The second annual Victoria Folk Music Festival is happening Saturday July 4, 2026 at Royal Athletic Park.
With more than 9 hours of of live music from 11 acts on two stages, there will be lots to see and hear on what is forecast to be a sunny Saturday.
The family-friendly event also features a kids zone, market and food trucks.
But what do the musicians in the lineup sound like live? Take a look below in our Victoria Folk Music Festival 2026 Artist Preview.
For tickets and full festival info, go to vicfolkfest.com
Valdy – 1:00
Valdy is a folk/country musician based in Salt Spring Island. His music career dates to back to the early 1970s. The two-time Juno Award winner and Order of Canada recipient is best known for his 1972 hit ‘Rock and Roll Song’
Elise LeBlanc – 1:40 (The Pickin’ Shack Stage)
Victoria’s Elise LeBlanc is a country/Appalachian folk/rockabilly singer-songwriter. With vocal styling like Patsy Cline and Peggy Lee, Leblanc’s bio describes her music as exploring queer desire, betrayal, hope and nature lore.
Daniel Wesley – 2:00
Daniel Wesley is a rock artist from White Rock. Featuring a blend of alt-rock, folk and reggae Wesley’s 2008 album featured his biggest hit ‘Ooh Ohh’. Wesley has previously performed at Laketown Shakedown and Rifflandia and numerous local shows over the years.
Shari Ulrich – 3:00
Shari Ulrich is a four-time Juno Award nominated singer-songwriter and won for ‘Most Promising Female Vocalist of the Year in 1982. Ulrich has toured with Valdy as a member of The Hometown Band, formed folk music group UHF and formed another group with Barney Bentall.
Bill Johnson – 3:30 (The Pickin’ Shack Stage)
Bill Johnson is a blues musician based in Victoria. His music blends classic Chicago blues, Texas grit and West Coast swagger. The guitarist/vocalist has performed numerous festivals in Victoria as a pillar of the city’s blues community.
The Unfaithful Servants – 4:00
The Unfaithful Servants are a Folk/American Band from Victoria. Songwriter and guitarist Dylan Stone is one of the main organizers of the Victoria Folk Festival. The band delivers a modern take on folk, bluegrass and Americana.
Barney Bentall – 5:00
Bowen Island singer-songwriter Barney Bentall is well known on southern Vancouver Island having sold out multiple shows over a 20 year period as Barney Bentall & The Cariboo Express raising money for the Saanich Peninsula Lions Food Bank. His music career goes back to 1980
Stephanie Cadman – 6:00 (The Pickin’ Shack Stage)
Stephanie Cadman is a world renowned fiddler/dancer/singer based in Victoria. Cadman is part of the faculty at the Victoria Conservatory of Music. Her 2013 solo album ‘Foggy New Year’ was nominated for a Canadian Folk Music Award.
The Deep Dark Woods – 6:20
The Deep Dark Woods are an alternative folk band from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. They are two-time Western Canadian Music Award and Canadian Folk Music Award winners. Their most recent album ‘The Circle Remains’ was released in October 2025.
The Sadies – 7:40
The Sadies are and alternative country band from Toronto. Formed in 1994, The Sadies have collaborated with the likes of Blue Rodeo, Gord Downie, Neil Youg and Neko Case. They won a Juno Award for Video of The Year for their song ‘Rumbleseat’. They also won Adult Alternative Album of The Year in 2023 for their album ‘Colder Streams’.
Chantal Kreviazuk – 9:00
Chantal Kreviazuk is singer-songwriter originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Her 1996 debut album ‘Under These Rocks and Stones’ launched her career with breakout singles ‘Surrounded’ and ‘God Made Me’. Kreviazuk received international attention with her cover of John Denver’s ‘Leaving on a Jet Plane’ that was featured on the soundtrack for the film ‘Armageddon’. As a songwriter, Kreviazuk has written hit songs for Avril Lavigne and Kelly Clarkson. Kreviazuk has previously performed in Victoria with her husband, Our Lady Peace’s Raine Maida as Moon Vs. Sun in 2019 and with the Victoria Symphony in 2016.
