Victoria Ska & Reggae Festival is honoured to welcome one of modern hip-hop's true titans on the mic, BROTHER ALI, back to Victoria for the first time in 6 years and for the first time on our stage. Ever since his first release on the legendary Rhymesayers label more than 20 years ago, Brother Ali has represented the most powerful aspects of hip-hop and hip-hop culture. Possessing one of the smoothest flows in rap, he delivers his deeply thoughtful, often times brilliant and sometimes hilarious, rhymes with an unmatched passion and joy. His shows are literal celebrations of life – the glory and love, the struggle and despair, all of it. A community activist and speaker, when Brother Ali is on stage with a mic in his hand, he knows how to connect with the people in front of him.

Also taking the Victoria Ska & Reggae Fest stage for the first time is Canada's most-beloved DJs and musical innovators, KID KOALA.. In the vast world of scratching, there are few scratchers who use turntables like an instrument the way Kid Koala does. His sets traverse genres and perform a delicate balance of pleasingly familiar music and thrillingly new ideas and deliveries. His precise, lightning-fast cuts combined with his endlessly creative musical mind, have made him an endearing legend, bringing fans of all musical genres together and showing them how it all fits together even if it seems like it might not. Getting things going and keep the proceedings hot between Ali and Koala is the power duo DJ ANGER + KING BENZ. Their big, energetic mix of electronic beats and hard-hitting rap hit the Curling Club in a big way during last year's festival and we knew we had to bring 'em back for another go. The night will also features from visuals from the uber-talented VJ Kinotropy, to delight your eyes as well as your ears.

Come, One and all! To one of the straight-up coolest evenings of music on the schedule this year.