The beloved Northern Lights Festival Boreal (NLFB) is back again at the Grace Hartman Amphitheatre in Bell Lake Park, Sudbury, from July 4 to 7, 2024.
“Attendees can expect a wonderful extended weekend of music for everyone,” explained interim festival executive director, Michelle Murray. “Featured headliners include July Talk, The Rural Alberta Advantage, Jully Black, and Tim Baker. We have 70 plus performances across 7 stages happening this year.”
Murray went on to explain that the festival is particularly proud of the workshop performances it offers its audience. “This is kind of the cherry on top of our festival,” she said. “We put together several of our guest musicians in a themed workshop, where they can play off and with each other. The most incredible music happens as a result. It’s magic.”
Workshops this year include “Heartstrings – First Guitars”, scheduled for 1 p.m. on July 6, on the festival’s Main Stage. Based on the theme of his recent book of the same title, Sudbury author and musician Sean Barrette will host a workshop with Lynn Miles, Keith Glass of Prairie Oyster, Andrew Hyatt, and Nils Edenloff of The Rural Alberta Advantage. The artists will share stories of their first guitars, and share songs – perhaps played on those guitars, or written using them.
“We are very excited to have Andrew Hyatt join us at the festival this year,” enthused Murray. “He is a local Sudbury boy who has just been doing incredibly well. He won the 2022 Canadian Country Music Association Award for Rising Star, was nominated for Album of the Year, received nominations from the Country Music Association of Ontario, and won the prestigious “Top of the Country” title from Sirius XM. We are just thrilled to have him here.”
Another workshop is “Beauty in the Beat” – an exploration of ‘beat based’ music using synths, samplers, turntables and beyond with Juno winning, Mohawk Dj/producer DJ Shub, Boogàt, and Sudbury live electronic project The 555.
“Draw the Bow” will feature Cristina Masotti and Melissa Schaak of Sudbury’s 2VPlus, who will showcase the violin, in all its magic. Marta Solek of Toronto’s Moskitto Bar will turn festival audiences on to the magic of the lyra, an amazing, traditionally Greek, bowed instrument. Jacinthe Trudeau & Jeff Wiseman will bring traditional Métis and Franco-Ontarian fiddle styles to this special workshop.
“Bless this Mess” is a workshop which is a meditation on the messiness of life,” said Murray. “It will feature three of Canada’s finest voices in folk-roots music: Lynn Miles, Zachary Lucky and Sarah Jane Scouten.”
There are many more workshops scheduled throughout the festival, to suit all kinds of musical tastes.
“We are really excited about this year’s festival,” said Murray. “We hope everyone will come out and enjoy the magic.”
Festival tickets, including a special $20 day pass, can be purchased here.