Here’s a reason to start yelling “pick it up, pick it up” at your computer — with summer festival season about to kick off, the long-running Victoria Ska & Reggae Festival has just announced the lineup for its 16th edition.
This year, the festival has added “& Reggae” to its title. That’s not just because the lineup is different this year — in a press release, organizers explained that the title was expanded “to better reflect the programming of not only this year, but years past.”
That much is certainly true with the fest’s 2015 lineup, which runs the gamut from straight-up reggae and roots reggae through pop, funk and, of course, various waves of ska music. Headliners include Mustard Plug, Hepcat, Morgan Heritage, Third World, the Slackers, and Keith & Tex (who will perform with the Slackers as their backing band).
The lineup is rounded out by an enormous list of performers: Dubmatix, Clinton Fearon, Kobo Town, the Boom Booms, De Bruces A Mi, Dope Soda, Kutapira, Arise Roots, the Leg Up Program, Tasman Jude, the Red, Gold and Green Machine, Hillside Hooligans, DJ Dubconscious, Def 3, Whitey, Downtown Mischief, Tank Gyal, Dia-nos, Sweetleaf, Kristie McCracken, Blackwood Kings, DJ Anger, Ydna Murd, Boomshack, MC Unite! and Su Comandante Espinoza.
The Victoria Ska & Reggae Festival runs from July 1 to 5 at various venues around Victoria. For more information, as well as a link to buy tickets, visit the fest’s official website.