Shambhala Music Festival

Listed provision only. Facilities change between editions — confirm anything you depend on directly with the festival.

About Shambhala Music Festival

Shambhala is a four-day electronic music festival held on Salmo River Ranch, a 500-acre working farm about 6 km east of the village of Salmo in British Columbia. The 28th edition runs from Friday, July 23 to Monday, July 26, 2027, with the festival site open from 8 am on the Friday.

The event started on Labour Day weekend in 1998 with roughly 500 people. The festival now describes its population as about 23,500 guests, crew and artists. The festival describes itself as family-run and non-sponsored. Music is spread across six stages, each with its own identity: the AMP (billed as "Bass Is The Basis"), Fractal Forest with its funk focus, The Grove, the Living Room beach stage for disco, funk, soul and house, the Pagoda, and The Village for bass music.

Tickets for 2027 went on sale in mid-September 2026 and sold out within hours, so the only official route left is the waitlist. For reference, Early Bird tickets were $629.95 CAD and General Admission $649.95 CAD, both plus tax and fees. Every ticket is general admission and includes free tent camping in one of three zones (Metta, Starlight or Sunshine) and free parking. There are no day passes. Camping in or beside a vehicle is a paid upgrade, early entry from Tuesday to Thursday is bought at the gate by card only, and ShambhaLodging sells pre-pitched accommodation packages. There is also Camp Clean Beats, a sober camping community.

Plan for a cashless weekend: there are no ATMs and vendors do not take cash. There is no wifi and no public electricity, though phones can be charged at the General Store. Filtered, free mountain water is available across the site, so bring large refillable jugs. Hot showers cost extra and are paid by card.

Health and safety services are a strong point. Medical Services and The Sanctuary, which offers mental health and crisis support, are both open 24 hours a day in Downtown Shambhala. The local harm reduction organisation ANKORS runs free drug checking and trains guests to use naloxone. Save the festival SOS number (1-778-724-1119) before you go; it reaches security, medical, fire and harm reduction teams.

If you're not driving, official one-way shuttles run to and from Vancouver, Kelowna, Spokane and Calgary, and a free baggage bus helps move gear from the parking lot to the camp zones. The event is strictly 19+ and government-issued photo ID is required for everyone. The 2027 lineup has not been announced yet.

Getting there

Salmo is in the West Kootenay region of BC, roughly a day's drive from Vancouver. The nearest larger towns are Nelson and Castlegar. Official shuttles run from Vancouver, Kelowna, Spokane and Calgary.

History

Founded by Jimmy Bundschuh on his family's Salmo River Ranch, Shambhala grew from a small farm party into Canada's best-known electronic festival and is still family-run and non-sponsored.

Packing tips

Tent, tarp and shade, water jugs, electrolyte snacks, a dust mask, headlamp, warm layers and a card for the cashless site. Leave glass and banned items at home.

Accessibility

Shambhala has an Accessibility Zone campground near Downtown for guests with mobility disabilities, and power for charging motorized wheelchairs is available at Medical Services. The festival asks guests to contact sales@shambhalamusicfestival.com about accessibility arrangements. No official information was found on provisions for Deaf/hard of hearing or blind/low-vision guests.

Frequently asked

Contact the festival