The Harbour Blues ‘n Roots Festival will not take place this year.
The Victoria Jazz Society announced that the music festival will take a hiatus for 2026.
“The loss of vital corporate sponsorships and increasing logistics, supplier and labour costs since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic have created a concerning financial situation for many BC festivals,” the Victoria Jazz Society news release stated. “And sadly, the Harbour
Blues ‘n Roots Festival is among them.”
The release goes on to say that organizers will take the hiatus year to reassess the festival, look for new sponsors and source out new funding to bring the Harbour Blues’n Roots Festival back next year.
Harbour Blues ‘n Roots Festival has operated for more than 30 years, starting out as Vancouver Island Blues Bash. The name changed in 2022 when the festival pivoted to showcase a wider range of genres. The 2025 edition saw The Harpoonist & The Axe Murderer, Shemkia Copeland and Bywater Call headline at Victoria’s Ship Point.
The three-day, outdoor festival normally takes place at the end of August or Labour Day weekend celebrating blues, roots, soul and R&B music and attracts 20,000 people per year.
