The Pemberton Arts Council (PAC) has unveiled the official line-up for the 2025 Mountain Muse Festival. The Valley’s preeminent music festival returns on June 13 and 14 with eight musical acts—half local, half welcome guests.
“It’s just a great party in downtown Pemberton,” said PAC executive director Cléa Thomas. “It’s going to be fun, there’s going to be some really good bands, great food at the farmers' market and it’s in June so the weather should be awesome.”
The PAC winnowed the evenings' performances down to eight bands from more than100 applicants. Thomas said she wanted a balance of local talent while also introducing attendees to new acts.
"We want to promote local bands, but it's also fun for people living here to see something different," she said. "We have some pretty exciting bands coming in."
Family-friendly Friday
This year’s festival will look a little different. Friday, June 13 kicks off the proceedings with a free, family-friendly event at Pioneer Park, which coincides with the Pemberton Farmers' Market. Four bands will be on hand to entertain guests, who will have access to local vendors and entertainment geared towards kids.
The evening begins with Sheri Marie Ptolemy, a country singer-songwriter from Pemberton. Her music is inspired by her natural surroundings, with natural themes woven into her pieces. Her latest EP, Hometown, “features six songs inspired by her experiences leaving her small-town life and chasing her dreams of becoming a country artist."
Then, at 4 p.m., The Spiritual Warriors take the stage. The internationally acclaimed musical group out of Lil’wat Nation roots its style in Indigenous chants and contemporary roots like rock and reggae. The multi-lingual band performs most of its songs in U'cwalmicwts and is passionate about preserving and promoting its language and culture.
The first out-of-towners, Henry Chung and the Spontaneous Combustion, hit the stage at 5 p.m. Their lead, Henry, is one of the premiere blues harmonica players and bandleaders in Asia and North America—inducted into the U.S. Harmonica Hall of Fame in 2004 and rated “one of Washington’s top jazz and blues musicians” by the Washington Post in 2005.
Last up is Bu Von Blume from the Comox Valley—a highly interactive, family-friendly act revolving around love, unity and silliness. In their own words, "Bu Von Blume is funk. Bu Von Blume is disco. Bu Von Blume is cumbia, punk, ska, soul, balkan. Whatever it takes to get the people moving and grooving, really."
The evening wraps at about 7 p.m. so folks can get plenty of sleep in before the next day’s late night.
The main event
On Saturday, June 14, the main event kicks off at the Downtown Community Barn at 7:30 pm. The event, geared towards those aged 19 and up, will feature refreshments and, of course, live music.
Prince George’s Kiziah and the Kreatures are set to bring their pop-rock fusion to the stage. Band leader Kiziah Arias is joined by Colin Hines on lead guitar, Justin Gendreau on drums, and Shit Hot Mike on bass, creating a powerful musical experience.
Then, at 8:30, it’s back to the local talent with Mars Crossing—a five-piece, guitar-driven rock band that blends southern/classic rock, blues, funk, country and pop. The band features vocalist Caleb McKenzie, Mike Grenzer and Joseph Salay on guitar, Tom Rimmer on drums, and their newest member, Brad Nichols, on bass.
The Pemberton section of the night continues with Valley institution The Zummers, a four-piece indie folk/rock band that won both the 2024 Whistler Music Search and the 2025 Squamish Battle of the Bands within six months of its founding. The Zummers expect fans to “rock out, groove, trip out or bust-a-move.”
And finally, Paris Pick takes the stage with her unique brand of yatch-pop music. Back from Whitehorse, Yukon to B.C., where she was born, Pick delivers “uplifting songs about personal growth, love, and heartache, all perfectly weaved together with crunchy-cute fuzz guitar solos and mid-'70s inspired vocal melodies that leave listeners swooning.”
Tickets for the second night are on sale on the PAC website. Early bird tickets, available until May 15, are $35. Tickets will cost $40 after that. Prices are 15 per cent off for PAC members.
