WILLOW ISLAND BOAT LAUNCH, FRIDAY SEPT 4, 2026
7:30PM DANCE SHOW STARTS AT SUNSET (7:45pm) FREE & ALL AGES - Costumes Encouraged!
SWAMP FEST OPENING CEREMONIES:
With the Swamp Fest marching band, Swamp Dance Troupe & more!
Join us for the third-annual, Swamp Fest Opening Ceremonies. To officially start Swamp Fest events, the elusive Swamp Portal must be opened, and the Toxic Algae Blob must be coaxed out from the realm of the slimy and into... the less than slimy. A cast of strange and beautiful creatures will attempt to lure the swamp monster out from its place of scummy slumber through dance, music and possibly bribery. Could you be one of them?
Come to the Willow Island Boat Launch in your swampiest attire and join the fun! (Costumes strongly encouraged!)
Come to the Willow Island Boat Launch in your swampiest attire and join the fun! (Costumes strongly encouraged!)
CURE KITCHEN + BAR, FRIDAY SEPT 4TH
DOORS AT 8, $15 @ THE DOOR, 19+
KOYOTKOYOT is a progressive rock band from Regina, Saskatchewan, blending atmospheric soundscapes with emotionally charged songwriting. KOYOT’s music carries honest storytelling while pushing into expansive, genre-bending territory. Drawing inspiration from modern indie, alt rock, folk, classic psychedelia, and the diverse musical histories of the Prairies, KOYOT crafts a sound that is both immersive and familiar.
@koyot_music |
Tiny ToesA sound that sounds like gurgling sounds. However this might be, it is certain that they worshipped a sea-green stone idol chiseled in the likeness of Bokrog, the great-water lizard.
@tinytoesband |
Set PieceSet Piece is a new group formed at the start of 2024 featuring members of The Jump Off and Black Thunder. Taking their name from the most elaborate sequence in a film, Set Piece draws influence from the raw aggression of 90s post-hardcore (Drive Like Jehu, Unwound), meshing it with the rhythms, textures, and pop sensibilities of 80s post-punk and new wave (Wire, Devo). Set Piece released a self-titled EP in 2025 and are currently working on their debut full-length album planned for 2027.
. @setpieceband |
WILLOW ISLAND - SATURDAY SEPT 5TH
FERRY STARTS AT 1:30PM, $50 or with Festival pass, all ages
Tommy the Bandthe weird girls in the back of your high school art class, now extra swampy.
we're coming to you. we are tommy the band. @tommytheband |
Mr Moya treeMr. Moya tree is a greasy, sleezy trio full of wild and fun banter and even crazier improvisational jams. If you see this band, all of your wildest dreams will come true, even those ones.
@mrmoyamusic |
P. Burns &
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FoxwellFoxwell is a psych-pop band with a new wave bent from Winnipeg, MB. Sparkling synthesizers, and fuzzed-out guitars pair with celestial cello and flute to provide the backdrop for tales of historical figures, pining for the idyll, and the general malaise of life in contemporary society.
@foxwelltheband 
Birds Are DinosaursBirds Are Dinosaurs are an instrumental post-prog-rock band that formed shortly after the conclusion of the Big Dig from the same atoms produced by the Big Bang. After laying dormant in Wascana Lake for 15 years the group will reform on Willow Island to vibrate the air between the speaker and your ear.
@birds.are.dinosaurs.band |
BA JohnstonBA Johnston is the worlds oldest showman, he has been playing shows since the dawn of time, wearing ardene tights.
@oldbajohnston 
Ginger BeefProudly representing Calgary (AB) like their namesake dish, Ginger Beef is the JUNO-nominated instrumental pop collaboration of the husband and wife team of virtuosic flutist Jiajia Li and veteran producer/multi-instrumentalist Warren Tse (AKA MSG). Pulling from jazz-adjacent retro rock and Chinese influences, East meets West as this pop artifact balances catchy melodies and deep grooves.
@gingerbeefband |
CURE KITCHEN + BAR, SATURDAY SEPT 5TH
DOOR AT 9:30, $20 @ THE DOOR, 19+
TrismegistusTrismegistus is a stoner rock band from Lethbridge, AB. Providing heavy riffs, psychedelic soundscapes and grunge vocals.
@trismegistusisdead |
Glitter RatA strange man with an untraceable European accent hands you an old tape, It's Glitter Rat: synth-driven dance punk you did not ask for. No time for shame — we're just out for a good time. You look up from your Walkman; the man is gone. You've stumbled into a weird club, the dance floor calls to you...
@glitterratofficial |
HoodooHoodoo is a 5-piece band from Regina known for their high energy live performances, gritty instrumental grooves and ‘kick you in your teeth’ lyrics. Blending hip-hop, metal and funk, this band refuses to be confined to a single genre. If Rage Against the Machine and Beastie Boys had a kid who was raised by uncle Sabbath, the result would be Hoodoo.
@hoodoomafia |
WILLOW ISLAND - SUNDAY SEPT 7TH
FERRY STARTS AT 1:00PM, $50 or with Festival pass, all ages
Drone WorkshopSee an assortment of swamp fest performers and other swamp adjacent creatures for an all ages friendly drone set to open Sunday on Willow Island. Start your day with vibes.
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bitbitbitbitbitbit is the eclectic and nostalgic electronic project you just can't predict! gender and genre non-conforming, you may have seen bitbitbit backstage at Swampfest helping T.A.B. beat an especially difficult level of Battletoads. bitbitbit is excited to be on the stage this year helping to fill the swamp with bleeps, bloops and chippy, glitchy tunes.
@bitbitbitmusic |
BurrowDown in the Swamp there is a Burrow. Down in that Burrow lives Burrow, Emma, Theo, Slayte and Joe. They play songs that people think are sad but really aren't.
@burrowtheband
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$l33py_boy_bazingaSemi-earnest punky country folky songs composed by a fellow who simply sees the value in a good snooze. Is that so wrong? $l33py_boy_bazinga is the solo project of Jaxon Lalonde, who tours internationally playing banjo with Jake Vaadeland.
@sl33py_boy_bazinga |
Kiera Dall’OstoKiera Dall’Osto comes from the tropical swamps of Queensland, Australia. She makes her triumphant return to the Prairies music scene with fellow song-makers and heavy-harmony-hitters Ellen Froese & Sam Corbett. Their songs are like swamp mist—earthy, soulful, and sometimes stanky.
@KieraDallOsto |
Special CostelloSpecial Costello slurgs it's way back to the Swamp! Let loose from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Jer (also of Fiver and Civilians) has a few songs they'd like to sing for the denizens of the wetlands. Feel free to expect plaintive cries, lush synths, bass scraelings, and nervously delivered one liners.
@specialcostello |
Ellen FroeseAt this point in Ellen Froese’s career, with 5 full-length albums and many international tours under her belt, her newest album 'Solitary Songs' showcases Froese digging for the feeling of “just making music for the joy of it, like when I was a kid”, and getting your friends on board for some cheeky country-folk tunes. And nobody does those quite like Ellen Froese.
@skelliefroese |
Fiver with the Fiver TroisFile Fiver with the Fiver Trois under Prog Country. Striking equal tones of appalled and enthralled, this is full spectrum music that sprawls out in to buoyant jams. Schmidt is currently based in the swamp lands of the Chignecto Isthmus in Mi’kma’ki and is relieved to be back in a Swamp.
@fiverfines |
