Garden Grooves Festival 2026 – Night One sets the tone for the weekend on Thursday, March 19th, with a boundary-pushing celebration of Indigenous creativity, genre-blending, and community-rooted sound. This opening night showcases why Garden Grooves is unlike any other festival — a space where hip-hop, roots, reggae, rock, soul, and ceremonial storytelling collide, and where artists are presented not by category, but by connection, intention, and shared cultural resonance. Leading the night is The Melawmen Collective, a Secwepemc alternative fusion ensemble whose name means “medicine,” reflecting their belief in music as healing. Blending hip-hop, rock, folk, and rich harmonies, the Collective delivers powerful intergenerational stories of resilience, identity, and belonging. The evening also features Kiva MH, a Secwepemc/Nuu-Chah-Nulth hip-hop artist and producer whose conscious lyricism bridges ceremony and modern rhythm, alongside Kapok, a Vancouver-based Indigenous Mayan emcee known for deep roots in underground hip-hop and collaborations with legends from De La Soul to Slum Village. KAPOK will be joined by Kayla Abigail Vargas aka KAYA KO (in Tagalog means "I can" or "I am capable"). She is is a multi-talented vocal sourceress, street soul songstress and creative visionary. Her singing mixing soul, R&B and hip hop with KAPOK is a sight to see. Rounding out the night are The Spiritual Warriors from the Lil’wat Nation, led by father-daughter duo Leroy Joe and Daisy Joe. Known for uplifting, bilingual performances grounded in land, language, and community, the Warriors will present a special blues, hip-hop, and soul-infused set created exclusively for Garden Grooves. Together, these artists embody the festival’s commitment to diversity, collaboration, and unforgettable live experiences — making Night One a powerful statement of what Garden Grooves is all about.