Plan Your Journey

Shambhala Music Festival is an alcohol-free event. Any found in searches will be confiscated and dumped. Not only does the no alcohol policy make the festival safer – it creates a better vibe.

No campfires or open flames of any kind are permitted on the Salmo River Ranch. It is extremely dry during the summer and provincial fire bans are regularly in effect. Do not bring candles, fireworks, fire poi/hoops/other fire toys, fuel (white gas), tiki torches, propane-powered heaters or propane campfires. You may bring cooking devices (Jet boil, propane camp stoves) but please exercise caution when cooking.

We encourage you to use LED and solar light options to light up your camp at night.

Smokers, please ensure you bring a pocket ashtray or other small container to dispose of butts. Do not toss your butts on the ground, it could easily start a fire.

All types of liquid fuel in open-nozzle containers are banned, including white gas, kerosene, gasoline in jerry cans, and any other forms of combustible liquid fuel. Refillable propane tanks are permitted.

Propane or butane cookstoves and containers are permitted. Do not leave camp stoves unattended. Gas-powered fire pits, barbecues, and anything else with an open flame are banned and will be confiscated.

Use of generators, including those built into RVs are prohibited at Shambhala Music Festival. Generators create noise and air pollution, and are not suited for our tightly-packed campgrounds.

There is no public access to electricity for personal care (ie: hair dryers) at the Salmo River Ranch. You can charge your phone at the General Store.

If you need electricity to charge your electric wheelchair, or have another medical device that requires power, please contact us at info@shambhalamusicfestival.com so we can arrange access for you. View info on ShambAbled Camping below in the Camping and Parking section.

Glass is banned to protect our guests, as well as our beloved cows, horses, ponies, donkeys and dogs who roam the Salmo River Ranch before and after the festivities. Banned glass items include large mirrors, drink containers, decorative glassware, etc.

Small jars of food (jam, condiments, pickles) are ok, but must be kept inside your camp, though we do recommend transferring these items into small, reusable containers.

No handheld laser pointers are permitted. Laser pointers can very seriously damage someone’s vision, they do not belong on the dancefloor at eye level.

Matters involving illegal substances will be turned over to the RCMP.

Only authorized Shambhala Music Festival drivers can operate motorized vehicles during the festival. The motorized vehicle ban includes minibikes, golf carts, ATVs, dirtbikes, and any other motorized items. We encourage pedal-powered transportation. Bring your bike.

Drones, quadcopters, and other magical flying machines are also banned, and will be confiscated by security if found.

Festivals are not a suitable environment for pets. Leave your pet at home in the care of someone who loves them or make other boarding arrangements. Kennels in the West Kootenay area book up very quickly for the summer months, so be sure to make arrangements for your pet well in advance if you want them to stay in our area. Guests who arrive with a pet (including dogs, cats, birds, rats, etc) will not be given access to the festival, no exceptions.

Legally recognized service animals are permitted, but must be pre-registered with us and must be approved by the landowners prior to arrival. Additionally, all service animals attending the festival must be certified in BC, even if they do not reside here. More information is available here

Emotional support animals, therapy animals, and comfort animals are NOT permitted.

Weapons of any kind are not permitted at Shambhala Music Festival. This includes machetes, knives (including swiss army knives / leatherman tools with blades), swords, guns, axes, baseball bats, etc. Anything that could potentially harm another guest can be considered a weapon. Cooking knives must be under 6 inches.

At Shambhala Music Festival we do not tolerate hate speech of any kind. If you display images or symbols that represent hate, including but not limited to signs, totems, flags or attire, you will be immediately asked to leave.

We welcome each and every human being with open arms on the farm regardless of their ability, sexual orientation, gender, sex, age, race, colour, ancestry, aboriginal status, ethnic origin, place of origin, citizenship, marital and family status, immigrant status, political affiliation, religious affiliation, creed, level of literacy, or language.

If guests notice any signs, totems, etc that display concerning messaging as mentioned above, please notify a Shambhala Music Festival staff member immediately.

Granted that it is not alcohol, drugs or paraphernalia, we will do our best to return confiscated items after the show. However, there is 100% no guarantee that you will get your items back. Shambhala Music Festival does not take responsibility for lost or damaged items. We have hundreds and hundreds of banned items checked into our front gate. With our staff dropping to almost nothing by the end of the show, these items become hard to manage and may go missing. The best way to guarantee these items don’t go missing or get damaged, is to not bring them in the first place.

Synthetic feathers and boas are an environmental hazard and classify as MOOP (Matter Out of Place). These items tend to fall apart very easily and the synthetic feathers are very difficult to clean up. Any garbage that can’t be picked up by us is usually eaten by the cows, which can be harmful to their health. Please leave your synthetic feathers and boas at home.

Indigenous Headdresses are banned from the festival grounds. If you are seen wearing one you will be asked to remove it immediately.

• Profanity
• Explicit imagery
• Messages of discrimination