SAMU’s Winter Fest 2025 brought the HEAT

Somehow we weren’t snowed into the Starlite Room.

With a show name like Winter Fest and a night of fluffy snow cascading down the downtown Edmonton skies, the silent, blanketing peace might make you feel like the show was destined for a concert of holiday tunes.

Well, you’d be wrong and a few weeks late to the holiday season, but trust me, you’d be glad you braved the snow to dance at the Starlite Room the night of Jan. 17. SAMU sourced four Canadian artists for this year’s Winter Fest: Kuzi Cee, Ari Hicks, Preston Pablo and Whipped Cream.

Kuzi Cee was the closest to his homebase of Calgary when he took to the Starlite stage first, along with his band and two backup dancers. His performance began the night on (multiple) high notes and flipped seamlessly between genres, like in his songs “Fever,” released in 2021, and “I Do,” one of the five songs in his 2024 EP Heartless Romantic. As the crowd of MacEwan students and guests filled in, the room buzzed with trap, afro beats, and amapiano one minute, and the next, R&B and pop. My favorite Kuzi Cee song was his performance of one of his 2024 singles, “Smooth Operator,” where each person on stage shined. Kuzi Cee and his two dancers moved together with a flirty and confident allure while his band amped up the rock, compared to his studio recording.

Between performances, SAMU announced winning numbers to raffle tickets worth $250 in tuition credit, launched SAMU branded beanies into the crowd, and held a few friendly, competitive games to win tuition money, like shaking your butt ferociously to lose all the ping pong balls in a box with a hole tied around your waist. But hey, what wouldn’t students do for tuition money?

Next up was Ari Hicks, joined on stage by a guitarist and drummer. The Torontonian musician is well known for her 2020 single, “Kiss Me, Kill Me,” which gained virality in Asia three years after its release. However, she has so much punchy pop with heavy synth tunes to offer. For example, the chorus of her newest single, “TILT,” goes HARD and projects intense energy. Speaking of energy, Hicks had the sea of students wrapped around her finger with her cover of “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga as they jumped and screamed the lyrics. Thank God for reinforced flooring.

That night, social work students Madi Grant and her friend Brynne Thomas had just finished their week in a semester with the same six classes. “I think this is a great way to interact with other MacEwan students,” said Grant. When Preston Pablo came on next, their friend group was at the front of the stage with wide smiles. After his set, Brynne said, “I was literally at the front screaming his name and song. It was insane.”

After a few songs, Pablo said this performance was his first time playing in a long time and it felt good. The artist from Timmins, Ont., interacted with the crowd with a playful ease, reciprocating the audience’s hype and dancing. Watching his comfort on stage made it clear why he won ‘Breakthrough Artist of the Year’ at the 2023 Juno Awards.

Now, if you haven’t heard his 2022 single, “Flowers Need Rain,” with artists Banx & Ranx, what’s the rent like for the rock you live under? While I knew the tune and had gathered it was a love song from the lyrics, I was pleasantly surprised when Pablo told us the song is dedicated to his love for music. For more of a subdued ballad that moved the crowd into lapping sways, Pablo sang his 2022 single, “Don’t Break My Soul.”

After Pablo’s set, I walked around looking for students who might want to comment on their experience. Thomas was mingling with his two friends in the dispersing crowd when I approached them for a comment. His friends volun-told him to speak with me. (Thanks!) He was quick to acknowledge the awesome energy in the room and his excitement for the next set, pointing to the DJ table being set up on stage. Thomas is a MacEwan nursing student and when I spoke to him, his school work meant nursing clinicals. “So, it’s definitely a stressful time,” he says. “But I think having this right at the end of the week, you know, it’s a good way to unwind, settle down, or I guess get riled up.”

And Thomas, if you’re reading this, “riled up” was the correct phrase. Whipped Cream is a DJ, producer, songwriter and vocalist born in Toronto and based in Vancouver. Or, as I would like to call her, a magical, musical, crowd manipulator. While I didn’t stay for her whole set, which went well past midnight, her first few songs made her expertise in making others dance all too clear. She rose from behind her booth, along with an intensifying intro. Her set was as electrifying as it was unique. She launched the Starlite Room into a rave. One single she served was extra fresh: “Redline,” with MEMBA, released in 2025. Coming from a past of competitive figure skating, I can’t help but hope the next Olympic figure skaters dance to a track by Whipped Cream.

Overall, the 2025 Winter Fest was a fun night where students indulged in great music, and I sincerely hope everyone who came stayed hydrated and had Advil within arms reach in the morning. Especially the person who used the Griff‘s microphone to profess their love of McDonalds, and the other person who wanted to use our camera tripod (with the camera on it) as their very own personal stabilizer.