Venture to the Okanagan for
ARMSTRONG METALFEST, July 14-15, 2023
After their most successful event to date in 2022, which saw the festival’s highest attendance on record along with marking the extreme music festival’s return after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID pandemic, Armstrong MetalFest is proud to announce their 2023 edition will be held on July 14th and 15th at the Hassen Arena in Armstrong, BC.
Hosted in British Columbia’s Okanagan valley with the Canadian Rockies as a specular backdrop, the 2022 gathering of metalheads witnessed Spokane, WA deathcore titans ENTERPRISE EARTH headline the festival along with Vancouver’s cult-loved pyro maniacs ZIMMERS HOLE and progressive death kings NECK of THE WOODS. AMF also presented a very special performance from Kelowna’s OMNIA NIHIL (formerly Apollyon) in memory of beloved vocalist Matt Depper who suddenly passed away this past January. A total of 28 bands from across Western Canada and the USA fueled the moshpit for much-needed music therapy.
Tickets for AMF 2023 and camping along with the lineup will be announced at a later date.
Festival co-organizers Jesse Valtsar adds:
“Mark it down on the calendar, we have huge plans to make 2023 the biggest event to date! With the success of 2022, we are going to continue the momentum right into next year! We are planning out our headliners and dreaming up new ways to make Metalfest the best!”
Since 2009 (minus pause years 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid pandemic), West Metal Entertainment and Armstrong Metalfest has not only fostered the talent of hundreds of local bands but brought in well-known, international acts to the quiet, little Canadian town of Armstrong, British Columbia.
Each year up to 700 metalheads from Canada and the USA descend into the picturesque Okanagan Valley and under the blistering sun they spend three days camping, taking in over 30 bands, participating in wrestling events, and scavenger hunts and catching up with their metal family.
The festival has seen such renowned headliners as Kataklysm, Cattle Decapitation, Archspire, Nekrogoblikon, and Beyond Creation as well as emerging artists from across North America. At the end of the revelry, the festival disappears without a trace, leaving the landscape as pristine as it has always been.
West Metal Entertainment is a non-profit society that not only puts on Armstrong Metal Festival every year in Armstrong, B.C., but gives bands opportunities to play different venues throughout the region including all-ages shows, to encourage musical passion in kids as well as adults.