There’s a new reason to spend your summer nights in Quadra Village – and it comes with guitars, harmonies, and hometown soul.
The Roxy Theatre is adding to its growing slate of live events with the launch of the Spotlight Series, a new curated concert night that kicks off Sunday, Aug. 3.
The debut edition, titled Songs from the Soul of Victoria, will feature a lineup of local folk performers including Kate Stott, Sue Decker, Katie Taylor, and The Shining Stars with Patrice Karen Hamer.
The move builds on the success of the Roxy’s Talent Show on July 3 – an open-stage event that quickly gained traction among Victoria’s emerging performers.
While the Talent Show is about accessibility, the Spotlight Series is about focus.
“The Talent Show is open to anyone – any talent, any style, just apply and you’re in,” Roxy Theatre district manager Matthew Wright told Victoria News. “This is more focused. It’s curated. We’re inviting performers who’ve already made an impression and giving them space to go deeper.”
Wright said the original Talent Show helped spark the idea.
Three of the artists on the Aug. 3 bill – Stott, Taylor, and Hamer – performed that night.
“Those performances were so strong and so genuine, it gave us the perfect reason to move forward with the series,” he said.
The Spotlight Series also takes cues from the now-closed Bands!Bands!Bands! program at the Victoria Event Centre, which Wright credits with creating space for emerging voices.
“We’re hoping to carry some of that spirit forward,” he said. “Intimate, accessible shows that highlight the kind of talent that often gets overlooked.”
Folk was a natural choice to launch the series, both for the artists involved and for the genre’s ties to community and storytelling.
“It just felt right,” Wright said. “Folk is personal and rooted in place, and there’s a long history of it in Victoria.”
Future Spotlight events won’t be tied to any one style.
Wright said organizers plan to stay open to what feels authentic – whether that’s jazz, hip hop, comedy, or something entirely different. “We’ll go where the talent takes us.”
Meanwhile, the Roxy will continue its open-stage programming with its second Talent Show Social, set for Wednesday, Sept 4. Like the first, it’s meant to offer a welcoming, low-barrier opportunity for performers to try something new, test the waters, or simply find their voice.
Tickets for the Spotlight Series are $10, while Talent Show Social nights remain just $5. Both events are designed to be accessible for audiences and performers alike.
“We’re not doing this to fill dates or sell out,” Wright said. “We’re trying to build something that lasts – a stage for voices that deserve to be heard.”
