One-day music festival returns to Kelowna in October

Photo: Denim on the Diamond

Live music is returning to Kelowna in a big way this fall.

After having to cancel last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the homegrown Denim on the Diamond one-day music festival is returning to Kelowna's Kings Stadium on Oct. 2.

“During this difficult year and a half, one thing that became very apparent is our collective need for community and social connection - our goal is to create a space where everyone is welcome, everyone feels safe and we’re able to celebrate overcoming the hardships the pandemic has brought to people,” said festival co-founder Kurt Jory.

“This is going to be a party to remember that’s for sure.”

Denim on the Diamond was started by Jory and Mitch Carefoot in 2018, and it's been wildly successful in the two years it ran. While live music was scheduled to return to Kelowna's North End again last September, Jory and Carefoot were forced to cancel, along with most other events across the world, due to the pandemic.

The festival will return in full force this year, with country artists The Hunter Brothers headlining. But while the festival has always leaned in a country music direction, there'll be plenty of other music for all tastes, including rock groups Yukon Blonde and J.J. Wilde, and folk-electronic duo Moontricks.

“We’ve always had a vision of Denim stepping outside of being a traditional one genre music festival - this year we have the most diverse line-up to date,” Carefoot said.

The full lineup can be found here.

In addition to the music, the all-day event will also include a variety of games, food trucks, and local beverages. Tickets will start at $49, beginning Friday morning, before prices rise to $69 after July 17.