Edmonton Folk Music Fest granddaddy Terry Wickham noted at that event's lineup announcement press conference late last month that given dynamic pricing, perhaps only the rich will be able to enjoy big concerts soon. Touch wood against.
Still, our regional festivals are (mostly) a welcome antidote to ticket ens—tification – you really do get a lot of pop for your pesos at the sonic buffets, particularly given all the free ones Edmonton offers.
This isn't all of them – and R.I.P. to those we've lost like Blues Fest, Sonic Boom and Interstellar – but here's a look at what's being offered this summer in these parts.
Now Hear This Festival
When: June 5-13
Where: Mile Zero Dance Space (9931 78 Ave.)
Headliners: Pigeon Breeders, Echo Ensemble, Steph Patsula, Tamarack Cunningham, Standing Wave Ensemble
Tix: $25/20 show, $75/$60 pass
Weird and wonderful, this “sound-centred” creative arts fest celebrates 40 years of New Music Edmonton over several nights with truly one-of-a-kind, mutant performances.
Freewill Shakespeare Festival
When: June 17-July 12
Where: Heritage Amphitheatre, William Hawrelak Park
Headliners: Free Will Players, Edmonton Pops Orchestra, Shelley's Dance Company
Tix: Much Ado About Nothing: Adults, $40; Students & Seniors, $30; 12 & Under, Free. Something Rotten!: Adults, $50; Students & Seniors, $40; 12 & Under, Free.
The Freewill Shakespeare Festival makes its return to the Heritage Amphitheatre in Hawrelak with a pair of shows, the Bard's own Much Ado About Nothing, and Something Rotten!, a musical comedy that wonders, “What if Shakespeare had competition?”
Summer Solstice Music Festival
When: June 17-22
Where: Trinity Lutheran, Yardbird, Mimi Bar
Headliners: Edmonton Chamber Music Society
Tix: $27-$39.70 shows, $94.50 pass
Strings and piano swirl around Dvořák, Schumann and more as Edmonton Chamber Music Society gets the summer started intimately with enduring classics.
Alberta Circus Arts Festival
When: June 18-21
Where: La Cité Francophonie, U of A Saint Jean Campus, 78 Ave Entertainment District
Headliners: North x Northwest Cabaret, Circus of Second Chances, Cirque Kikasse
Tix: $11.32-$58.18 show, $110.24 pass
Four days of modern acrobatic, musical and cinematic mayhem including a free, Sunday Happy Beer Street show by Cirque Kikasse.
Beaumont Music Festival
When: June 19-20
Where: BADAS Fairgrounds, Beaumont
Headliners: Big Sugar, Toque, Royal Tusk
Tix: $147.78 fest pass, $94.99/$116.10 single day pass
Rockin'-on, “Canada's biggest little music festival” features camping, transit from Edmonton. See beaumontmusicfestival.ca for details.
North Country Fair
When: June 19-21
Where: Driftpile, AB
Headliners: My Son the Hurricane, The Uncas, Buns, MonkeyJunk
Tix: $240 weekend pass incl. camping
The best fest to reset in a wild, open field in a forested valley on the interdimensional ley lines. The Fair defies boundaries and explanation. Just go, with rain gear.
