Florida ska-punk legends Less Than Jake, New York hip-hop duo Dead Prez and Detroit ska band The Suicide Machines will headline Victoria Ska & Reggae Fest 2024.

Celebrating their 25th anniversary, Victoria Ska & Reggae Fest will take place Wednesday June 19 to Sunday June 23, 2024 with a lineup that’s described as their biggest to date. Nearly all of their festival headliners this year will be Western Canada exclusives.

Less Than Jake return to Victoria for the first time since their infamous 2019 performance at the festival where a man in a wheelchair stage dived and crowd surfed at Ship Point. This year, they will headline a show at the Victoria Curling Club.

Dead Prez will headline at the festival’s signature main stage at Ship Point and will mark their first Canadian appearance in more than a decade.

Headlining the main stage at the inner harbour on the Friday will be Chile reggae band Gondwana. It will be their first performance at Victoria Ska & Reggae Fest. Other reggae acts in the lineup include Maka B & The Roots Ragga Band, Mungo’s Hi-Fi with Marina P, and Big Mountain.

Ska will be well represented with The Slackers, The Planet Smashers and Mephiskapheles.

In addition to the main stage and Victoria Curling Club, Wicket Hall and Lucky Bar will be venues this year for ticketed night shows.

As is tradition, the festival will bring three nights of free music to Ship Point that will include international and local bands from a variety of genres. Artists performing at the free shows include Chris Murray & The New Victorians, Skampida, La Probeska, Ammoye, Antidoping, Kyle Smith, Apex Breaks and Phonosonics.

There will also be free workshops with festival artists and visual art from the Rocksteady Multimedia Arts Collective

Tickets for all shows go on sale Friday Marcy 15, 2024 at 10am at TicketWeb.ca

The full schedules is available at victoriaskafest.ca

FULL FESTIVAL PASSES
VIP: Early Bird $248.92 (sold out) | Regular $270.03
General Admission: Early Bird $182.48

Lineup:
Wednesday June 19 – Ship Point (FREE)
Antidoping | Ammoye | The Capital Collective | Gisto & The Grateful Living | Judah Roots

Wednesday June 19 – Lucky Bar (TICKETS $19.95 – $25)
Lowdown Brass Band | Phonsonics

Thursday June 20 – Ship Point (FREE)
Skampida | La Pobreska | The Kiltlifters | Baby Boy & The Earthly Delights

Thursday June 20 – Wicket Hall (TICKETS $22.50 – $29.95)
Fort Knox Five | Apex Breaks | Mirage

Friday June 21 – Ship Point (TICKETS $39.95 – $49.95)
Gondwana | Big Mountain | Batuque Axe | DJ Su Camandante Espinoza

Friday June 21 – Victoria Curling Club (TICKETS $45 – $59.50)
The Suicide Machines | The Slackers | The Creepshow | Space Chimp | DJ I-Lot

Saturday June 22 – Ship Point (TICKETS $45 – $55)
Dead Prez | Macka B & The Roots Ragga Band | Mungo’s Hi-Fi with Marina P | BlasĂ© BlasĂ© | Tank Gyal | DJ Arems

Saturday June 22 – Victoria Curling Club (TICKETS $47.50 – $59.50)
Less Than Jake | The Planet Smashers | Mephiskapheles | Sweetleaf | Young Royal

Sunday June 23 – Ship Point (FREE)
Chris Murray & The New Victorians | Kyle Smith | Jory Kinjo & The Relays | Apollo Suns | Rebel Selector

In Defense of Ska Podcast Live feat. Aaron Carnes