Welcome To Cloud 9
Electronic dance music and forward-thinking sustainability efforts may seem like an odd pairing, but at Cloud 9 Music Festival, these seemingly opposed concepts create an experience like no other. Cloud 9 is not your typical music festival; nestled in Rideau Lake’s picturesque No.9 Gardens, Cloud 9 blends together EDM beats with unique eco-art, all while promoting climate action and sustainability. For the first time ever, the festival will welcome artists, DJs, and attendees for three full days of celebrating music, art, and community.
Launched in 2018, No.9 Gardens stands as “Canada’s first cultural center for sustainability and reconciliation”. Its mission of inciting meaningful change through engagement, education, and awareness aligns seamlessly with Cloud 9’s vision. Rupert Davies, Talent Manager and Co-founder at Cloud 9, shared that his personal mission is to make having a sustainable lifestyle fun and engaging, rather than an intimidating concept that looms over one’s head. It is about reshaping the narrative around sustainability, shifting the power away from large corporations and into the hands of youth. Rupert emphasizes that sustainability is not about sacrificing a lifestyle, but discovering how to “find more in less.”
Even with their strong ties to No.9, Cloud 9 is working hard to establish their distinct brand identity. Their challenge lies in acquainting newcomers with the essence of the festival - but Charlotte Kershaw has taken the festival’s marketing efforts to new heights, allowing the vision behind Cloud 9 to come to life on their social media. The team describes Charlotte’s work as “perfectly capturing what we want people to think of when they see the visual branding”.
Still, the merging of electronic music and sustainability remains unconventional to the mainstream. “It’s a very niche thing we’re doing,” confesses Reily Morrison, Cloud 9’s Festival Director and Co-founder, about attaching a sustainability focus to EDM. With electronic music’s revival emerging in the mainstream, many popular festivals are under scrutiny for their negative environmental impact. Cloud 9 takes inspiration from European movements, particularly those after the fall of the Berlin Wall, where electronic music served as a vessel for authentic expression and cultural transformation. The team at Cloud 9 wishes to emulate this at Rideau Lakes.
“It’s exciting, being at the forefront of a movement,” shared Rupert. At Cloud 9, this not only means forming a unique bridge between EDM and sustainability, but also crafting an experience specifically for their target audience. The festival aims to be a curated space to connect with nature and with like-minded individuals. From educational programming teaching young people how to leverage art and design for climate action, to collaborative eco-art installations, Cloud 9 distinguishes itself as an interactive and immersive experience.
Creating such an intentional experience cannot occur without a focus on their community - luckily, community is central to the Cloud 9 experience. With the new three day structure, the team is hopeful that turning Cloud 9 into a camping festival will not only create a more holistic experience, but also foster a stronger sense of community. Cozying up in an idyllic campsite will allow participants to fully immerse themselves in the experience, forging deeper bonds than ever before.
The weekend will commence with a communal dinner, featuring ingredients grown in No.9 Gardens - immediately grounding the festival experience in its natural environment. The evening will follow with an interactive art activity and a film screening in collaboration with local artists. The festival follows with workshops, enlightening talks on climate action, and a distinctive lineup of musicians spanning from vinyl sets to house and techno.
The team described the feeling of magic that permeates No.9 Gardens during the festival, and how comfortable participants feel approaching one another and forming connections; participants tend to share feelings of gratitude for the activities and the space at Cloud 9. The success of their community-building efforts is clear, as an increasing number of Cloud 9 participants have been eager to contribute behind the scenes. Former attendees are now championing new sustainability initiatives and developing new workshops. Thanks to the creativity of these members, this year’s festival features a reusable container program, centralized waste management system, breathwork workshop, Indigenous drumming circle, and more. Being entirely volunteer-run, Cloud 9 thrives on the passion and dedication of its community; with more individuals on board, “things can be done more intentionally,” said Reily.
Despite the constant balancing of logistics required to execute a music festival, the team shared that it is the power of community that propels them to continue expanding and working to build community. They appreciate having agency over what they accomplish, which is refreshing amidst the existential dread of the climate crisis, they shared. This year, Cloud 9 began their Changemaker Campaign, a grant award program that showcases youth leaders in the field of sustainability. The campaign celebrated innovators aged 16-28. Nine awards were given, categorized into the sectors of for-profit, not-for-profit, and creative industries. Recipients were granted exclusive Cloud 9 perks, but most importantly, were provided with a unique network to share their innovations and grow their community. “So much of Cloud 9 is about showcasing a glimpse into a sustainable future,” said Reily - and the Changemakers Campaign is a window into exactly that.
Cloud 9 exists to push the boundaries of music, art, and sustainability - all while giving you an electric space to dance with friends. The team eagerly anticipates expanding their work in years to come, already sharing plans on how to grow their community and broaden their mission. A celebration of our planet, innovative music, and the power of community - you won’t want to miss this.
Cloud 9 is happening this weekend from September 8-10th.
You can buy your tickets to attend Cloud 9 here - where you can select MUSE as your referral.
Follow @Cloud9.festival to see all the celebrations from this weekend.
