The final push is on to see who will take the prized for Searchlight, Canada's Best Music Festival. To give you a sense of our ten finalist, we sent out questionaires to the remaining festivals. We'll post them as we receive them, so please check them out, and don't forget to VOTE!

How long has Shambhala been in operation?
This will be the 13th year of operations, August 6 - 9th 2010.

What is the mission statement of your festival?
It's all about the people on the dance floor!

What makes your festival site special?
Shambhala Music Festival is hosted on our 500 acre family ranch along the Salmo River. A winding back road takes you 6 km into the Kootenay wilderness where 6 stages have been carved out of the forest to host a most unique music festival. Each stage has been crafted with a vision for the ultimate dancing experience, each with their own take on music and art. DJ's and bands travel from around the globe to play to their best crowds. The festival is a non-sponsored event, so every part of the experience is an onslaught of art on the senses.     

What is your favourite festival moment of the past?
My favourite moment is the 'scream wave'. At Shambhala we open the gates early for an additional fee for those who want to set up camp early. We do not have any entertainment on these days and the ranch is fairly quiet. People are so excited to be on the farm and at Shambhala that they start the 'scream wave'. One group of people will start yelling for joy and it catches on.  Pretty soon another group joins before the last have lost their breath, and so it moves around the festival grounds. It is an exciting shout of arrival and anticipation for the weekend ahead.   

Name one artist that is playing this year?
Our line up remains a closely guarded secret until April 2nd, but in the past we've featured over 60 hours of programming on each of our six stages with performances from Delhi 2 Dublin, Smalltown DJs, Matt the Alien, You Say Party! We Say Die! and Grand Analog.

Why should we vote for your festival?
It has become a signature event in Canada solely due to the fans loving support! They tell their friends, they bring more friends, and so the word spreads. This festival was not promoted at all, yet 10,000 fans make the journey every year to the farm where music and art reign. Shambhala Music Festival is dear to the hearts of its passionate crowd and is often a favourite amongst the talent.  

[Photo courtesy Shambhala]

posted by John Paolozzi on Mar 05, 2010