Surrey jumps on Juno stage

By IANNE MIRAMBEL

Hosting a festival associated with the Juno awards this year was part of Surrey’s strategy for its music industry.

The city started its music strategy in 2023 as a cross-department and industry tool to develop its music industry. The festival, held March 15 at the Surrey Civic Plaza, was the Surrey leg of a six-city B.C. tour associated with the Juno awards, hosted in Vancouver this past weekend.

Amy Kim, the senior special events marketing coordinator for Surrey, said the community wanted to have a free public event based on a survey and feedback. “That’s kind of where this came from, our direction and guidance. And it was even highlighted in the story music strategy that the city of Surrey should be a part of Juno week,” Kim said.

Surrey towards becoming centre for music

The music festival was held in Surrey Civic Plaza with six different stages and was attended by hundreds of people listening to Canadian musicians. According to the city’s website, there are seven “strategic pillars” to support Surrey’s music industry and one of them is encouraging its music tourism. Kim said that when they learned that Junos were coming to Vancouver, the city recognized the opportunity to bring the festival to Surrey. “The Juno host committee recognized that Surrey is a great opportunity to highlight music ahead of the Juno Awards,” she said.

Kim said that the city will gain recognition of local talents as the city is “becoming a vibrant entertainment district.” Although Kim didn’t disclose the exact numbers the city cost to support the event, she confirmed that the city invested in the event saying, “it supports our [Surrey] story.” Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke
described the event as the beginning of the entertainment industry. “It’s part of the vision, the beginning of the vision,” she said.

Coun. Linda Annis said the festival would help the city in its economic development as people will get together and order from restaurants. “It gives an opportunity for economic growth for the city,” Annis said.

Highlighting local musicians

RÄEDIAMËNDZ, the stage name of a DJ born and raised in Surrey, said that she didn’t hesitate to agree when asked to perform for the city. She said that she is proud repre senting her Fijian background especially as a female DJ. “Everyone needs happiness and music is what makes us so happy. That’s what I want to give. I want to put smiles on faces [and] get bodies moving,” she said.

Rising pop artist Glisha, who also performed at the event, said that although she is familiar with the
Junos and has been following the awarding body for the past years, she is more focused on it now because it
came to Vancouver. “I think it’s wonderful that the JUNO Awards provide an opportunity for Canadian creators to shine,” the singer-songwriter said.

Headlined by Tyler Joe Miller, the Surrey festival was one of Surrey’s ways in developing its music industry,
according to Locke. “It’s all about who we are as a city, who we are as a country and celebrating Canadian artists,” she said.