Garden Grooves Festival 2026 – Night One sets the tone for the weekend on Thursday, March 19th, with a boundary-pushing celebration of Indigenous creativity, genre-blending, and community-rooted sound. This opening night showcases why Garden Grooves is unlike any other festival — a space where hip-hop, roots, reggae, rock, soul, and ceremonial storytelling collide, and where artists are presented not by category, but by connection, intention, and shared cultural resonance.

Leading the night is The Melawmen Collective, a Secwepemc alternative fusion ensemble whose name means “medicine,” reflecting their belief in music as healing. Blending hip-hop, rock, folk, and rich harmonies, the Collective delivers powerful intergenerational stories of resilience, identity, and belonging. The evening also features Kiva MH, a Secwepemc/Nuu-Chah-Nulth hip-hop artist and producer whose conscious lyricism bridges ceremony and modern rhythm, alongside Kapok, a Vancouver-based Indigenous Mayan emcee known for deep roots in underground hip-hop and collaborations with legends from De La Soul to Slum Village.

Rounding out the night are The Spiritual Warriors from the Lil’wat Nation, led by father-daughter duo Leroy Joe and Daisy Joe. Known for uplifting, bilingual performances grounded in land, language, and community, the Warriors will present a special blues, hip-hop, and soul-infused set created exclusively for Garden Grooves. Together, these artists embody the festival’s commitment to diversity, collaboration, and unforgettable live experiences — making Night One a powerful statement of what Garden Grooves is all about.