BC Music Festival Symposium

BCMFC 4th Annual Symposium 2026 – September 30 – October 4, 2026
Victoria, BC

Please join us for the 2026 BC Music Festival Collective Symposium, taking place September 30 – October 4 in Victoria, alongside BreakOut West. 

We are pleased to partner with BreakOut West to offer festival-focused programming that complements the conference and showcases. This is a valuable opportunity to connect with festival organizers from across British Columbia, as well as music industry professionals from across Western Canada and beyond, plus check out some amazing artists.

This year’s Symposium will feature sessions on Meaningful Indigenous Relationships, Wildfire Impact Case Studies, Inspiring Stories from the Field, panel discussions, and dedicated networking opportunities. We are also planning several exciting partnership events throughout the week, including with the International Indigenous Music Summit, Folk Canada, and The Crisp Festival (see schedule below). More details on the program, speakers, and schedule will be announced soon—we look forward to seeing you in Victoria! 

REGISTRATION

Registration takes place through BreakOut West and I am happy to announce that BCMFC Members will continue to get 25% off the Super Saver Rate when registering (Promo code: BCMFC). Super Saver Rate ($238 x 25% = $178.00). 

Register Here (Promo code: BCMFC)

Please Also RSVP Here so we can know numbers for catering.

Your registration will include all the BOW Conference and Showcases, as well as, the Symposium programming, morning coffee and snacks, plus networking lunches thanks to our partners, funders and sponsors.

Supported by Creative BC and the Province of British Columbia, FACTOR and Canada’s private radio broadcasters.

Sponsorship thanks to Hub International, Tickit and Actsafe Safety Association. 

Huge thanks to our partners Break Out West, International Indigenous Music Summit, Folk Canada and The Crisp Festival.

**If the cost of registration is a barrier to attend please reach out for support: bcmusicfestivalcollective@gmail.com

SCHEDULE 

Wednesday, September 30 (National Day for Truth and Reconciliation)

Capital Ballroom, Victoria

7:00 – 11:00pm  HONOURING TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION: INDIGENOUS ARTIST SHOWCASE PRESENTED BY INTERNATIONAL INDIGENOUS MUSIC SUMMIT AND BREAKOUT WEST – Featuring performances by Hasaatuk, PINDN, Willie Thrasher and Linda Saddleback, and The Melawmen Collective. All welcome, free to attend!

Thursday, October 1

Location: Encore, 1415 Broad St, Victoria, BC

9:00am – 10:00am – Coffee, Meet the Funders & Smart Grant,

10:00am Festival Welcome & Pecha Kucha

10:30am – 12:00pm – Panel: Transformative Rebuilding – Meaningful Indigenous Relationships. A conversation with Meeka Morgan Artistic Director of 2 Rivers Remix, Vanessa Leong, Chief Operating Officer of Rifflandia, Ronnie Dean Harris, artist and producer, and Samantha Pelkey,  Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw arts administrator event coordinator, exploring how festivals can build authentic long-term relationships with Indigenous communities and artists.The panel will explore connection to land, understanding history, reciprocity and giving value back to communities as well as creating safe spaces for Indigenous artists to express themselves and share their stories. A conversation about moving beyond acknowledgement toward meaningful respectful and lasting relationships.

Meeka Noelle Morgan was born and raised within Secwepemc and Nuu-Chah-Nulth lands, traditions and culture, but is also part St’atimc, and N’lakapamux. Her Master’s thesis: “Making Connections with Secwepemc Family Through Storytelling: A Journey in Transformative Rebuilding”, further developed her work, focused on retelling history, and processing this experience through creativity. She also founded The Melawmen Collective (a contemporary Indigenous fusion band based in the unceded Secwepemc territory of British Columbia). and is Artistic Director of 2 Rivers Remix Festival (a free, Indigenous-led arts and cultural community that celebrates contemporary Indigenous music, culture, and storytelling across British Columbia)

Possessing an extensive portfolio in business leadership, event project management, and production, Vanessa Leong has built a storied career driving teams and businesses with extensive workforces and multi-million dollar operating budgets. She specializes in large-format projects that demand excellence, are ever changing, and operate in a fast-paced manner while creating safe, equitable, and inclusive work environments. Vanessa is the Treasurer on the board of the Canadian Live Music Association, was the Executive Director of the Vancouver 2025 JUNOS Host Committee, a former board member of the Downtown Victoria Business Association, and the City of Victoria’s Music Advisory Committee, which provided advice and guidance in creating the capital city’s first Music Strategy.

Ronnie Dean Harris (Ostwelve) is a Stō:lo/St’át’imc/Nlaka’pamux artist, researcher, and cultural contributor based in New Westminster, B.C. Beginning his career in music, Ronnie’s multidisciplinary work spans sound design, visual arts, film, television, and community-based education, rooted in Indigenous knowledge systems and contemporary practice. His compositions and performances have appeared internationally, including work on Moccasin Flats, The Road Forward (NFB), and the Emmy Award-winning PBS series Molly of Denali.

In addition to his artistic contributions, Ronnie engages in research focusing on Indigenous history, cosmology, genealogy, and policy. He has served as a program leader and cultural developer for organizations such as the Community Arts Council of Vancouver, Massey Theatre, and the 2 Rivers Remix Society, where he currently serves as a board member and MC.

G̱ilakasda’x̱w’la. Samantha Pelkey is a Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw arts administrator event coordinator and cultural programmer with matrilineal roots from the ‘Na̱mg̱is Ławit̓sis and Ma’amtagila peoples and patrilineal ties to the Tsawout of the W̱SÁNEĆ Nations. Her work is grounded in cultural protocol Indigenous relations and creating safe culturally aligned spaces for Indigenous artists and communities. Samantha’s professional background spans Indigenous event programming theatre production and protocol education across several major arts organizations. She served as Associate Producer and Indigenous Relations Manager at the Belfry Theatre where she supported mainstage productions while guiding host‑Nation engagement cultural protocol training and relationship‑building with Songhees and Esquimalt communities. Her earlier work at Urban Ink Productions strengthened her foundation in Indigenous‑centered theatre where she supported outreach communications and administration for projects including Children of God and Les Filles du Roi. Samantha has also programmed Indigifest for the First Peoples’ Cultural Council produced Indigenous music and cultural events with Savage Society and contributed to the City of Vancouver’s 150Plus initiative one of the first municipal programs to center host‑Nation protocol and Indigenous‑led event design. Today Samantha serves as Community Coordinator for 2 Rivers Remix (2RMX) supporting community engagement connector coordination and culturally grounded festival operations across the province. Her work focuses on building meaningful long‑term relationships between festivals Indigenous artists and host Nations centering land history reciprocity and the creation of safe spaces for Indigenous storytelling.

12pm – 1pm – Learning Lunch  – Sponsored by Hub International – Insurance Shouldn’t Be an Afterthought: A boots-on-the-ground look at risk for festivals venues and live events with Devan Christodoulou Commercial Account Executive — Entertainment & Sports HUB International

Head to BreakOut West Sessions and Showcases 

Friday, October 2

Location: Encore, 1415 Broad St, Victoria, BC

9:30am – 10:00am – Coffee

10:00am – 11:00am – Future Proofing Your Festival with Rosalyn Dennett of Folk Canada – From climate shifts to global conflict to pandemics, festivals face disruptions that are hard to see coming, and often impossible to predict. This hands-on workshop introduces practical future-thinking tools that help you prepare for the worst and the best of what may lie ahead. You’ll work through a condensed version of a strategic foresight activity to explore possible futures for your event, spot opportunities you might otherwise miss, and leave with a clear, ready-to-use process to run the full version with your own team. About Folk Canada: Folk Canada is the nation’s leading organization for the folk music community, with 39 years of supporting and growing the Canadian folk music industry. We serve our festival members from across the country through advocacy, monthly member meetings, Developing Presenters’ Program, professional development, our annual Festivals’ Retreat and the Folk Canada Conference. 

11:00 – 12:00pm – When the Air Changes: Making Decisions in Wildfire Smoke with Corrine Bundshuh. Wildfire smoke doesn’t have to cancel a festival to disrupt it. It can affect travel, attendance, staff and volunteers, artists, operations, revenue and the audience experience – often while conditions are still changing. In this interactive session, we’ll explore how festival organizers can make decisions when information is imperfect and there may not be one obvious “right” answer. Drawing on real-world experiences from wildfire smoke events in 2026, we’ll work through a changing festival scenario, consider when and how to adapt operations and communications, and look at practical tools that can help festivals prepare before the smoke arrives. Corrine Bundschuh, is the Emergency Management Specialist for Kootenay Rockies Tourism, as well as founder of Shambhala Music Festival and board member with the BC Music Festival Collective.

12pm – 1pm – Learning Lunch  – Sponsored by Actsafe Safety Association

Caleigh Hoot, Industry Health and Safety Specialist with Actsafe Safety Association, will provide a brief overview of Actsafe’s newer resources for festivals and live events, with a focus on practical application. She’ll cover planning for the extended event environment (“Zone Ex”), the Frontline Health & Safety Briefing, and how these tools support worker orientation, communication and due diligence. The session will also explore working safely with volunteers in BC, including duty of care, training, supervision, role clarity, and volunteer versus worker considerations. The final five minutes will be reserved for questions.

Head to BreakOut West Sessions and Showcases 

Saturday, October 3

BreakOut West Sessions and Showcases 

Sunday, October 4

Ferry to Pender Island for Crisp Festival: the 7th Annual Crisp Festival welcomes attendees to experience true island life with music panels and showcases.

REGISTRATION NOW SOLD OUT FOR THE SESSIONS ON PENDER.

Shuttles will be available to meet people off the ferry in the morning. There is no public transportation on Pender! 

The Crisp Festival is in its sixth year as a small but mighty, multi arts festival on beautiful Pender Island and runs October 2-4^th this year.

Pender is situated on the Salish Sea in-between ferry routes from Victoria to Vancouver.

The day will involve music industry representatives taking part in 2 panels, round robin meet and greet, songwriting and poetry workshops. A soup lunch will see some of the Southern Gulf Island’s finest performing in the round. Mayne Island’s Hannah Epperson, Pender’s Maya Cook will be two of the artists involved.

Head to Ferry back to Vancouver or Victoria or stay on Pender.

Those staying on Pender can enjoy the ticketed evening concert featuring UK artists Fiona Bevan and Adam Beattie and Vancouver’s own Luke Wallace.

Tickets www.thecrisp.ca

FERRY INFO

The day will begin to time with morning ferries from Victoria and will end with ferries to Vancouver and Victoria late afternoon. www.bcferries.com

Swartz Bay [Victoria] to Pender Island Sunday 8:40 am arriving 9:20 am [no booking required but need to arrive at least 30 minutes early].

Pender Island back to Victoria [you don’t book or pay to leave going back to Victoria!] ferries leave 5:10pm, 6:15 or 9:15pm

Pender Island to Vancouver [this does need booking]: Sunday 2:45 pm arriving 4:35 pm with stops, 5:10pm arriving 8:35 [this means back to Victoria then on to Vancouver]  7:10pm arriving 9:05pm [with an island transfer]