Cultivate Performing and Arts Festival 2026
Transatlantic Tides, Tunes, and Togetherness
💙 Huy tseep q’u—thank you—for an Incredible Cultivate 2026!🎶
What a weekend!
To everyone who joined us at the Gabriola Commons for Cultivate 2026—thank you for making this year’s festival such a memorable celebration of Transatlantic Tides, Tunes, and Togetherness.
From the joyful voices of Song Keepers, to the heartfelt welcome from Snuneymuxw Elder Dave Spirit Wolf Bodalyand the Salish Sisters, the enchanting sounds of Wild Little Spring, the powerful performance by NEAVV, the virtuosity of Oktopus, the transatlantic magic of ANEMARA, and the unforgettable festival finale with Blue Moon Marquee—every artist helped create a weekend filled with connection, discovery, and extraordinary music.
A heartfelt thank you to our volunteers, sponsors, food vendors, community partners, staff, board members, technicians, photographers, and everyone working behind the scenes. Your time, talent, and generosity made this festival possible.
Most of all, thank you to you—our audiences. Whether you travelled from across the island, across the Salish Sea, or simply down the road, your enthusiasm, dancing, singing, laughter, and support are what bring Cultivate to life.
We hope you made new memories, discovered a new favourite artist, shared a meal with friends, and left feeling inspired by the incredible community we’ve built together.
Until next time… thank you for celebrating the arts with us. 💙 We’ll see you at the 30th Anniversary Thanksgiving Studio Tour this fall!
Inclusivity Fund Contributers - Thank you!
💙 A special thank you to those of you who went above and beyond by contributing to our Inclusivity Fund.
Your generosity helped make Cultivate more accessible, ensuring that more people in our community could experience a weekend of exceptional music, connection, and creativity.
Your kindness reminds us that the arts are at their best when everyone has the opportunity to take part.
From all of us at the Gabriola Arts Council, thank you for helping us build a more welcoming and inclusive festival.
Hugs and heartfelt thanks to each of you. 🤗💙
About the Inclusivity Fund
Do you know about our Inclusivity Fund?
You can donate, or you can ask for assistance. The process is simple. Donate when you buy tickets.
If you would like assistance with ticket fees, call the office at (250) 247-7409 or visit www.artsgabriola.ca/inclusivity before you purchase your tickets to access inclusivity funding.
We are happy to help!
Cultivate 2026 in Photos
Thank you to our amazing Cultivate photographer, Bill Pope, for capturing so many memories. We will add new photos throughout the week. Keep checking back to relive Cultivate 2026!
Festival Schedule and Tickets
Saturday July 11
MATINEE | 4:00 - 5:00 PM | $20
SHINE
Song Keepers Community Sing-Along
Saturday July 11 | 4:00 - 5:00 PM
@ The Gabriola Commons
Led by Leah Hokanson, with musicians Ian Cox, Ken Lister, and Hans Verhoeven
Come on out and sing your hearts open with the Song Keepers Women’s Choir. Together our voices will spread more joy, peace and connection to our beautiful and turbulent world. “Listeners” are welcome too (although you may find singing hard to resist :). We will be joined by special guest musicians Ian Cox, keyboard; Ken Lister, bass; and Hans Verhoeven, drums.
Leah Hokanson, song leader: Community choir leader, composer, and certified sound healing practitioner exploring music, listening, and connection through Sound, Belonging & Wholeness. Learn more about Leah’s work.
Ian Cox, keyboard: Acclaimed jazz pianist, composer, and collaborator whose music has been performed internationally and featured at major festivals across Canada and beyond.
Ken Lister, bass: Juno Award-winning jazz bassist and educator with more than 40 years of performing, recording, and touring with leading artists in Canada and internationally.
Hans Verhoeven, drums & percussion: Versatile drummer and percussionist with jazz and classical degrees who has performed with many of Canada’s most celebrated musicians.
Saturday July 11
MAINSTAGE | 5:30 - 9:30 PM | $30
Cultivate Welcome
Saturday July 11 | 5:30 PM
@ The Gabriola Commons
With Snuneymuxw Elder Dave Spirit Wolf Bodaly, and Salish Sisters
Snuneymuxw elder and knowledge keeper Dave Spirit Wolf Bodaly, with the Salish Sisters, will bring song and drumming of this territory to welcome us to Cultivate in a good way.
Wild Little Spring
Saturday July 11 | 6:30 PM
@ The Gabriola Commons
Vicky Bowes and Mikey Swallow, joined by Gavin Reekie, Isobel Pearsall, and Jocelyn Hallett
Immersed in nature, ancient stones and folklore – Wild Little Spring’s songs aim to pull you into their world. Drawing from deep roots of the traditions and culture of the British isles, and combined with the supernatural grandeur of the wild Canadian west coast, their new album – ‘Lost to the Sea’ will take you on a journey through the seasons, across continents and beyond.
Wild Little Spring’s founding members – Mikey Swallow and Vicky Bowes – found their place on Gabriola Island BC, Canada in 2014 and have since endeavoured to live creative lives. Both practicing artists and musicians, Wild Little Spring has become the musical reflection of the subjects of their visual art and their love of travel. It has also served as an important element of re-connection with their homeland and culture.
Writing in both English and Welsh, Vicky’s lyrics take inspiration from the nature that surrounds her and the fantastical otherworld that we live alongside as myth, legend and folktale. Mikey’s accompanying vocal harmonies, ethereal, atmospheric guitar and percussion offer to transform the music to a deeper level of wild. More recently two new members have joined the band. Isobel Pearsall and Gavin Reekie, adding layers of violin, stand-up bass and vocals to fill out the songs with wonderful talent for magical live group performances.
NEAVV
Saturday July 11 | 8:00 pm
@ The Gabriola Commons
NEAVV is a Canadian alternative pop singer-songwriter and producer whose music is the perfect combination of guts, grief and glowing synths. With a master’s degree in opera performance, she brings a powerful vocal presence to her sharp, vulnerable lyrics, blending indie-pop edge with mainstream polish.
NEAVV began releasing music in 2018 after performing for years as GRAY. Her debut album Fall Hard. Get Sad., produced by longtime collaborator Devrim Eldelekli, received early industry support from Dan Kurtz (Dragonette) and David Bendeth (Paramore). Since then, her music has landed in film and television, played on Canadian mainstream radio, charted in the top 10 of US college radio, won international songwriting competitions and her collaboration “All or Nothing” with Anki and October Child racked up millions of streams and support from global DJs like Tiësto and Don Diablo.
She has shared the stage with acts like Dear Rouge, Mother Mother, and Bedouin Soundclash, and has performed at notable Canadian venues and festivals. After years in Toronto’s music scene, NEAVV relocated to Gabriola Island at the start of the pandemic and began producing her own music, releasing a string of powerful, self-produced singles.
NEAVV is currently deep in the production of her sophomore album, set for release in early 2027.
Learn more about NEAVV and listen online at www.neavv.com
Sunday July 12
MATINEE | 4:00 - 5:10 PM | $20
Oktopus performs Brahms, Balkans & Bagels
Sunday July 12 | 4:00 - 5:15 PM
@ The Gabriola Commons
Brahms, Balkans & Bagels delves into how folk music inspired some of the greatest classical composers. How did Hungarian folk melodies transform Franz Liszt? What echoes of klezmer can be heard in Gustav Mahler’s works? How did Zoltán Kodály preserve the flavors of peasant songs in his symphonic writing? In this vibrant program, classical and folk traditions intertwine through moving and virtuosic arrangements, with klezmer music serving as a unifying thread—punctuated by its dances, inflections, and ornaments.
Oktopus stands as a major voice in Canada’s world-music scene, with nearly 350 performances at home and abroad. The octet, dedicated to klezmer music, sets itself apart with a distinctive approach blending classical, Québécois, and jazz influences. Praised for the quality of their performances and the sophistication of their arrangements, Oktopus has earned numerous national and international awards. Their concerts are passionate and virtuosic, peppered with humor and storytelling. Melancholy airs—echoes of centuries of exile—give way to boundless celebration. Rooted in klezmer, Oktopus extends its branches into Brahms, Kodály, and Mahler, as well as Leclerc, Vigneault, and the freedom of jazz improvisation.
Learn more about Oktopus and listen online at https://www.oktopus.ca
Follow Oktopus on Instagram at @oktopusband and on Facebook at @groupeoktopus
This festival appearance is generously supported by:
Sunday July 12
MAINSTAGE | 6:15 - 9:00 PM | $40
ANEMARA
Sunday July 12 | 6:30 PM
@ The Gabriola Commons
Bringing together four acclaimed musicians from Canada and Sweden, ANEMARA is a dynamic collaboration, merging traditional and original music from both sides of the Atlantic. With two fiddles, harp, cello, stepdance, and four-part vocal harmonies, the quartet weaves a powerfully rhythmic and textured sound.
First joining forces in Glasgow, ANEMARA invites listeners into a rich soundscape of vibrant compositions inspired by their Nordic, Celtic, and Canadian roots. The name ANEMARA isinspired by the word “Anemoi” (gods of the four winds), and the Gaelic word “Mara” (of the sea), representing the quartet’s cross-Atlantic connection. With captivating melodies and energetic rhythms, their notes swirl across the ocean and meet in a lively dance.
Featuring award-winning artists, Jocelyn Pettit (CAN), Lea Kirstein (CAN), Kristina Leesik (SWE/UK), and Justyna Krzyżanowska (SWE), the members have collectively received over 15 recognitions at the Canadian Folk Music Awards, Western Canadian Music Awards, International Acoustic Music Awards, Celtic Connections Danny Kyle Awards, and Zorn Folk
Music Awards (‘Riksspelman’ prestigious title for master Swedish folk musicians).
ANEMARA has toured in Sweden and the UK, performing at notable festivals including Urkult Festival, Medeltidsveckan, and Celtic Connections. They have been broadcast on Swedish National Radio P2 and reviewed in local media. Learn more about ANEMARA and listen online at anemaraband.com
Blue Moon Marquee
Sunday July 12 | 8:00 PM
@ The Gabriola Commons
Blue Moon Marquee writes and performs original compositions influenced by anything that swings, jumps or grooves. A.W. Cardinal (vocals/guitar) and Jasmine Colette a.k.a. Badlands Jass (vocals/bass/drums) have played for a vast gamut of crowds at jazz clubs, Lindy Hop dance halls, folk venues, blues haunts, hospitals, prisons, markets, motorcycle joints, dive bars and prestigious festival stages.
Colette not only commands the upright bass but also brings the rhythm with her feet on a custom foot drum kit, all while singing in her signature honey-dipped tone. Cardinal’s distinctive and soulful vocals barrel out like a raging bull while his guitar crackles with the swinging energy of jazz-tinged blues.
The result of 9 years of rigorous touring, crisscrossing Europe and North America, is a distinct energy and style from this acclaimed duo. Carving a path through blues, jazz, jump jive, folk, country, swing, and Indigenous soul with an authentic spirit, their sound does not idle easily in one certain category. It stomps and struts through the wilds, conjuring a blend where Howlin’ Wolf tangos with Django, Earnest Tubb shoots firecrackers with Cab Calloway, and Memphis Minnie throws dice with Screamin’ Jay Hawkins.
Their gift is bringing all these elements together without anything sounding out of step. They collect the roots and smoothly braid them with lyrics that often touch on the underbelly of society, woven with elements of Indigenous storytelling and poetic cadence. Unbound by genre or era, Blue Moon Marquee has an edge that demands you take notice. With an authentic mixture of tempo, melody and imagery, they are timeless artists perfect for this time.
Learn more about Blue Moon Marquee and listen online at bluemoonmarquee.com
Follow Blue Moon Marquee on Instagram and Facebook at @bluemoonmarquee
Contribute to Cultivate 2026!
This festival is made possible by:
Supported by the Province of British Columbia
