Local music lovers' favourite weekend of the summer is finally here.
Northern Lights Festival Boréal 2019, which runs four days and includes more than 100 performances, starts Thursday, July 4 and runs until Sunday, July 7.
As usual, all activities take place in Bell Park in and around the Grace Hartman Amphitheatre — so let's hope for nice weather!
This year's headliners are a who's-who of the Canadian music scene, with rappers, rockers, reggae and folk musicians on the same bill.
Canadian rock icon Sam Roberts Band is the Thursday, July 4 headliner. Sudbury.com will bring you an interview with Sam Roberts himself later on today.
Headlining on Friday is Somali-Canadian rapper, singer and songwriter K'naan (a.k.a. Keinan Abdi Warsame), who's well known for his song “Wavin' Flag.”
On Saturday, Canadian reggae/soul/alternative band Bedouin Soundclash headlines. You'd probably recognize this band's song 2005 break-through single “When the Night Feels My Song.”
And finally on Sunday, Canadian folk singer-songwriter Basia Bulat is that night's headliner.
Other performers coming in for NLFB 2019 include: Juno winning singer-songwriter William Prince, Quebec singer-songwriter Safia Nolin, Mexican-Canadian rapper Boogat, Montreal singer-songwriter Mélissa Laveaux, vintage-infused rock band Zeus, Toronto rapper Haviah Mighty, francophone singer Céleste Lévis, indie rock bands Jane's Party and Oh Geronimo of Toronto, Edmonton singer-songwriter Ben Sures and folk artists Hannah Shira Naiman, Sheesham & Lotus & Son and Mayhemingways.
And the festival also features plenty of locals: this year Sudburians The Almighty Rhombus, Shaky Stars, Duncan Cameron, Jennifer Holub and Kevin Closs are on the roster.
“I think our headline roster is pretty diverse, and they're all really respected and different artists,” Max Merrifield, artistic executive director of the festival, said at the lineup launch back in April.
“Yeah, I'm really happy with the headliners this year, and I think Sudburians will be too.”
Tickets are available at nlfb.ca or Old Rock Coffee, Jett Landry Music and the Home Hardware locations in Lively, Hanmer and on Bouchard St. Full festival passes cost $90 each, tax in.
