WELCOME. WELCOME. WELCOME.

For those who had the possibility to reimagine and redefine your life over a weekend would you? Are you able to step out of your consolation zone and transport your self into a spot that blurs the imaginary and the true, the kid inside you and the grownup that you’re? For those who answered sure, then flip your calendar to 2015 and mark down subsequent yr’s Shambhala Music Competition.

The Pagoda Stage

Spherical of applause. Really, screw that. Right here’s an enormous hug. You’ve gotten simply made among the finest selections (despite the fact that you don’t understand it but) in your life-to-date. Take this subsequent yr to plan your journey, perform a little research and put together for among the finest weekends of your subsequent three hundred and sixty five days.

The Salvador Dali Elephant

Lots of our followers have written us, asking if we’d create a “survival information” to Shambhala after final yr’s article following our profound expertise on the pageant. For a lot of that haven’t been to Shambhala it nonetheless holds a wierd stigma as a dry digital music pageant. Nicely mates, allow us to say this: Shambhala is the O.G. digital music pageant in Canada. They’ve had seventeen years to excellent their craft and there’s no pageant on earth that does it higher than Shambhala. Oh, and did we point out that there’s zero company sponsorship? Yeah. Sit on that for a minute. Briefly – do your self a favor and purchase your ticket for subsequent yr.

Whether or not you’re a seasoned pageant goer or a beginner, there are some things you want to learn about your first Shambhala. That’s why we have now created the “Not So Apparent Shambhala Survival Information” – to organize you for the 5 days that may redefine your life.

Warning: earlier than you embark in your first Shambhala you want to have an open thoughts. It’s worthwhile to be ready to take part within the pageant group. Most significantly, you want to depart your boundaries, swimsuit, tie, and overtly socially acceptable behaviour on the door. Thanks – Betty and Kora.

Shambhala Music Competition: greater than music and quite a lot of days to get free. Shambhala is a group at the start. Put together to take part in the neighborhood at massive throughout Shambhala. Look out for others, provide to help people who would possibly need assistance, find the place the hurt discount workforce resides (The Sanctuary), watering stations, secure zones for each men and women and get to know the final lay out of the grounds. Put together to provide and obtain tons of of high-fives and hugs and be open to assembly a large new group of mates. Sharing is caring. Convey further meals and provides to share with the group at massive, as a result of others will undoubtedly share with you. Shambhala is a pageant that takes care of its individuals and reinforces the sense of humanism and compassion that so many occasions have appeared to have misplaced.

Camp Funderland

Welcome to the porta potty chronicles. The porta potties are the canvass to your pen. A wonderful clean slate excellent for while you want some “non-public time.” Convey your pen and get artful whereas in your thrown. I notice that this would possibly sound unusual to those that have by no means been, nonetheless my recommendation is to sit down down on the pooper and marvel on the artwork and scripture on the partitions. There may be nothing fairly like bursting out in laughter by your self within the shitter. Usually you’d really feel like a whole social reject laughing on the john, however not right here women and gents, not right here. Now, take out that pen and contribute. You certain as hell received’t be mad that you just did. Have a digital camera? Take a photograph. It would last more.

Get bizarre. Now get weirder. Good, now you’re prepared on your first Shambhala. Shambhala facilitates self-expression in a supportive environment. Regardless of how bizarre you suppose you will get, somebody goes to take the gold medal on strangeness. Apart from the mile-long-list of issues we love about this pageant, the icing on the cake is the individuals watching and the best way that the pageant helps every particular person of their pursuit of final freedom. Shambhala facilitates every particular person to climb out of their bubble and do no matter makes them completely satisfied. Put together for nakedness, unimaginable costumes, physique paint, random flare and other people getting down together with your unhealthy self. Zero judgement is handed – so my mates, dance like nobody is watching, such as you did while you have been 13 and awkward wanting.

Cody (Betty loves you.) Additional skanky for all times ❤

Hey you! Maintain your self! Drink a ton of water and coconut water and ensure to consumption sea salt. Do you know that bottled water doesn’t really hydrate you? Shocker proper? It has zero electrolytes and regardless of how a lot bottled water you suppose you’re in taking – your physique isn’t getting the correct quantity of salt. Add a small quantity of sea salt to your water, or if you wish to be further good, pack a salt lick with you.

Don’t blow your celebration load on the primary day. Shambhala is 5 days lengthy and be sure to tempo your self. There may be a lot to see and do – our rule of thumb is to put low the primary day and tempo ourselves the remaining. Attempt to get loads of sleep. Pre-pack meals so you’ll be able to dig into it proper while you want it. Most significantly, take numerous nutritional vitamins whereas partying. This yr we took fish oil, olive leaf extract, multi-vitamins and drank loads of aloe juice. Be good to your physique as a lot as you’ll be able to…it should preserve you within the sport for lots longer.

Pagoda Stage

Pack and put together for extremes. Nestled on a farm in a stunningly stunning valley throughout the Salmo B.C. mountains, Shambhala’s climate flows from one excessive to a different. The day time is characteristically humid and sizzling, with temperatures sticking round +30 levels Celsius. Don’t underestimate the necessity for shade through the day at your campsite. Pack shade tents, tarps, a ton of water (don’t overlook there are free water fill-up stations), sun shades, sunscreen, hats and a towel or piece of material you could soak with water and put on in your head for further consolation. Buy a battery powered fan and convey a couple of spray bottles too. Many individuals that we met from exterior Canada underestimated the intense warmth of Canadian summers and located themselves tenting alongside strangers simply to get out of the warmth and underneath a coated space.

After the solar goes down the temperature adjustments shortly, with nighttime temperatures dropping a number of levels, making for a cold night time. Ensure to pack numerous heat clothes together with pants, sweaters and jackets. We usually packed round a backpack stuffed with water and included sweaters so we didn’t must trek again to camp and miss a present.

Camp Moo

Make a beacon on your campsite and for your self. The pageant grounds are massive and expansive and having a celebration beacon on your mates to seek out you is a particular should. The campgrounds themselves is usually a pilgrimage relying on the place you accept the 5 days. Be sure to deliver sufficient constructing provides to create a beacon on your camp web site in addition to a beacon on your group within the pageant. One in all our favourite issues about Shambhala is to look out into the crowds on the sea of various indicators. It provides a component of ambiance that’s in contrast to any pageant you’ll ever expertise and makes for probably the most entertaining photograph bombs ever.

Final celebration beacons

Discover, discover, discover! This pageant has extra locations to discover than Disneyland. Really, Shambhala is Disneyland for adults. Don’t overlook it. Shambhala is loaded with unimaginable artwork items nestled within the woods, pageant grounds and amongst the campsites. Take time to take a look at the installations all through your complete pageant web site. They’re huge and expansive and can blow your thoughts regardless of who and what you would possibly flip into at Shambhala. One in all our favourite recollections from 2013 was stumbling by way of the forest camp space looking for our buddy Danni. Our expedition proved to be the largest lesson in Nome restoration, physique portray and hammock chill’n. We discovered the craziest artwork all through the woods that has amassed over seventeen years and made for unimaginable conversations with individuals we met alongside the best way. By no means underestimate the impression of exploration throughout your pageant expertise. Getting misplaced by no means felt so good.

Bounce off the Shambhalog. Convey a chair all the way down to the river and don’t overlook your floatie however depart your cleaning soap at your campsite. Aside from the plain causes to lounge within the river through the hottest elements of the day, a few of our favourite recollections have been made alongside this massive stunning river. Individuals watching, day napping and swim periods between your favourite units on the river most undoubtedly give Shambhala pageant bonus factors. Nonetheless, if you’re caught bathing within the river with cleaning soap (even biodegradable) you can be heckled by your complete riverside viewers. There are showers onsite for correct bathing and for those who would reasonably not wait in a line buy a conveyable solar bathe for $10 at your native Canadian Tire, Costco or Superstore. We showered at our leisure each morning by tying the solar bathe to our van. It saves time, cash and also you don’t must really feel like a mud bag for 5 days! Win!

lounging

Be sure to discover each stage at Shambhala. Every stage at Shambhala is run as its personal entity with particular person reserving brokers, stage mangers, themes, sound and lighting groups and employees. Individually managed, each stage is mesmerizingly stunning and completely different. If there’s one piece of recommendation we may give you it’s to be sure to take the time to discover each considerate, bizarre and complicated element that every of those platforms has to supply. Earlier than heading to Shambhala, be sure to mark down the opening ceremony occasions for every stage. The opening ceremonies are an effective way to get acquainted with every stage…and are a ceremony of passage whether or not a seasoned or new attendee.

The Fractal Forest – Enter the guts of the forest and expertise mind-blowing visuals bouncing completely off of each orifice with encompass sound that’ll enter one ear, contact your soul, and slowly discover its approach out the opposite. The trademarked Fractal Forest performs host to the notorious “Funk Jam” the place all of your fave Fractal DJs get collectively for one massive ‘ol jam sesh hosted by none aside from Small City DJs. Beware: some who enter might by no means depart. High performances this yr included Neon Steve, The Funk Hunters, The Funk Jam, Fort Knox 5, Kill Paris and Neighbour. Don’t overlook to go to the Fractal Monday morning for the largest morning dance celebration at Shambhala. It’s the final dance and it will get ridiculous actually, actually fast.

HUNT THE FUNK

The Grove – Surrounded by Mom Nature’s best old-growth forest you’ll discover your self simply moving into the groove of The Grove. Interactive chill zone by day, deep sounds and dancing by night time, this stage is actually magical with actual stay fairies…it’s like Alice in Wonderland meets melodic bass. Sure please. Highlights this yr included performances by Emancipator, Odesza and Opiuo. All have been fantastically melodic and have been simply what we would have liked.

Emancipator at The Grove

Odesza at The Grove

The Amphitheatre – The Legendary “Amphitheatre/Rock Pit”, dwelling to a few of Shambhala’s largest raging dance events and ‘Legends of Home Showcase’ will preserve you transferring and grooving all day lengthy. Rip off your footwear and get down on the sandy dance ground. This yr our favourite performances have been from Skiitour and A Tribe Referred to as Purple.

Skiitour at The Ampitheather

The Village – The Village stage is insane… it’s extra like a set out of a film than a stage at a music pageant. For those who ever dreamed of a tree fort rising up as a toddler that is one for the books! Related by catwalks and bridges overlooking a sea of dancing colours and loopy lights, this stage is all in regards to the bass. It’s so unimaginable you’ll spend hours simply exploring. Our favourite units this yr have been Griz, Andy C and DJ Nu Mark. Our buddy Cody introduced a ton of LED balloons to The Village for Andy C’s set. The bass was so loud and intense that regardless of how exhausting we tried, all of our balloons exploded. That’s one for the books.

Andy C at The Village

The Pagoda – The Pagoda performs host to the sacred vibrational sounds of dance music. Forward of its time in video mapping know-how shit will get actual relating to the sights and sounds of The Pagoda Stage! At occasions it feels such as you’ve left Earth and by some means boarded a ship headed to deep house. Our favourite units this yr at The Pagoda have been The M Machine, Beats Vintage and Gorgon Metropolis, all of which we danced like sweaty messes too and have been fortunate sufficient to be invited as much as the lighting sales space to catch Beats Vintage’s set.

Lighting tower at The Pagoda

The Residing Room – Make your self at dwelling on the The Residing Room stage. Situated proper on the seaside alongside the Salmo River this gem stone feels good and comfortable and has a revolving door full of affection, hugs, and good vibes! Stunning and kooky, it’s important to try a dawn set at The Residing Room. Highlights this yr included Pumpkin’s dawn set that includes a efficiency by EveryMan, Mark Farina’s Mushroom Jazz Set, which by some means become a random funk jam as The Funk Hunters “FUNK” signal made an look and Afro Q-Ben’s midday efficiency.

Pumpkin’s dawn set at The Residing Room Stage

Actions, theme days, workshops…get into it! Shambhala hosts a prolonged record of workshops, yoga, theme days and actions. The perfect place to search for these is on Shambhala’s Fb web page in addition to their web site. The Unicorn Stampede, Day Onsie (put on your onsie on the primary day), Caturday Morning Disco, morning yoga lessons and enlightening workshops put Shambhala forward of the pack so far as we’re involved. Put together to get bizarre with a ton of recent mates and share within the collective pageant expertise.

This man received Shambhala. Onsie.

Nicely mates, that about sums it up! Shambhala concluded on Monday, and never even per week later, all we will take into consideration is returning subsequent yr. We celebrated our first “friendiverserry” with so lots of our now closest mates from our expertise at our first Shambhala in 2013. It by no means ceases to amaze us how a lot this pageant has impacted our lives. Do your self a favour and share the expertise with us in 2015. See beneath for our full photograph album.

“Shambhala strikes on the core of the human spirit and as shortly because it comes and goes, it should undoubtedly change your life perpetually.” – Betty