The lineup for the 2023 Vancouver Folk Music Festival was unveiled Thursday, nearly five months after the organizers behind the event warned the city’s summertime staple could be indefinitely cancelled.
The 46th annual festival will run from July 14 to 16 at Jericho Beach Park and include more than 40 musical acts—with artists representing eight provinces, six states and over 10 countries—according to a release by VFMF.
WHO’S SET TO TAKE THE STAGE
Acts with ties to British Columbia account for 14 of the acts, including Ruby Singh and The Future Ancestors, Tiny Habits, The Sojourners, San Pedro Cinco, Cláudio Rabeca Quartet with special guest Serena Eades, Samantha Parton, Melón Jiménez & Lara Wong Flamenco-World Trio, The High Bar Gang, Rich Hope, Krystle Dos Santos, Ferron, Steve Dawson and The Hooded Mergansers, Jim Byrnes and Jill Barber.
Other Canadians set to perform at the festival are Edmontons Celeigh Cardinal, Toronto’s Andrea Ramolo, Ottawa’s Twin Flames, Winnipeg’s William Prince as well as Ruth Moody, Rum Ragged of St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador and Jocelyn Pettit and Ellen GIra—a U.S.-Canadian duo.
American talent will also be well represented at the 2023 VFMF, with California’s Las Cafeteras and Joachim Cooder included in the lineup, as well as Louisianna’s Cedric Watson and Jourdan Thibodeaux; New York’s Aoife O’Donovan; Tennessee’s Tré Bur, Maya de Vitry and Amythyst Kiah; Arizona’s Calexico; Washington’s True Loves and Maine’s Joe Henry.
The festival is also welcoming international artists such as Blick Bassy from Cameroon and France, Derek Gripper of South Africa, Italy’s Kalàscima, Iran’s Kayhan Kalhor Trio, British guitarist Albert Lee, Ireland’s Susan O’Neill, Buryatia’s Namgar plus Don McGlashan and Anita Clark of New Zealand.
‘NONE OF US TAKE IT FOR GRANTED’
Fiona Black, a board member and programming committee chair for the festival, says no one involved in the festival, whether they’re organizers of attendees, takes this year’s event for granted.
“This festival is a touchstone in the lives of so many of its far-reaching community: long-time and new audience members, out-of-town visitors who come year after year, volunteers, donors, sponsors, artists and so many more. I think this year everyone appreciates this iconic festival a little more,” she said in a statement.
On Jan. 17, the Vancouver Folk Music Festival Society issued a statement announcing this year’s event would not be possible to finance due to the soaring cost of hosting live events in the aftermath of the pandemic.
Later that month, the society’s board postponed its annual general meeting, which was when it was planning to dissolve itself, as several interested parties had proposed to help keep the festival going.
Then in February, the board decided to rescind its motion to dissolve the society after roughly 300 people attended a virtual town hall on the festival’s future.
On March 15, organizers announced new funders had come forward with “substantial offers” to ensure the festival happened this year.
“Thanks to an outpouring of support, goodwill and dedication, the 2023 edition of the Vancouver Folk Music Festival will carry forward a great legacy of musical excellence and eclectic discovery,” the most recent release reads. “We welcome everyone back to the park this summer to be part of this joyful experience.”
Each year, the festival is attended by more than 30,000 people and supported through the work of roughly 1,200 volunteers.
More information about the lineup and ticket options are available at www.thefestival.bc.ca.
WIth files from CTV Vancouver's Ian Holliday
