This year proved that the falling Canadian dollar and rainy weather couldn’t slow the surging Pemberton Music Festival. 

Photo Credit: Matt Szymkow.Arkells perform in Pemberton.

Huka Entertainment’s 2016 incarnation set a record for attendance this past weekend with nearly 180,000 people passing through the gates over the four -day event. 

Contributing factors could have been the rival Squamish Valley Music Festival cancelling this year’s event or the heavily weighted hip-hop and EDM lineup that potentially boosted the attendance numbers.

Photo Credit: Matt Szymkow.Wiz Khalifa.

Festival goers were concerned this year with a potential lack of talent due to the low Canadian Dollar hurting the buying power of festivals north of the 49th.

Fortunately, this year did not disappoint with a youthful lineup.

Photo Credit: Matt Szymkow.Festival goers posing in their matching attire.

Pemberton Music Festival was still able to offer a nice variety of other genres of music as well its always great comedy draw. Diversity is important in succeeding in the festival circuit.

Photo Credit: Matt Szymkow.Cheech and Chong performing at the Pemberton Music Festival

Regardless of whatever contributed to this year’s success for the festival, it is clear this destination style event in gaining popularity from festival goers all around the globe.

Photo Credit: Matt Szymkow.Billy Idol.

Music festivals are a bubble about to burst with an abundant amount of options to choose from in our province.

Photo Credit: Matt Szymkow.

Local festivals have struggled or have been outright cancelled in the last couple years. With that being said, Pemberton Music Festival does many things right. It is away from the general population of an urban centre, traffic is streamlined with onsite camping as well the option of shuttle services to and from Whistler.

Photo Credit: Matt Szymkow.Crowds feeling the beats of DJ Snake.

Of course, there are still growing pains to be ironed out, but they are on the right track.