"Desi Coachella": Metro Vancouver’s huge South Asian block party returns this spring

Canada’s largest South Asian youth event is kicking off this year’s festivities with a massive block party in June.

5X Festival Blockparty, taking place at Surrey’s Holland Park on June 11, features a lineup of some of the biggest local and international South Asian music stars.

The all-ages, outdoor event features headlining performances by award-winning Indian-American singer Jasmine Sandlas, Indo-Canadian hip-hop star The PropheC, popular Surrey-based spoken-word artist Robyn Sandhu, and more.

Left: jasminesandlas/Instagram, Right: prophecproductions/Instagram

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5X Festival describes the block party in their youth magazine as a “Desi Coachella.” Organizers also shared in a promo video that the event aims to help build a “home full of community, magic, compassion and passion.”

“We are building a world to be bold in. To heal ourselves through art and colour. To express ourselves without limitations and constraints,” said 5X Festival.

The block party will feature eight hours of live music, a variety of food vendors, art installations, a merchandise area, and more at Holland Park. The event is easily accessible by Skytrain as it is just steps away from King George Station.

@5xfest/Instagram

5X Festival is organized by the Vancouver International Bhangra Celebration (VIBC), an organization that was founded in the Lower Mainland in 2004.

Originally launched as a showcase of South Asian culture in Vancouver, 5X Festival has grown into an annual event that spotlights South Asian youth culture. This year’s fest runs from June 11 to 17, with more events to be announced soon.

According to Rumneek Johal, editor-in-chief of 5X Press, the meaning behind the name “5X” has two parts.

“The 5 represents the number 5, which in Punjabi is Panj, deriving from the name Punjab: the land of five rivers. The X is meant to represent expression, given that this is a space for South Asian youth to express themselves,” Johal explained to Daily Hive.

Here’s the lineup of headlining performers for the 5X Festival Blockparty:

• Jasmine Sandlas
• The PropheC
• AR Paisley
• Khanvict
• Robyn Sandhu
• Ikky
• Shreea Kaul
• REHMA
• Gurtêj
• TBM
• Aanam
• BAINS.

5X Festival Blockparty

When: June 11, 2022
Time: 10 am to 6 pm
Where: Holland Park – 13428 Old Yale Road, Surrey
Cost: $40, purchase online. Free for kids 11 years old and under with proof of age and an accompanying adult.