If there was any doubt that the Phillips Backyard Festival has become Victoria’s marquee summer music event, Friday (July 10) night erased it.
A capacity crowd of roughly 5,000 packed the backyard of Phillips Brewing Co. as the annual festival opened with one of its biggest headliners yet, three-time Grammy Award winner Chance the Rapper.
By the time his set wrapped, fans weren’t rushing for the exits, they were standing in groups, reliving what they had just watched.
“Wow, I mean wow…” Alex Brind said, still smiling after the show. “That was insane, like, I mean insane.”
“It blew away any bit of expectations that I had for tonight. He was such a great performer. This was the highlight of my summer, and I don’t see how something beats it.”
Thousands of people filled the grounds at Phillips Brewing Co. for the opening night of the Phillips Backyard Festival on Friday. (Tony Trozzo/Victoria News)
“I will remember this night for the rest of my life,” Colin Mance said while standing beside his girlfriend. “The minute we saw his name on the lineup, we were ready to buy.”
“I don’t really know how to describe it, but when we first met, we really connected over his music, and now we’re here, seeing him in person, it’s a special night for us.”
But, not everyone arrived with just the headliner at the top of their list.
Chance the Rapper capped a lineup that also featured Duckwrth, Cartel Madras, Nicky MacKenzie and Dacey on the festival’s main stage.
“Yeah I mean, this lineup is pretty sweet. There is a lot to choose from, but I feel like Duckwrth is who I’m most excited to see perform,” Brad Tindall said before the set.
“These are the bits of the festival which drive in so many different people. There is a great variety of music at this festival. I love this festival, we are lucky to have it here in Victoria.”
Duckwrth performs on the main stage during the opening night of the Phillips Backyard Festival at Phillips Brewing Co. on Friday. (Tony Trozzo/Victoria News)
That variety stretched beyond the main stage.
About 200 metres away, the Music BC Dylan Willows Stage kept the music going between headline performances, giving four artists the opportunity to showcase their talents throughout the evening. In total, 12 performers will take to the secondary stage over the weekend.
The Music BC Dylan Willows Stage is providing a platform for 12 artists during the weekend at the Phillips Backyard Festival. (Tony Trozzo/Victoria News)
The festival also drew visitors from across the province.
“We traveled all the way from Kelowna for this,” Chantal Brown said. “We weren’t going to miss it. We had plans to do a girls trip out here this summer, but this quickly became the centrepiece of the weekend.”
After a four-hour drive and two-hour ferry ride, Brown said the trip to Victoria was worth it.
“Sometimes things just end up being better than what you set out, tonight was one of those nights,” she added. “His music is very powerful, in a lot of different ways, but to see him perform live, really was special.”
Three-time Grammy Award winner Chance the Rapper performs on the main stage during the opening night of the Phillips Backyard Festival in Victoria. (Tony Trozzo/Victoria News)
The Phillips Backyard Festival debuted in 2013 and has grown into Victoria’s premier summer music festival.
It has previously expanded across multiple weekends but has since returned to its three-day format. Its place on the city’s summer calendar has only become more prominent after Rifflandia announced its annual summer festival would not take place in 2026.
The festival continues Saturday (July 11) with Father John Misty headlining before Modest Mouse closes out the weekend on Sunday (July 12).