Welcome to The Hub Nanaimo, your weekly insider guide to the best of community arts and culture. Did a friend forward this email to you? Subscribe to this newsletter.

First off all, I just wanted to take a moment to personally thank everyone who supported The Discourse Nanaimo’s news and arts coverage in our recent supporters drive. 

I am incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to serve our community through the local journalism that I am able to do with the support of readers like you. If you haven’t signed up to be a monthly supporter yet, you could help bring us over the line so we hit our fundraising goal of 100 new monthly supporters so I can keep bringing you independent news in Nanaimo. 

This week, I had the chance to talk with organizers Josh Rudolph and Priyanka Chakrabarti about a brand new music and arts festival that is taking place in Nanaimo this weekend. 

Margins of Sound will showcase some of the Island’s most progressive experimental musicians and includes free public performances in the Bowen Park Amphitheater near the duck pond.

You can read my story about the festival below, and I hope you have a great weekend.

Thank you for reading,

Mick Sweetman

🖊️ What you said ⌨️

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"Excellent all round news and entertainment coverage."

— Mike, from our newsletter survey.

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Margins of Sound festival brings experimental music to Nanaimo

New festival includes free performances in Bowen Park and workshops.

🔎 Watch for 🔍

Friday, June 26, 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.: Bring your kids to Family Fun Night in Maffeo Sutton Park for games, inflatables, live music with Chris Noel and the Burning House and New Road Echo, and watch the Belgium vs. New Zealand FIFA World Cup match on the big screen. 

🎵 Listen 🎤

Thursday, June 25 

• 5 p.m.: End of School Punk/Metal Show at The Globe Live Studio. Tickets cost $15. Read The Discourse’s story on the show here.

• 7 p.m.: Peter Hudson Comedy: Vancouver Island Roast Battle at The Queen's. Tickets cost $20 in advance or $25 at the door.

Friday, June 26 

• Noon: Music in the Library: Nanaimo Recorder Consort. Admission is free. 

• 12:30 p.m.: Poetry Open Mic at the Gabriola Island Library. Admission is free. 

• 6 p.m.: BANDIDOS at The Queen's. Tickets cost $25.

• 6 p.m.: Painted Silver, Filthy Traitors, Junksick and Crucified Uterus at The Globe Live Studio. Tickets cost $15.

• 7 p.m.: Margins of Sound 2026 at Bowen Park Amphitheatre (June 27 daytime, free), OV Arts Centre (June 26, June 27 evenings), various workshop venues (June 28). Tickets cost $40 to $80 and some events are free.

Saturday, June 27 

• 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.: Tomatoes Tried to Kill Me at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre’s Shaw Auditorium. Tickets cost $28.50.

• 6 p.m.: Sounds of Summer Kick-Off Party at St. Andrew's United Church. Tickets cost $43.50 - $53.50.

Thursday, July 2 

• 7 p.m.: Cory Weeds Meets Jerry Weldon at St. Andrews United Church. Tickets cost $43.75

• 10 p.m.: Sturdy Lemon and Saving Grace at The Globe Live Studio. Tickets cost $20.

🎭 View 🖼️

Thursday, June 25 

• 6 p.m.: Pride Film Screening and Clothing Swap: In The Closet by Ajahnis Charley at Nanaimo Harbourfront Library.

Friday, June 26 

• Noon: Lunchtime Tour of An Animated Assembly at Nanaimo Art Gallery. Tickets cost $5.

Sunday, June 28 

• 1 p.m.: My Inner Harbour Art Show at My Inner Harbour. Admission is free.

• 7 p.m.: Ride to Resilience film screening at The Port Theatre. Tickets cost $36.50.

Wednesday, July 1 

• 7:30 p.m.: Women of the Fur Trade by Frances Koncan at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre’s Shaw Auditorium. Tickets cost $20 to $25.

Thursday, July 2 

• 5:30 p.m.: Wet-on-Wet Painting Demo with Linda Pineo Lawry at Pacific Arts Market.

• 7:30 p.m.: Women of the Fur Trade by Frances Koncan at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre’s Shaw Auditorium. Tickets cost $20 to $25.

⛹️ Meet 🎲

Friday, June 26 

• 5 p.m.: Indigenous Nights Fundraiser at 21 Nicol St. Tickets cost $54.56.

• 6 p.m.: Nanaimo Dry Grad 2026 at Beban Park Complex. 

Saturday, June 27 

• 10 a.m.: Level Up Nanaimo Family Day at Deverill Square Park. 

• 10 a.m.: 2026 Cedar Summer Witches Market at Cedar Community Hall. 

• 1 p.m.: A Cozy Climate Storytelling Workshop with Chloe Fraser at Bowen Park Complex. Tickets cost $30.

Sunday, June 28 

• 1 p.m.: Talk: Regreening Urban Spaces at Nanaimo Harbourfront Library. 

• 1 p.m.: Summer Drop In Art Social at Nanaimo Harbourfront Library. 

• 2:30 p.m.: Shut Up & Write: Nanaimo at Nanaimo Harbourfront Library. 

Tuesday, June 30 

• 10 a.m.: Knitting Group at Nanaimo North Library. 

Wednesday, July 1 

• 11 a.m.: Canada Day Celebrations at Maffeo Sutton Park. 

• 3 p.m.:Island Roots Farmers' Market at Beban Park. 

• 5 p.m.: Kill Team Drop In at Drop Zone Games.

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