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Nanaimo’s underground music and art festival to take over downtown this weekend.
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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.

This weekend, a massive underground music and art festival will take over downtown Nanaimo’s Victoria Crescent with over 50 live performances at half a dozen venues. Previously known as Backyard Fest, this year it’s called Sunk City, a reference to the main stage being in Lois Lane below the pit of the former Jean Burns building. 


I spoke with festival volunteers Jac Proctor and Brendan Holm about the festival and what people can expect and have detailed all the bands and where they are playing in this newsletter — but make sure to check out my story and the Backyard Fest website for more information. 


Thank you for reading, and remember to bring your earplugs.

Mick Sweetman













Backyard Fest to take over Victoria Crescent

Nanaimo’s underground music and arts festival is back bigger than ever.


Read the full story

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🎵 Listen 🎤

Thursday, May 15, 6 p.m.: The Steadies will play at The Queen’s. Tickets cost $15 in advance or $20 at the door. 


Friday, May 16, 6 p.m.:  Sunk City Fest opening ceremony with Leanor Hampton, followed with music by Ida Maidstone, 2Girls1Daw,  Psychic Pollution, Whirly Bird and Dielectric at The Vault Cafe. A day pass is $30 and a three-day festival pass is $90. 


Friday, May 16, 6:30 p.m.: The Blisters will play at The Queen’s. Tickets cost $15.  


Friday, May 16, 7 p.m.: Hip Hop for Paws is an all-ages show raising money for the Greater Victoria Animal Crusaders with The Broke Boys and Scott Monk at The Globe Live Studio. Tickets cost $20. 


Friday, May 16, 7 p.m.: Sunk City Fest: Mood:Lite, Earthball, Dollhead and Flatbed will play at Coaltown Est. 1868. A day pass is $30 and a three-day festival pass is $90.


Friday, May 16, 8 p.m.: Sunk City Fest: Live DJs, Coal Dust Gang, Rare-Earth Magnet, Freak Dream, Boosh and Slowscan will play at The Terminal. A day pass is $30 and a three-day festival pass is $90.


Saturday, May 17, 10:30 a.m.: Fiddelium and Folk Band will play a free concert at Diana Krall Plaza. They will then play short flash mob shows at locations around downtown and the Old City Quarter. 


Saturday, May 17, 1 p.m.: Sunk City Fest: Zoe The Strange, Dielectric, The Magyars, The Sheds, Ora Cogan, Dollhead, KMVP, Cat Valley and Pond Scum will play in Lois Lane. A day pass is $60 and a three-day festival pass is $90.


Saturday, May 17, 1 p.m.: Sunk City Fest: Isabella and The Sprouts, Factory of The Fool, Devours, Elbow Kiss and Spencer Krug will play at Sound Heritage. A day pass is $60 and a three-day festival pass is $90.


Saturday, May 17, 1 p.m.: Sunk City Fest: Yoga with Live Music (Alex and Cosmic Dust), a Kids Zone, A Small Sounder, Here and Now and the Sink or Swim Variety Show will take place at Mellow Drama Studio. A day pass is $60 and a three-day festival pass is $90.


Saturday, May 17, 6 p.m.: Sunk City Fest: Fishe Townsen, Output 1:1:1, Cat Piss, Eye Labia and NatLak will play at Coal Town Est. 1868.  A day pass is $60 and a three-day festival pass is $90.


Saturday, May 17, 6 p.m.: Sunk City Fest: Cavataca, C.R. Gillespie, Yawn, Easels, Avro and Drama Queen at The Vault Cafe. A day pass is $60 and a three-day festival pass is $90.


Saturday, May 17, 8 p.m.: Canadian punk legends Random Killing will play with Mother Fuckers, Awkward A/C, AK-47 and Smash TV at The Terminal. Tickets cost $20. 


Saturday, May 17, 8 p.m.: Nat Sponaugle and Wren Beckley will play The Nanaimo Bar. Tickets cost $10. 


Saturday, May 17, 9 p.m.: Sunk City Fest: Live DJs, Piu, Moonbean, Devours, and 2Girls1Daw will play at The Queen’s. A day pass is $60 and a three-day festival pass is $90.


Sunday, May 18, 1 p.m.: Sunk City Fest: Willie Trasher and Linda Saddleback, Niloo, Yawn, They Them Theirs, Vãyu, Pale Red, New Age Dolls, Hypno Jerk and Behaviours will play in Lois Lane. A day pass is $50 and a three-day festival pass is $90.


Sunday, May 18, 1 p.m.: Sunk City Fest: Yoga with Live Music (M-A and No Data), a Kids Zone, a how to chiptune workshop and Caveman and The Banshee Remix will take place at Mellow Drama Studio. A day pass is $50 and a three-day festival pass is $90.


Sunday, May 18, 2 p.m.: Sunk City Fest: Seasighed, Cat Valley, NatLak and Moonbean will play at Sound Heritage. A day pass is $50 and a three-day festival pass is $90.


Sunday, May 18, 7 p.m.: Mount Mural, Shoplifter, Nodata and Blush will play an all-ages show at The Globe Live Studio. Tickets cost $15.


🎭 View 🖼️

Friday, May 16, Noon: Take a lunchtime tour of the exhibit After Wrappers by artist-run flavour incubator Big Rock Candy Mountain at the Nanaimo Art Gallery. Tickets cost $5 or are free for members. 


Wednesday, May 14, 6 p.m.: In partnership with Mid Island Co-op, the British Columbia Co-operative Association will screen Building a Better Economy, a film exploring the economic and environmental challenges ahead — and how co-ops offer bold, community-driven solutions at the Beban Park Social Centre Lounge. Reserve your seat online.

 

Wednesday, May 14, 7:30 p.m.: Shadow puppet show Song of The North at The Port Theatre will tell the courageous tale of Manijeh, a heroine from ancient Persia, who must use all her strengths and talents to rescue her beloved, Bijan, from a perilous predicament of her own making and help prevent a war. Tickets cost $59.


⛹️ Meet 🎲

Saturday, May 17, 11 a.m.: Watch VIU students create the world’s largest Nanaimo bar at Vancouver Island University’s Windsor Plywood Trades Discovery Centre. 


Saturday, May 17, and Sunday, May 18, Noon to 6 p.m.: An artisan market will be held on Victoria Crescent in conjunction with the Sunk City Festival


Sunday, May 18, 1 p.m.: Make plasticine candy inspired by Big Rock Candy Mountain's exhibit After Wrappers at the Nanaimo Art Gallery. Tickets cost $5 or are free for members. 


Sunday, May 18, 1 p.m.: A memorial for children killed in Gaza will be held in Maffeo Sutton Park.








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