Thank you so much to everyone for supporting and attending the 2024 Ryga Arts Festival! Stay tuned as we begin to plan for 2025.

A sneak peak!

Preliminary Festival Lineup

đź“Ť Venues Across Summerland
📅 September 17–21, 2025
🎭 Words, Theatre, Music
📲 Watch us at @rygafest for more details coming soon!
Wednesday, September 17, Opening Night
Please join us for the opening night of our 10th Anniversary festival! We will begin the evening with a Traditional Welcome by Anona Kampe, a welcome song by Yanti, and a special performance by Krystal Withakay who will be performing a blend of contemporary drumming with storytelling and visuals to depict her lived experiences as a syilx person.  The second half of the evening will feature the Cramer Brothers who will perform for us while we mingle, eat, drink and celebrate!
The George Ryga Arts and Cultural Centre
Entry by Donation
Thursday, September 18
Character Development Workshop with Danielle Krysa

Theatre Workshop and Performance
Details TBD, coming soon!
Friday, September 19
Community Conversation: Inclusivity in the Arts
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With Brian Thomas Isaac, Claire Coupland and Spoken Word + Tin Whistle
Details TBD, coming soon!
Saturday, September 20
Theatre Workshops
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THEATRE TRAIL
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Headliner: Deafy!
Details TBD, coming soon!
Sunday, September 21
Clowning and Physical Comedy Workshop (Adults)
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“Soundtrack” – a karaoke/poetry experience with Michael V Smith
Details TBD, coming soon!

Celebrating Creativity: Highlights from the 2024 Ryga Arts Festival and What’s Coming in 2025!

The winning poster design for the 2025 Ryga Arts Festival — created by Tarcila Neves. Sets the tone for what’s to come. This year, the festival returns to Summerland with a fresh lineup of performers, creators, and experiences that celebrate the bold, creative spirit of George Ryga.

From music and theatre to literature, workshops, and visual arts, the 2025 festival will highlight new voices, unreleased performances, and unforgettable moments. Explore this year’s featured talent on the Artist page — and get ready to experience Summerland like never before.

You ran a beautiful festival. We felt cared for and the vibe was calm and generative and fun - so good work! And congrats!
- Emelia Symington-Fedy
Writer • Radio Broadcaster • Theatre Maker
 I love the Ryga Fest. Its community-minded focus on justice, equity, and social change make it one of my favourite arts festivals ever. I look forward to returning again and again, and I can't wait to see where the team takes Ryga Fest over the next 10 years.
- Andrea Warner
author of Rise Up and Sing! Power, Protest, and Activism in Music, The Time of My Life: Dirty Dancing and We Oughta Know: How CĂ©line, Shania, Alanis, and Sarah Ruled the '90s and Changed Music.
Sharing my work at the Ryga Arts Festival was an absolute dream: seamless logistics, a beautiful venue, and a warm & attentive audience made for an unforgettable experience.
- Meghan Fandrich
author of Burning Sage: Poems from the Lytton Fire
There are many reasons why Summerland is the ideal location for a festival inspired by George Ryga – it’s a charming town with good venues and amenities, hospitable people, beautiful scenery and a mild climate. But most importantly, it’s where the nationally acclaimed playwright and author lived from 1963 until his death in 1987 and where he wrote most of his major works. Over the last ten years, the Ryga Arts Festival has done more than bring world-class arts and cultural offerings to Summerland; it has allowed for George Ryga’s legacy to finally be recognized by his home community.
- Doug Holmes
We felt especially well-hosted by the business owner of Heartspace Yoga Boutique, Celeste, who stepped up to provide her studio as a performance space for our show, and went to extra-lengths to make it feel really cosy and welcoming to audiences. The community in Summerland is spectacular, and we were so grateful to be able to experience it.
Julia Mackey & Dirk Van Stralen
Jake’s Gift • Juno ProductionsRyga Arts Festival 2024