File photo. (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Aaron Schulze

Ribfest Is Back

Kamloops Sports Council to organize Ribfest

Feb 12, 2026 | 7:20 AM

KAMLOOPS — Another non-profit organization will carry the tongs and organize Ribfest in Kamloops in 2026 and beyond. 

In a news release issued Wednesday (Feb. 11), the Kamloops Sports Council announced it will partner with local sports organizations and clubs to carry out the event operations, logistics, planning and setup for Ribfest 2026. 

The Rotary Club of Kamloops Daybreak, the previous organizer of Ribfest for the past 13 years, announced that 2025 would be the final year it would host the summertime event. Longtime Rotarian and festival spokesperson Bryce Herman told CFJC Today in August 2025 that there would be future editions of Ribfest, and the group was close to finding a new organizer. 

“The impact of Kamloops Daybreak Rotary’s work through Ribfest is nothing short of extraordinary,” Jan Antons, Kamloops Sports Council president says. “We are privileged to carry this torch forward and look forward to honouring this legacy by turning a beloved community staple into lasting opportunities for our local sport organizations.” 

Since its inception in 2012, Kamloops Daybreak Rotary says Ribfest has raised more than $850,000 for a number of different Kamloops and area charities. In 2024, the Rotary said nearly 80,000 people attended Ribfest at Riverside Park. The event injected some $5 million into the local economy. 

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“The festival will continue to feature a large beverage garden, five ribbers, live entertainment all weekend long, and, of course, a free family fun zone,” Duncan Olthuis, Kamloops Sports Council executive director says. 

The Kamloops Sports Council says funds raised from Ribfest be reinvested into local sports organizations and programs, including KidSport Kamloops. 

Ribfest runs from Aug. 7 to 9, 2026, at Riverside Park.