Boots will be stomping in Cochrane this summer as Bow Valley Boot Stomp returns July 24 and 25 with a powerhouse lineup led by Shawnee Kish and The Prairie States.
The two-day country music festival runs July 24 and 25 and will be headlined by Edmonton’s Shawnee Kish on Friday night and Alberta country-rock band The Prairie States on Saturday.
“This year we have Friday night’s headliner as a female headliner again,” said Kailey Mitchell, CEO and founder of Quirk Social Ltd., which produces the festival. “Her name is Shawnee Kish and she is an Indigenous independent artist from Edmonton. She’s incredible. She was just nominated for her fourth Juno Award.”
Kish, a four-time JUNO nominee and 2026 SiriusXM Top of the Country semi-finalist, blends country, soul and roots music with powerful vocals and personal storytelling.
Saturday night marks a first for the festival, with a full band taking the top billing.
“It’s the first time that we’ve had a band as a headliner versus just a solo artist,” Mitchell said of The Prairie States. “They’re super fun and we’re just so excited to get them on stage.”
The Prairie States bring a rock edge to modern country and have collected a dozen Country Music Alberta Awards, including Group/Duo of the Year.
Friday’s main stage will feature an all-female lineup, something Mitchell says aligns with the festival’s commitment to gender representation.
“From the start, we’ve been trying to make sure that we give equal opportunities to male and females because there’s just not as much opportunity for women on the stage, especially from a headliner position,” she said. “It worked out that we have three incredible women on Friday night.”
Kicking off Friday is Alberta artist Morgan Klaiber, followed by Calgary’s Mariya Stokes, before Kish closes out the main stage. The Friday night after party in the barn will feature Nik Poli.
Saturday opens with Ashley Ghostkeeper, followed by Travis Pickering, Taylor-Rae and Kelowna’s Dawson Gray, leading into The Prairie States. The weekend wraps up with an after party performance from Brayden King.
Mitchell says organizers spend months listening to music and attending live shows before locking in the lineup.
“We want to ensure that we’re creating a great experience for people,” she said. “It’s a lot of back and forth, starting from the headliners and then working our way down, figuring out who would complement them.”
Now in its third year, the festival is aiming to return outdoors after weather challenges in 2025. While there have been some budget adjustments due to reduced grant funding, Mitchell says the overall structure will feel familiar to returning fans.
“We believe deeply in what Boot Stomp brings to the Cochrane region, but this is the year the festival truly needs its community to show up,” she said. “Producing a festival means securing artists, rentals, staging and infrastructure months in advance, long before ticket revenue is guaranteed.”
The family-friendly festival will once again feature camping, beer gardens, local vendors and a community stage, with additional performers to be announced.
Early bird tickets are on sale now at bootstomp.ca.
Lauren Meister, CochraneNow.com | Monday, Mar 02 2026, 12:00 PM https://cochranenow.com/articles/all-female-friday-big-headliners-at-boot-stomp