Victoria's 27th Annual Ska & Reggae Festival kicks off with a completely stacked show that will keep everyone moving and grooving from open until close. Headlining this huge kickoff show is powerhouse Brazilian singer and multi-instrumentalist BIA FERREIRA. The self-proclaimed Pastor of the Lesbiterian Church, Ferreira is a musical force of nature. Playing her own mix of funk, r&b, reggae and soul, with a captivating stage presence, her songs are powerful and clear, often directly addressing affecting and important topics like racism, women's rights and LBTQA+ rights. We are excited to welcome this powerful voice to Victoria for the first time.

Also making their Victoria debut for our opening night is Italy's TRAIN TO ROOTS. Hailing from the from the island of Sardinia, Train to Roots is a testament to the truly worldwide influence and cross-cultural impact of reggae music. For over 20 years, Train to Roots has been delighting reggae fans across Europe with their propulsive and engaging live shows, featuring not one, not two, but three vocalists - Paolinho, Bujumannu and Rootsman I. Joining the party by way of Mexico & Colombia are our friends TRIPPYCALS, who many of our Victoria massive might remember from their appearance before The Wailers at Royal Athletic Park this past September. Their tropical rhythms and spicy grooves got the stage so hot, we knew right away we were going to have them back with us sooner rather than later. Kicking off the festival and opening the day is one of the Island's most exciting and diverse acts, ALPHA CENTAURI. The genre-smashing singer/MC has had highlight sets not just for us – at Garden City Grooves and Explosive Germinations – and it's about time he and his band took our Ship Point stage on a journey. If it's funky and groovy, you can expect that you might hear some of it in an Alpha Centauri set. We will have the mighty Dave O Rama and his schizophonic ear to keep things tasty and bouncy between sets. Come join us for one of the dopest nights of music to hit Victoria in some time.