Tourism Sun Peaks postpones the 2026 Heartland Country Festival, eyes fall for new dates

The 2026 Heartland Country Festival in Sun Peaks slated for Aug. 7 to 8 has been postponed, as Tourism Sun Peaks works collaboratively with the event producers, the municipality and local businesses to reorganize the festival. 

Ticket holders for the festival will be automatically transferred to the new dates, which will be released by Aug. 9, tentatively scheduled for the fall. Refunds can also be requested. 

While Tourism Sun Peaks has communicated with local accommodations to help support rescheduling or canceling bookings, guests should contact their provider for options based on each policy, the organization shared in a post announcing the rescheduling. 

“The festival’s not canceled,” Naomi Kerchinsky, executive director of Tourism Sun Peaks said. “We’re just rescheduling it and moving it to a place that provides a greater certainty for everyone involved.” 

The decision to postpone the event comes after the B.C. Day holiday weekend Kerchinsky said, noting that “moving the festival helps reduce that additional pressure that we could be putting on the system when we feel that those resources could be better used elsewhere right now.

While Sun Peaks is safe for guests and residents, many other communities in the province have been impacted by power outages and wildfires, with evacuation orders and alerts issued in several communities in the Thompson-Nicola region.

“We didn’t want to be tone deaf to what is going on around us, and even though Sun Peaks remains perfectly open and resort business as usual, major events require support from many regional services and resources,” Kerchinsky said. 

“It’s not about one factor,” Kerchinsky clarified regarding the postponement. “It was multiple factors, multiple opinions of stakeholders involved in the safety, well being and community of Sun Peaks… the best path forward was to move the date to a time of more certainty.”

With artists, crews, vendors and guests in mind, Kerchinsky said Sun Peaks remains welcoming to all, with the golf course, bike park and restaurants open, plus the Sunday Farmers’ Market. There will still be live music throughout the weekend with Tourism Sun Peaks booking music for Friday night and Sunday as well as live music at Masa’s Bar + Grill on Saturday evening.

“We are still trying to make sure that we’re providing a nice experience for those that either can’t change their reservations or still just want to come and have a nice weekend in Sun Peaks,” Kerchinsky said.