Casey Austin, announced in June 2026 the final end of the adventure — there will be no 2026 edition, nor any announced return.
Launched in 2008 as a bet of enthusiasts — bracelets, theaters all over the city, the next generation of the stage — Rifflandia became the largest festival on Vancouver Island, attracting at its top more than 100,000 festivalgoers and headliners like The Strokes or Tame Impala, with an estimated $25 million in spin-off for Victoria. But the founders said it with rare honesty: despite the joy and millions injected into the local economy, the festival was never profitable; production costs exploded, sales fell by 40% since 2019, and the site able to host the party was lost on the way.
This festival has made a whole city dance and given their first big stage to so many Western artists. Its history reminds him: behind each festival there are teams that take risks for culture.
— Moïse 1er, the Festival Explorer