This year’s Retro Weekend at Sun Peaks Resort was one to remember, drawing crowds of up to 2,500 people for evening concerts, and filling the village with lively energy and classic hits.
While numbers on the slopes were hard to track, the nighttime concerts consistently drew between 2,000 and 2,500 attendees ,according to Tourism Sun Peaks (TSP) estimates.
“There was plenty of space for everybody all the time, and we always have room to grow,” senior event manager for TSP Theresa St. Louis said, noting the venue’s capacity to welcome even more guests in future years.
From an operations standpoint, the weekend was a success, she added. The lineup featured a mix of returning performers and fresh faces, capped off by Saturday night headliner Disposable Heroes, which brought a new twist to the retro vibe.
“It really was a bit of magic this weekend,” St. Louis said. “We had curated a fantastic lineup and everything just aligned.”
Attendees feedback
For longtime attendees Frank and Bea Grande of Kamloops, the weekend was another chance to enjoy live music in the mountains.
“We come up here so often to catch some music. It’s a great event they put on,” Bea said.
The couple usually stays overnight in the village, but this year their visit was a bit more spontaneous.
“We didn’t even plan to come then some friends said they were going and we thought, why not? We’ll come up for the day. We weren’t even supposed to stay, but I’m a Metallica fan, so we hung around to see the closing band. It usually gets a little rowdy and we like that too,” Frank said.
Not everyone in attendance came strictly for the concerts. Visitors Connor Shaw, Christina DiCarlo and EV Polman traveled from Vancouver Island for a mountain biking trip and stumbled upon Retro Weekend by chance.
“The event’s just a really happy bonus,” DiCarlo said. “We’ve seen a bunch of cute dogs and the vibe here is so nice and laid back.”
The group noted how welcoming the village felt compared to other resort towns.
“Everyone that works in the village has been so nice,” Polman said. “I needed help with my bike and they let me use the bike stand and everything I needed, no charge. “
“You wouldn’t necessarily get that elsewhere.” Shaw agreed, adding that the variety of trails and the relaxed atmosphere made their trip especially memorable.
The atmosphere
Both organizers and festivalgoers agreed that one thing that set this year apart was the atmosphere. Guests praised the lineup and the strong sense of community, with many telling organizers they’ve been returning for years.
“The amount of people that stopped us in the festival grounds just to say how they’ve been coming for multiple years, how they loved the lineup or that they can’t wait till next year, it was really welcoming,” St. Louis said.
The weather added both charm and challenge to the event. With unseasonably hot conditions, the open festival grounds tested attendees’ stamina. Still, the crowds embraced the heat, pushing through and enjoying every show. A new addition this year,a video wall, helped enhance the experience without a hitch.
Looking back, St. Louis summed up Retro Weekend 2025 in three simple words: “so much fun.”
With strong turnout, glowing reviews and fans ranging from Kamloops regulars to first-time visitors from Vancouver Island, Retro Weekend once again proved why it remains a highlight of the Sun Peaks calendar.
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