Festival Artists 2025
Join us for a weekend celebration of world-class performances at the 48th Annual Vancouver Folk Music Festival at ʔəy̓alməxʷ Jericho Beach Park! Our incredible festival lineup features 40+ artists, representing the best of contemporary roots and blues, indie folk, and world music.
Browse this listing to learn more about all the artists who will be gathering at the beach for VFMF. Grab your Weekend Pass now to soak in the sounds at one of the city’s more iconic and inclusive summer events.
African Chamber Music Ensemble
Innovative musical project that reimagines African traditions through a classical lens.
Bab L’ Bluz
Moroccan-French rock duo are reinventing North African blues with an amped up sound that crosses musical borders.
Bamba Wassoulou Groove
Guitar-driven modern Malian sound that mixes Mandé-style music with Afro-Cuban influences.
Bel & Quinn
An all-women sextet blending jazz, R&B, and soul with the rich rhythms and musical influences of Haiti and Martinique.
Blue Moon Marquee
A joyous mash up of jump jive, country swing, blues and Indigenous soul from this Cowichan Valley quartet.
Cris Derksen
Cellist/composer intertwines her classical background and Indigenous roots to deliver a genre-defying electronic sound.
Derek Gripper & Guy Buttery
Virtuosic guitar duo will take us around the world with their musical inventions.
Eilen Jewell
Blending western swing, honky tonk, and blues, this singer-songwriter creates her own distinct alt-country sound.
Elisapie
Inuk singer-songwriter creates deeply personal and highly evocative music preserving both her homeland and Indigenous language.
Emily Wurramara
One of a new wave of Indigenous Australian blues and roots musicians who are reclaiming their language and culture.
Haram
Arabic music, from Iraqi folk to Egyptian radio music is lovingly reinterpreted by some of Vancouver’s most creative musicians.
The Heavy Heavy
Sun-drenched sound rich with four-part harmonies, fuzzed-out guitar, and magnetic vocals that is perfect for a summer day in the park.
Jake Xerxes Fussell
With a deep affinity for traditional folk music, this singer/guitarist creates wistful, old-time music that speaks across boundaries of time and space.
Jane Siberry with Rebecca Jenkins
Canadian indie legend creates pure, hauntingly beautiful songs with her signature voice.
Julian Taylor
Songs about righteousness, acceptance, and enlightenment, that captures elements of country blues, rockabilly, and indie pop-rock.
Kellie Loder
Grounded in the musical legacy of Newfoundland & Labrador, they are a star on the rise in the Canadian folk music scene.
Kris Drever
Leading light on the UK roots scene with a guitar style that blends traditional folk with more contemporary influences.
Krystle Dos Santos and Orchard Sky
A musical project that draws on the rich connection between country and Black music.
The Langan Band
Distinctive sound that weaves trad Scottish themes, eastern European melodies with hints of flamenco, punk abandon, and whisky dirges.
Lennie Gallant
Powerful storytelling and a blend of Americana, folk and rock with this iconic singer-songwriter from Canada’s East Coast.
Locarno
Latin fusion band that delivers a high-energy party mix of Mexican folk, Colombian son, and African rhythms.
Les Mamans du Congo x Rrobin
A bold musical Congolese collaboration that mixes traditional beats with electronic dance music.
Marcus Mosely and Friends
Rooted in the spirit of freedom fighter songs, this project combines elements of Gospel, protest, jubilee, and blues music.
Margaret Glaspy
One of indie rock’s most emotionally incisive songwriters, known for her raw, stripped-down sound.
Marin Patenaude
A genre-blurring Vancouver artist with a spellbinding voice and candid, heartfelt songwriting.
Meredith Moon
Fusing folk-punk energy with Appalachian roots, this singer-songwriter delivers powerhouse vocals over clawhammer banjo.
The Milk Carton Kids
Combining elements of folk, Americana, and bluegrass, the duo layer rich harmonies and acoustic guitar work with poetic lyrics.
Mimi O’Bonsawin
Acoustic-driven arrangements with soulful melodies and percussion harmonies that let you feel the music.
Nico Paulo
Bridging emotional intimacy and sonic sophistication, she is a distinct voice in Canada’s country music scene.
Ocie Elliott
With a devoted following, the pair is praised for their warm, reflective sound and undeniable chemistry.
On the Beach: Neil Young Reimagined
Iconic album by legendary Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and activist is given a new take by a lineup of festival artists.
Rich Hope
Expect a high-energy performance that shakes, rattles and rolls from this Vancouver-based blues, rock, and soul artist.
Rumbaristas
A pan-European musical quartet that mixes equal parts Latin-American rumba with Balkan melodies.
Ruthie Foster
Soul, blues, gospel, and folk music all come together in a single powerhouse voice with this much celebrated artist.
Samantha Parton
Poignant songwriting and a distinctive vocal style from one of the founding member of the alt-folk/bluegrass group The Be Good Tanyas.
Shooglenifty
Revitalizing Scottish folk music and filling dance floors with their fusion of lively Celtic tunes and driving beats of dub and electronica.
Speeding West
Bi-coastal quartet that melds country, rockabilly, and jazz to stretch the boundaries of country swing.
Sue Foley
One of the finest blues and roots artists working today, she is renowned for her intricate acoustic guitar picking.
TEKE::TEKE
Montreal-based Japanese psych-rock group unite traditional sounds with surf guitar, punk, Afrobeat, for a truly eclectic treat!
VÍÍK
Finely tuned Scandi-soundcapes with mythic performance power from this five-piece Nordic ensemble.
Watchhouse
Modern folk is retold with introspective lyrics, acoustic textures, and heartfelt harmonies by this North Carolina duo.
Willi Carlisle
Multi-instrumentalist and storyteller who weaves songs that veer from wild humour to profound pathos.
Ye Vagabonds
Reimagining trad folk songs for the modern times in a band fronted by the brothers Mac Gloinn.
The Zawose Queens
Dance-driven duo from Tanzania who are taking the traditional and turning it techno!
Thanks to our team of volunteer writers who put together the artist bios, giving us a small insight into these incredible artists. Thank you to Nou Dadoun, Douglas Heselgrave, Ann McDonell, Erin Mullan, Larry Pellizzari, Darrell Stables, and Zoe Quinn.