The Esquimalt Ukulele Festival promotes and supports the ukulele performers, teachers, retailers, luthiers classes, programs and strummers of all ages in the Greater Victoria area believing that music can change the world and make it a better place and that the ukulele is the most accessible instrument that can contribute to this aim.

Esquimalt Recreation is hosting our region’s annual Ukulele Festival. This year’s 9th annual festival promises to be the best event to date! Purchase a festival pass to access all festival activities, $60 per person through Esquimalt Recreation at 250-412-8500 or online.  In addition to festival passes, tickets to the Strum Along, the Gala Concert & the movie night (Stanley's Gig) can be purchased separately, so there will be plenty of strumming for everyone!

We encourage everyone to join us for the FREE Ukulele Love-In at the Esquimalt Recreation Centre, the festival’s closing concert, on Sunday, May 26.

BUY FESTIVAL ACCESS PASS

QUICK LINKS MENU:

• Festival Schedule
• Event Pricing & Online Ticket Purchase
• Artists/Faculty
• Sponsors

Festival Schedule 

Event Pricing 

Artists/Faculty

Nick Stecz 
Performer, Songwriter, Teacher
Festival Host

An avid multi-instrumentalist teacher, studio musician, and live performer, Nick also tours behind the drumkit internationally with folk troubadors JJ Shiplett & Leeroy Stagger. His unique approach to drumming has given him the opportunity to work with Hannah Georgas, Daniel Huscroft, Wanting Qu, Colleen Brown, Dave Vertesi (Hey Ocean!), Nat Jay, among other artists on Canadian/international airwaves.
Studying at Queen’s, Nick has honed his craft on many instruments, instructing private and group classes for 17 years. He actively teaches drumming, guitars and ukulele in both Victoria & Vancouver.

Douglas Hensley 
Performer, Recording Artist, Teacher

Doug earned his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music in Classical Guitar Performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Since 2001 he has served with the Victoria Symphony and POV on guitar, lute, theorbo, mandolin and banjo. He is co-founder and co-director of the Continuum Consort, which has explored repertoire from 12th century Cantigas de Santa Maria to 21st century works written for the ensemble. He has performed on three continents and recorded for several record labels and independent releases . A member of the faculty of the Victoria Conservatory of Music, he teaches guitar, lute, ukulele, mandolin, and banjo, as well as beginner ukulele classes for kids and adults. He also plays and teaches a number of classical Persian instruments.

Anna Lyman 
Performer, Recording Artist, Teacher

Anna is Latin-American and has a Bachelor of Music degree from Vancouver Island University majoring in jazz vocal performance and minoring in jazz guitar. She has studied ukulele in Hawaii with ukulele master Benny Chong among others. Together with her husband Steve Sutton she performs in the duo Jazzalele, which won the prize for the ensemble category in the 2012 Vancouver Ukulele Festival. She also co-founded both the Nanaimo Ukulele Circle and the Nanaimo Aloha Ukulele Festival as well as founding the Nanaimo Ukulele Orchestra and the Victoria Ukulele Orchestra. She has composed many original works in jazz, Latin and rhythm & blues. She teaches private classes in downtown Victoria and also teaches at the Victoria Conservatory of Music Westhills in Langford.

Molly Raher Newman 
Performer, Artist, Actor, Teacher

Molly is an artist, actor, and multi-instrumentalist. She has played with the Celtic band Rig-A-Jig for many years as well as other groups. She has played characters as diverse as Diamond Tooth Gertie in Dawson Creek (hence the moniker Diamond Tooth Molly – yes she has a diamond in her tooth) to famed Victoria artist Emily Carr. As well as writing and painting in water colour, acrylic and oil she can play twenty musical instruments including the ukulele. In the local ukulele community she is known for her ukulele classes at the James Bay New Horizons and her twice a month strum alongs.

Steve Sutton 
Performer, Teacher

Steve is an accomplished bass, guitar and ukulele player. A native of Nanaimo, he obtained an Associate Of Music degree from Malaspina University College and then a Bachelors degree from the University of Victoria. He has studied ukulele in Hawaii from the ukulele master Kimo Hussey and has played on stage with him many times. Steve has been playing gigs since he was a student and has played with many famous musicians. He makes up one half of the duo Jazzalele with his wife Anna Lyman. Together they founded the Nanaimo Ukulele Circle and the Aloha Nanaimo Ukulele Festival. Steve teaches bass, guitar and ukulele at Tom Lee Music in Langford.

Saturday Ukulele Workshops  

Workshop is for Festival Pass Holders Only

Location: Esquimalt Recreation Centre

2019 Schedule:

Saturday Open House  

FREE! Open to Public

Location: Esquimalt Recreation Centre

2019 Schedule:

Sponsors 

The Esquimalt Ukulele Festival is made possible thanks to the generous contributions of the event sponsors. We encourage the community to show their appreciation by supporting these businesses.