What started as a one-off idea to raise money for a single treatment bed has evolved into one of the most impactful recovery-focused festivals in British Columbia.
SoberFest – the drug, alcohol, and marijuana-free event that’s grown into a movement – is back for its fourth year on Aug. 2, bringing a full day of live music and community to Starlight Stadium in Langford.
With Juno Award-winning headliners Serena Ryder, The Strumbellas and Yukon Blonde set to perform, alongside hip-hop artists like Snak the Ripper and Colicchie, the festival is expected to draw its biggest crowd yet.
But ask founder Mike Manhas what matters most, and he won’t talk about ticket sales or headliners.
For him, it’s always been about the people.
“If one person comes and stays clean, I think we've done well,” said Manhas, who also serves as executive director of the ReWired Recovery Foundation. “Or if a family member comes and finds services for their loved one, I think we've done well. It's just coming together as a community – it's not me, it's not the artist, it's all of us.”
Rewired Recovery Foundation is dedicated to helping individuals struggling with addiction achieve and maintain recovery.
Manhas’ journey into recovery began more than a decade ago, after years of struggling silently while working as a teacher.
“On the outside, life looked really good, but the inside things were falling apart,” he said.
With help from his family and timely access to treatment, he found a path forward – and quickly realized he wanted to offer others the same chance.
That path led to the creation of ReWired Recovery and eventually SoberFest, which began in 2022 as a grassroots fundraiser that wildly outperformed expectations.
“It was supposed to be a one-time event,” Manhas said. “We were going to put on a festival, get some musicians and comedians, raise enough money, and hopefully beg a treatment centre to give us a half-price bed.”
Instead, they raised $280,000 that first year, spent just $6,000, and sent six people to treatment.
Since then, the momentum has only grown.
Attendance jumped from 500 to over 2,400 last year, and more than 130 vendors have already signed on for this year’s event – a stark contrast from the 30 booths at the inaugural edition.
The budget has ballooned to $196,000, but so has the impact.
Since launching, SoberFest has helped send 75 people to treatment, with more than 50 still clean.
“Our true belief is we hear often that addiction has a ripple effect – and our saying is that recovery has a ripple effect too,” he said. “So if we help one person, we're actually probably helping 10 or 20 people.”
ReWired Recovery is building a full-service recovery hub– what Manhas describes as a “one-stop shop for recovery.” That includes long-term counselling services, social clubs, access to treatment and second-stage housing applications, plus both 12-step and alternative recovery programs.
It’s a response to one of the most common challenges in recovery: the lack of consistent follow-up and the gap between seeking help and receiving it.
Beyond the star-studded music lineup, SoberFest is designed as a family-friendly, all-ages event.
Kids under 12 can enjoy a massive kid zone with bouncy castles, superheroes, obstacle courses, and even free T-shirt design stations. Attendees can also explore vendor booths featuring a range of artisan crafts and local food, and connect with recovery service providers from across the region.
“This isn’t just for people in recovery,” Manhas said. “It’s for everyone. It’s about community, about showing that you can have fun without substances, and about creating a safe space where people feel supported.”
SoberFest runs from 1-9 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 2, at Starlight Stadium.
Rewired Recovery Hub, located at 766 Meaford Avenue, is also hosting a free community BBQ on July 18 from 12 to 3 p.m. to share information about the wide range of services they offer, including up to two years of free counselling, aftercare programs, support groups, 12-step and non-12-step meetings,.
