Salt Spring Island Convergence Festival 2026
Syd asked me to write a few words to go with these beautiful photos he took of the Salt Spring Island Convergence Festival this year - and with any good pairing, it’s all about complimentary - even opposing - flavours meeting to wake up the taste buds and marvel the mind.
In that musing lies the best part about the gathering to me. Feels like a place where the wildly diverse locals can come be ourselves, together. Musically this means funky jazz mashing with prog rock, dreamy electro-soul clearing the way for heavy metal. Esthetically it feels like leather vests, the first of the fall sweaters, jumpsuits and tie dye flood pants hugging workin’ blue jeans and friggin’ blundstones aplenty. Culturally - meaning the set of agreements, values and guidelines a place loosely agrees to follow without sometimes even knowing they are doing so - it is Salt Spring and the people here interacting and helping each other out in that small town way I grew up in.
Each year the little team that makes this event happen pulls it off, I am left with a sense of happy relief and a solid dollop of pride in where I live and what is able to happen here.
The Convergence team is immensely grateful to its new and returning sponsors in helping to keep Convergence free and accessible to the community.
Huge thanks to the Wilding Foundation, the Berman Foundation, Harvest Moon, Salt Spring Island Foundation, Graffiti Theatre, Salt Spring Jazz & Blues Society, Salt Spring Arts, CRD, Mateada, Country Grocer, Voyage Liquor, and the Salt Spring Exchange.
Extra claps to Piet Suess for his brilliant work on the poster design, Ari Lazer for his custom Lanterns & Sculptor Systems for all the production!
Thanks Syd for capturing some of this so well.
-Tommy
A note from Syd. Everyone's welcome to download photos from the day and share them as they please. Please do not download or share photos of children who are not your own. Also, when possible, please credit Sydney Woodward or @folklore.photography.co on instagram.
