Kelowna came alive with the sounds of country music, the buzz of celebration, and the warmth of community as the city and surrounding communities proudly hosted Country Music Week 2025 for the first time.

Inspiring Visitors, Boosting Community Pride, Generating Economic Impact

From the lively Boots & Batter kick-off on September 9 to the star-studded 2025 CCMA Awards presented by TD on September 13, and everything in between, the excitement from visiting artists and industry members—and the community pride from residents—was undeniable. 

“Events like Country Music Week are so important because, in addition to bringing amazing performances to venues across the city, they strengthen community connections, inspire pride in our city, and create lasting memories for both residents and visitors alike," said Lisanne Ballantyne, President & CEO of Tourism Kelowna, at the week's kick-off. "They also deliver a meaningful economic boost during the shoulder season, supporting local businesses and showcasing Kelowna’s capacity to host major national events year-round.”

While the economic impact results are expected in approximately 6 to 8 weeks, the feedback about Country Music Week 2025 from event organizers and attendees has been overwhelmingly positive, as evidenced by the comments from artists walking Saturday's red carpet before the awards show:

 

 

 

 

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Joining in the Fun & Supporting the Destination

In addition to Tourism Kelowna's sizable investment during the bid process, a substantial amount of energy and resources were directed towards executing promotions and tactics before and during the event. Our team co-hosted the 'I Speak Country' business engagement event with Downtown Kelowna Association and the Local Host Committee, created an extensive online toolkit, and kept in regular contact with members and local businesses to generate excitement and provide resources for engaging with Country Music Week. 

Throughout the week, team members represented Tourism Kelowna at numerous events, created and shared social media content, and liaised with photographers and content creators to capture all facets of the event. We hosted current and former #exploreKelowna Creators—Emily, Jason, Jensen, Samantha, Vanessa, and Yolanda—to showcase the event and highlight local business participation. The creator event itinerary included the Country Crawl show at Kelowna Beer Institute, a walk through local art installations, and the SiriusXM Top of the Country Finale at Waterfront Park.

To support Country Music Week, our Community & Visitor Engagement team kept its extended hours at the Kelowna Visitor Centre in place beyond Labour Day, which helped accommodate demand and visitation to the centre. The team also set up its mobile visitor centre at the Delta Hotels by Marriott Grand Okanagan Resort during the Country Music Week industry conference, allowing delegates to find out more about the week's events and to purchase select Kelowna Loves Country merchandise.

Stay tuned for updates in the coming weeks about some of the preliminary results of the event. 

Delivering Unforgettable Moments

Of course, there was no shortage of live music for our team to promote to visitors and locals, with official CCMA events happening throughout the region, including:

• CCMA Country Crawl, where more than 45 artists performed across 20 shows at more than a dozen venues in the region.
• Three CCMA Songwriters' Unplugged presented by SOCAN with Apple Music sessions at the Rotary Centre for the Arts. 
• CCMA Legends Show presented by Stingray at the Kelowna Community Theatre
• Outdoors events at Waterfront Park, including the SiriusXM Top of the Country Finale Concert and CCMA House presented by Beem Credit Union. 
• CCMA Foundation x Lifted Charity Golf Tournament at the Okanagan Golf Club. 
• CCMA Country Pride Event, Y’all Means All, at Red Bird Brewing.
• Jade Eagleson performing on Okanagan Lake in partnership with Ford Canada.

Dozens of local businesses throughout the region pulled out all the stops to welcome Country Music Week, with an array of affiliated events like:

• Line and square dancing at venues like the Delta Grand Okanagan Resort, Hello Darlin', Rotary Centre for the Arts, the Plaza at City Hall in West Kelowna, and Three Lakes Brewing.
• More live music at numerous local spots, including Friends of Dorothy, Hello Darlin', Intrigue Wines, Rotary Centre for the Arts, Tantalus Vineyards, The Train Station Pub, The Keg, and more. 
• Celebration market with 80 talented local makers at the Kelowna Community Theatre, the Ranching and Rodeos exhibit at the Okanagan Heritage Museum, and Red Bird Brewing's award show afterparty.

Themed tour experiences that visitors and locals could take part in included:

• Honky Tonk Hop On Wine Tour Bus, presented by Kelowna Concierge.
• Wild West Wine Shuttle, presented by the Westside Wine Trail and Discover Okanagan Tours.
• Boot Cruisin' Boogie lake tours with live music, presented by Kelowna Cruises. 

The official and affiliated live shows and local activations, combined with Kelowna's welcoming, energetic spirit, created a truly one-of-a-kind Country Music Week that could only happen in the Okanagan.

Partnering for Success

This unforgettable week was made possible thanks to the efforts and hard work of so many people, including the exceptional team from the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA), the dedicated Local Host Committee, and the dynamic crew of volunteers who worked alongside numerous local organizations and businesses to stage the week's official events. Our team worked with numerous partners, including the City of Kelowna, to secure Country Music Week 2025 and support the CCMA every step of the way. 
 

^{Members of the CCMA Country Music Week Local Host Committee (left to right): Leesa Beeson; Chris Babcock; Lauren Anderson; Chris Lewis; Jenn Dalen; Karma Lacoff Nieoczym; Sara Correa Haslehurst; Cassandra Wysochanskyj; Karolina Bialkowska; Michelle Dupuis}

Throughout the planning and execution of the event, the dedicated Local Host Committee helped generate community excitement, rally volunteers, and support local activations. Creative Okanagan also played a key role in partnering on the first-ever artist mentorship program and hosting a local showcase, both of which created meaningful opportunities for emerging talent and showcased the strength of the local music community.

We want to extend a huge round of applause to our entire team, our partners, and the region's tourism industry for doing such a fantastic job supporting the event, activating the city, and making all visitors feel so welcome. Country Music Week built off the excitement and energy started earlier in the year at the 2025 Montana's Brier, and the bar has certainly been set high for all future major events.

We are especially grateful for the collaboration with our community partners, the City of Kelowna, Downtown Kelowna Association, Stingray Radio, Province of BC, Creative BC, and Creative Okanagan, whose support played a vital role in making the week such a success.

A special shout-out as well to Sara Correa Haslehurst, Tourism Kelowna's Sports & Major Events Lead, who led the organization's efforts with expertise and heart, ensuring members and local businesses shone throughout the week.

Last but not least, we want to congratulate the 2025 CCMA Award winners, including Kelowna's own New Country 100.7, who took home the award for Radio Station of the Year (Medium or Small Market) at Saturday night's ceremony! You can view a full list of award winners on the CCMA website. 

Get Involved with Kelowna's Next Community Event

We're excited to build off the energy and community pride of Country Music Week as we host the 6th Annual Love for Kelowna Day, which is just around the corner on Saturday, September 27, taking place in conjunction with World Tourism Day. 

Love for Kelowna Day was initially launched in May 2020, as a way to encourage residents to support local businesses, explore their favourite places, and share why they love Kelowna while travel was on hold. Now, the day centres around connecting residents and visitors with local tourism businesses and showcasing what we love about our region. 

To help spread the love, encourage visitation to local businesses, and deliver additional advertising exposure, Tourism Kelowna Members can get involved as partners for this full-day event—learn more about how you and your business can get involved here.