The Vancouver Folk Music Festival is a Canadian cultural institution – a unique community-based celebration with an internationally-renowned reputation for presenting the finest traditional and contemporary folk and roots music artists from around the world. Now in its 40th year, it continues to be one of the city’s most beloved, enjoyed, and respected events – named “Best Local Music Festival” by Georgia Straight readers for the fifth year in a row, and 2016 “Best Music Festival” by readers of theWestender. The Festival draws 38,000+ enthusiastic attendees annually to beautiful Jericho Beach Park, folks eager to experience the music and culture of more than 60 international, national, and local acts. Every year, two and even three generations of families join friends and fellow community members to share in the music, dance, food, children’s activities – and the magical ambience of the festival.
The Vancouver Folk Music Festival presents one of its most exciting, rich
and musically diverse rosters to date in celebration of its 40th
Anniversary! From July 13-16, some of the world’s finest traditional and
contemporary folk, world and roots music artists will come to spend a
weekend in the urban seaside beauty of Jericho Beach Park.
Over 65 music acts with roots in more than 20 countries, twelve states and
nine provinces and territories will perform on seven day and evening stages
over the festival weekend. This year the festival starts on Thursday night,
July 13 with a free concert in the park (details to be announced in
mid-June) and runs Friday afternoon and evening, July 14, and on Saturday
and Sunday, July 15 & 16 from 10am to 11pm each day.
This year’s lineup includes a number of acclaimed artists well known to fans
of great music, including:
Billy Bragg and Joe Henry, Shawn Colvin, Kathleen Edwards, Rhiannon Giddens
from the Carolina Chocolate Drops, and Barenaked Ladies. Past and recent
festival favourites also return, with women’s music icon, Ferron and her All
Star Band, BC treasure, Roy Forbes, African music powerhouse, Alpha Ya Ya
Diallo, legendary labour singer, Si Kahn, and three more recent faves,
Marlon Williams and the Yarra Benders, Emmanuel Jal, and the feisty Grace
Petrie, among others slated to once again take the stage.
Fans of global sounds have much to anticipate, with groups like Congo’s
Mbongwana Star, Colombia’s Sidestepper, Nive Nielsen & The Deer People from
Greenland, Egypt’s voice of protest Ramy Essam, the voudou rhythms of
Haiti’s Chouk Bwa Libète, Korrontzi from Spain’s Basque region, RURA from
Scotland, and many others.
There’s blues and bluegrass connections, old time acoustic and jug band
music coming too: France’s Delgres make a Guadaloupe-Delta blues connection,
and True Blues featuring Corey Harris and Alvin Youngblood Heart lay it all
down. There’s Tift Merritt’s brilliant rootsy sound, The Slocan Rambers’
bluegrass, New Brunswick group Tomato Tomato’s washboard folk, and the
renowned jug band sounds of Jim Kweskin, coming to the festival with
Meredith Axelrod.
Australian Archie Roach performs his songs of struggle and healing, and we
welcome a special gathering of Indigenous music trailblazers in Native North
America. Canadian and BC artists are also well represented, with Bob
Bossin, C.R. Avery, Jim Bryson, John K. Samson and the Winter Wheat, and
Gabrielle Shonk among others set to perform. See the website
<https://thefestival.bc.ca/> for the full lineup.
A wide range of food, artisan, and retail vendors, a Community Village and
Little Folks Area are all features of a festival that prides itself on its
environmental awareness, sustainability initiatives, and accessibility.
Around 1400 volunteers help to make the festival a success as it welcomes
between 38,000 and 40,000 people to the park each year.
Early Bird weekend passes <https://thefestival.bc.ca/ticket-information/>
are on sale until June 9. Tickets go on sale at Advance rates on June 10.
Group Rates: Purchase 15 or more tickets of the same type and receive a 10% discount. Tickets must be purchased in advance during the Early Bird price bracket. Service Charges Apply. Please call 604-602-9798 for more information and to make order arrangements.
