Here at the Victoria Ska & Reggae Festival we believe that Saturday night is a night for one thing – PARTYING. And with that in mind we're going all out for a soulful, punky, dubby Saturday night Funk party. Coming all the way from the land of the long white cloud, New Zealand reggae-funk-rockers THE BLACK SEEDS return to this side of the Pacific for the first time since they blew up Capital Ballroom as part of the festival in 2017. Longtime friends of our festival family and reggae lovers around the world, The Black Seeds are proof that the beating heart of reggae lies with the people, from whichever nation or part of the world they call home. For over two decades, The Black Seeds have been putting in the work and channeling the sound and heart of reggae, making some of the most diverse and dynamic reggae anywhere on the planet. It's been too long since we've seen our friends and we're excited to remedy that soon.

Getting things rowdy-rowdy with The Black Seeds is one of the most powerful live bands to ever blast out of the west coast, FIVE ALARM FUNK. If you've been around the west coast music scene for any amount of time, there's a good chance you've encountered the monster that is Five Alarm Funk. But for the uninitiated: Five Alarm Funk delivers a relentlessly pulsing show that radiates an energy unlike anything you've ever felt. Try not to dance at a Five Alarm Funk show and you will fail, for it is a truly impossible task. When Five Alarm Funk gets in front of an audience there is no choice but to take their lead and follow them into the groovy abyss, a place where feet move, asses shake and bodies sweat.

To keep the proceedings smooth, warm and remind you what love itself sounds like, we're excited to welcome back one of Canada's brightest, most dynamic soul singers, TANIKA CHARLES. Charles has been a roll since the last time she was on our stage, headlining Garden City Grooves 2024. Last year she released the highly acclaimed album Reasons to Stay, winning new fans and garnering seemingly unanimous critical praise. No matter what stripe of music fan you consider yourself, there are few quicker ways to fill your heart than a Tanika Charles set. We're bringing back our old friends, Vancouver's legendary ska rapscallions LOS FURIOSOne of the most high-energy bands Vancouver has ever birthed, Los Furios has been assaulting ear drums (positive) for 25 with their unique blend of punk, ska and reggae. They're gonna get this party blasting across the alkali flats in a jet-powered, monkey-navigated...well, you get the idea. Keeping our feet moving between sets for this Saturday night party is the mighty DJ KEMO. Expect the finest in Latin music, hip-hop, funk, reggae and soul when he's behind the 1s and 2s.