An Indigenous hip-hop duo from Kitamaat Village in BC is set to return to Yellowknife’s biggest summer music festival.
Folk on the Rocks made its third and final 2025 lineup announcement on Friday, revealing that Snotty Nose Rez Kids will be taking the stage at this year’s festival.
The duo – Darren “Young D” Metz and Quinton “Yung Trybez” Nyce – are known for hits including Boujee Natives, the Warriors and Red Future. They previously performed at Folk on the Rocks in 2019.
Other out-of-town acts announced in wave three include:
- Al Qahwa, a Toronto-based group whose name means “the coffee house” in Arabic that performs original compositions and traditional Arabic music;
- Empress NYIRINGANGO, an Ottawa-based singer and songwriter who showcases the self-coined “Jablur” sound, a unique blend of jazz, blues and Rwandan music;
- Victoria-based dream-pop artist Jaya Bremer;
- Albertan country-Americana artist Mariya Stokes;
- Winnipeg’s Paige Drobot;
- Toronto band MOONRIIVR, featuring frontman Gavin Gardiner of Wooden Sky and All Day Coconut and guitarist James Robertson of Lindi Ortega and Dwayne Gretzkey; and
- The Shivas, a rock and roll band from Portland, Oregon.
Local acts announced on Friday include Hughes, Munya and Friends and two bands from the École William McDonald Middle School Rock Band program: Billie’s Eyelash and Pre-Teen Teens.
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Rounding out the list are non-musical acts NorthWords Storytime and PAQJ Camp.
Musical acts confirmed in the first festival lineup announcement in March included Arielle Soucy, Jeremie Albino, NADUH, Peter Dreams, Johnnie Melancholy, Hendrika, Tinge, Major Funk, Godson, Jonathan Antoine, Meridian, and The Johnnys.
Artists featured in the second lineup announcement released earlier this month included Amos the Kid, Caylie G, Dumai Dunai, Jennifer Castle, Moonbean, DJ TMixxy, MOOCH, Josh Q, the Aurora Fiddle Society, Cassandra Blondin Burt, Northern Mail Service and Carmen Braden.
Nine contenders will face off for a chance to play on Folk on the Rocks’ main stage at the 2025 Main Stage Showdown on the evening of June 7 at Yellowknife’s Elks Lodge. Tickets for the competition are available on Eventbrite.
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You can listen to a sample of music from many of this year’s confirmed acts on Folk on the Rocks’ 2025 Spotify playlist.
This year’s festival is set to take place from July 18-20. Cabin Radio will again host a stage and broadcast up to 30 hours of live music.
Tickets for the festival are available online.
