Salty Hearts Music Festival (May 1/2 2026)
(Wanted to throw this one to the network for feedback) Let's talk about Salty, coming up on May 1ā2. Last year, we braved one of Bamfieldās biggest early spring storms in March and still delivered an amazing event that the locals and many enjoyed. We have had requests locally to do it again. Yes, we had a few hiccupsālike that hotel hot water situation and some production issues due to weather and fatigueābut in the end, everyone had a fantastic time. Last year, as a first-year festival, we ended up in the red financially. We want to avoid that this year. Thatās part of the reason weāve shifted the date from mid-March to May. Itās a significant change in timing, and weāre hoping it makes a big difference. Ultimately, the eventās viability really depends on about 60ā70% of attendees being up for camping at Pachena Bay. May 1ā2 is still in the shoulder season, so camping and rental costs are much lower than during Pachena. A few thoughts weāve been having about what contributed to the difficulty in attendance: - The time of year was brutal. The weather was nasty, so no last min fomo sales - Lots of local accommodations werenāt available due to it being too early - Spring break and it being 19plus - We focused on live music more (due to being in the middle of Bamfield with the main stage and wanting to design an event more akin to Woodstove or Song & Surf) The changes (for those who were there) would be: - Way better time of year - Triple the production down at Pachena and making the campsite a much bigger focus with lots to do - Bringing in a bit more electronic music to the campsite and throughout - Opening up the event to all ages Iād love to hear your feedback and thoughts on how to make this yearās edition stronger and more sustainable. Letās make it happen. Cheers, Ben