Chilliwack, BC — This summer, the Chilliwack Coliseum will host an all-ages event featuring eight local bands, an indoor skate park, kids’ activities, and more. The Controlled Chaos Music Festival is scheduled for Saturday, July 5.
Organizer Steve Giesbrecht, a lifelong Chilliwack resident, says this will be the biggest concert the venue has seen in years, possibly ever. “There’s really nothing for kids and all ages to experience live music here,” he said. “This event will be the largest concert at the Chilliwack Coliseum in a very long time, perhaps ever.”
The festival will showcase nine hours of live music from a diverse lineup including three rock bands, three punk bands, one country band, and a Halq’eméylem/English group. Most performers hail from Chilliwack, with a few from the Lower Mainland and one from Whitehorse. Bands include Good Medicine Songs, Big Duke Sorrow, The Bobby’s, Cows Go Moo, Whitey, The Unbranded, Tayos, and The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets.
Giesbrecht admits he isn’t a musician himself but has loved live music ever since seeing local band The Bobby’s perform three years ago. “There hasn’t been a big festival or show in town for quite some time. I want to support local musicians,” he explained.
Beyond music, the event will offer plenty of other entertainment. Hope’s HMI Skate Park is setting up an all-ages indoor skateboarding park on the concourse. Visitors can watch demos and try the ramps themselves.
For those interested in tattoos, Captain’s Tattoo Company will offer on-site tattooing for adults, while kids can get airbrush tattoos. A dedicated kids’ zone will feature an inflatable obstacle course, games, face painting, and more.
A vendor market will sell a variety of items including pop culture stickers, patches, used vinyl records, clothing, jewelry, and artwork. Concert and band merchandise will also be available.
Food and drink options will include J’s Kitchen inside the Coliseum and two food trucks outside. Alcohol will be served, but there will also be a kid-friendly, alcohol-free zone. Additional attractions include boat-rental giveaways.
“You’ve got to have it all,” Giesbrecht said.
This is not Giesbrecht’s first festival experience. In 2024, he hosted Spring Rockuinox at the Chilliwack Cultural Centre, which featured four local bands and was well received. “The bands told me, ‘This was awesome. Now you can only go bigger from here,’” he recalled. When he first shared his Controlled Chaos plans with bands, they thought he was crazy, he said with a laugh.
Tickets are priced to be affordable: $23 for kids, $38 for general admission, and $53 for floor passes.
The Controlled Chaos Music Festival will take place on Saturday, July 5. Doors open at 1 p.m., with music starting at 2 p.m. and continuing until approximately 11 p.m.