Northern Lights Festival Boréal is an annual summer music festival in Sudbury, Ontario. One of Canada's oldest continuous music festivals, it has been staged every year since 1972 including during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bilingual festival is held on the shores of Ramsey Lake at Bell Park, home of the Grace Hartman Amphitheatre. A diverse program of music is presented in a variety of genres including arts, crafts and children's entertainment. Northern Ontario, national, and international artists and performers are featured. in concert performances as well as collaborative workshops.

In addition to the summer festival, the organizing committee sponsors concerts and other cultural events in Sudbury throughout the year.

The festival is normally held over three days in the first weekend of July, although occasionally it has also taken place over one, two or four days.

Some of the highlights over the years:

  • In the 1970s, Colin Linden, then 14 years old, appeared at the festival. while at the festival. The song was written for a collaborative performance session with the band Friends of Fiddler's Green.
  • In 1988, the event was postponed to the last weekend of July to serve as the cultural festival for the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics, which were held in the city.
  • The 1990 event saw the first collaborative performance by folk musicians James Keelaghan and Oscar Lopez, who later recorded two Juno Award-nominated albums together as the Compadres.
  • In 1992, the festival was profiled in the TVOntario series Putting On the Arts.
  • In 1999, pop singer Amanda Marshall announced a concert in the city on a date that conflicted with the festival. The controversy was resolved when Marshall's promoters offered a special promotional pass that enabled ticketholders to attend both events. The following year, the festival recovered by offering a smaller program.
  • In 2017, the festival expanded its three-day schedule with a Thursday night performance devoted exclusively to Indigenous music.
  • In 2020-21, the traditional festival was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. In its place, a drive-in music concert was held in 2020, and a limited, smaller event in 2021.
  • The festival celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022.

Festival artistic directors have included Scott Merrifield, Vickie McGauley, John Closs, Claude Faucon, Paul Loewenberg, and Max Merrifield. The co-winners of the award in 2024 were Iona Reed and Ron Kelly. In 2025, local blues musician Tom Fyfe won the award. The award is named for Jackie Washington, a blues musician who appeared at the festival 25 times between the festival's inauguration in 1972 and Washington's death in 2009.

The Bernie Melanson Volunteer Award is also awarded annually, named after one of the festival's founding members and given to individuals or groups for longstanding or exceptional service to the festival.

Performers

1980

CANO, Tom Rush, Stan Rogers

1983

Scott Merritt, Lauri Conger and Lorraine Segato, The Nylons, The Bop Cats, Joe Hall, Nancy White, Eritage, Shirley Eikhard, Richard Séguin, Robert Paquette, CANO, Paul Dunn, Daisy DeBolt, Jacko Chartrand

1990

James Keelaghan, Oscar Lopez, Tom Paxton, Josephine, Loreena McKennitt

1995

Ashley MacIsaac, Kashtin, Nadjiwan, The Wailing Aztecs, The Shuffle Demons, Stephen Fearing, Eric Nagler

1997

Blue Rodeo, Bob Wiseman, Universal Honey, Change of Heart, The Pursuit of Happiness, Bob Snider, Fred Eaglesmith, Pacande, The Wailing Aztecs, Nadjiwan, Les Chaizes Muzikales

1998

Bruce Cockburn, Natalie MacMaster, Rheostatics

1999

Mackeel, Buckwheat Zydeco, Grievous Angels,

2000

The Arrogant Worms, Rita Chiarelli, The Corndogs, Alun Piggins, Carlos del Junco, Konflit Dramatik, Ruby Craig, The Rockin' Highliners, Debbie Danbrook, Hank Engel and the Hoosier Daddies, No Reservations, Darlene

2004

The Arrogant Worms, BeeBop Cowboys, Broche à Foin, Kevin Closs, Sarah Craig, Véronic DiCaire, Brian Dunn, Fred Eaglesmith, Grievous Angels, The Havocs, Colin James, Kingpins, Konflit Dramatik, Corb Lund, Kate Maki, Matapat, Mondo Idols, Ox, Pilate, Andy Stochansky, Sweetwater, The Wailin' Jennys, Verge

2007

Ron Sexsmith, Leahy, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, Peter Case, Les Breastfeeders, Oh Susanna, Peter Elkas, Ox, Kim Barlow, Torngat

2008

Kate Maki, Old Man Luedecke, Nathan Lawr, Two Hours Traffic, Daniel Bélanger, Ian Tamblyn, David Francey, Miracle Fortress, The Sadies, Don McLean

2009

Serena Ryder, Bob Wiseman, Joel Plaskett, Jenn Grant, Bob Snider, Angie Nussey, Stéphane Paquette, J. P. Cormier, Norman Foote, Mr. Something Something

2011

Broken Social Scene, The Weakerthans, Lunch At Allen's, Ron Hynes, J. P. Cormier, Ladies of the Canyon

2012

Daniel Lanois, Steven Page, Joel Plaskett, The Good Lovelies, The Hidden Cameras

2013

Serena Ryder, Kathleen Edwards, Buck 65, Lynn Miles, Caracol, Elisapie, Swamperella, Cindy Cook

2014

Amélie, Annie Lou, Bustamento, Bruce Cockburn, Lemon Bucket Orkestra, Melbourne Ska Orchestra, Barry Miles, Stéphane Paquette, Red Moon Road, Crystal Shawanda, The Strumbellas, Tokyo Police Club, Wintersleep

2015

Fanny Bloom, Big Tobacco & The Pickers, Billy John & The Irish Wake, The Bombadils, Duncan Cameron, Cello Tales, J. P. Cormier, Quique Escamilla, Five Alarm Funk, Sarah Harmer, Hello Holiday, House of David Gang, Jayme Stone's Lomax Project, Kobo Town, Lee Harvey Osmond, Dan Mangan, Melbourne Ska Orchestra, Mimi O'Bonsawin, Lisa Marie Naponse, Le Paysagiste, Pistol George Warren, Les Poules à Colin, Adonis Puentes, Reuben and the Dark, Scarlett Jane, Ben Sures, Tuba Boy, The Wild Geese

2016

Afrikelektro, The Amazing René, Bahamas, Mélanie Brulée, Collective Roots, Cindy Cook, Digging Roots, Brian Dunn, Paul Dunn, Fagroongala, Martine Fortin, Matt Foy, Anique Granger, Gypsy Kumbia Orchestra, Jennifer Holub, Les Hotêsses d’Hilaire, Hugh Jazz, François Lemieux, A. David MacKinnon, Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy, Kate Maki, Mandala, Minotaurs, Murder Murder, Orkestar Kriminal, Steven Page, Pretty Archie, Chuck Roberts, Sheesham & Lotus & Son, Frederick Squire, Jeff Stewart and Community Drums, Rose-Erin Stokes, Sun K, Dwayne Trudeau, Josh Turnbull, Union Duke

See also

  • Historic rock festivals
  • Music festivals in Canada

References

  • Northern Lights Festival Boréal official website