The much-anticipated day has arrived! Rifflandia has officially announced their lineup for 2025’s festival.
This year’s lineup includes several international giants, some nostalgic juggernauts and an array of Canadian talent of all genres.
“It’s our 15th year, and we’re doing it better than ever—whether you’re here for the throwbacks, the club beats, or the indie gems, there’s something for everyone in this year’s lineup,” wrote a Rifflandia spokesperson in a media release.
On the recently reinstated Thursday night at Rifflandia, Maribou State will be the main headliner.
Maribou State hail from the UK and perform electronic music that blends atmospheric production with organic instrumentation.
The rest of Thursday’s lineup is largely electronic acts, and includes TroyBoi, AHEE, Mary Droppinz, Mat The Alien, Pigeon Hole, Abstrakt Sonance, Prayer, Handz and Dust Cwaine.
Additionally, The Victoria Symphony will be playing a full set of Daft Punk songs on Thursday night.
Friday brings some of the North American music industry’s biggest heavy hitters to Victoria with Public Enemy as the main headliner, but the Descendents, Shaky Graves and Macy Gray will also be performing.
Public Enemy are one of modern hip-hop’s pioneering groups, who formed in 1985 and are led by Chuck D and the iconic Flavor Flav.
The Descendents formed in 1977, in Manhattan Beach, California, and helped shape what the pop-punk genre has become.
Other acts playing the Friday night will include The Funk Hunters feat. Chali 2na, WHIPPED CREAM, Hollow Coves, ProbCause (DJ Set), OMBIIGIZI, Handsome Tiger, Thomas Anthony, Return Of The Jaded and Canadian Beauty.
Saturday’s lineup brings with it some more hip-hop and punk legends.
NxWorries—comprised of Anderson .Paak and Knxwledge—has been announced as the night’s main headliner, while Sleater-Kinney will also be taking the stage at Riff.
Vocalist Anderson .Paak and producer Knxwledge formed NxWorries in 2015, and have released two albums since, Yes Lawd! (2016) and Why Lawd? (2024), which recently won the Grammy for Best Progressive R&B Album.
Emerging out of the riot grrrl movement in 1994, Sleater-Kinney is an American punk-rock band from Olympia, Washington. The band is led by Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein, who many people may know from the sketch comedy show Portlandia.
Additional artists announced to perform at Riff on Saturday are The Dead South, JP Saxe, Billianne, Phibes, TVBOO, Krafty Kuts, Fort Knox Five, Mood Swing & Chevy Bass, Wyatt C. Louis, Westwood In The Dome, Control Room, The Choirs YYJ does Radiohead, Frog Eyes, Stund, Naturalist, T3MPR and S@M I @M b2b Steph Tsunami.
Current Canadian legends are the theme of Sunday’s lineup at Rifflandia, with Alessia Cara, Charlotte Cardin and Walk Off The Earth being the big names of the night.
Additional artists and bands performing the closing day of Rifflandia will be William Prince, Taiki Nulight, Dirtwire, Honeycomb, Hoang, Jake Vaadeland & The Sturgeon River Boys, Cadence Weapon (DJ Set), The Choirs YYJ does Divas, oncor, GRIIMM, DJ Boitano and DJ Dabbler.
Related:
With the main headliners and artists having now been announced, Rifflandia says that the next announcement people can look forward to are the comedians who will be performing at this year’s Lafflandia stage.
All ticket types will go on sale on Friday, May 9th at 8 a.m.
There will be single day tickets for every day of the festival, along with the classic ‘Super Pass’ that gets festival-goers into Riff every day, a VIP pass with extra perks, kid passes as well as friend and family passes.
Another new endeavour by the Rifflandia team is the ‘Give Where You Riff’ community give-back program, in which the festival teamed up with 15 local organizations, allowing people to donate 15% of their ticket purchase to the organization of their choice.
Rifflandia will take place from Thursday, September 11th, to Sunday, September 14th at the Matullia Lands in Rock Bay.
