Music/Musique NB are celebrating New Brunswick’s best music with their annual Festival (506). The music festival and conference takes place in Moncton, New Brunswick this year, and includes the very physical embodiment of the celebration of the provinces’ best with the awarding of the Prix MNB Awards.
25 acts and 15 awards will be at the focus of Festival (506) this year. The Prix MNB Awards are expected to take an interesting twist with the organization’s decision to change how the awards were categorized this year.
“We found it more and more difficult to pinpoint genres,” said Music/Musique NB Executive Director Jean Surette back in April. “Everyone seems to be a hybrid these days and comparing them was a challenge for the juries.”
2019 will be the first run for the new categories which now include several MVP categories.
The list of artists showing casing at the the 2019 festival, as you might expect, is dominated by New Brunswick musicians, many performing at the festival for the first time.
This year the line-up includes Adyn Townes, The Backstays, Bleum, Chloe Breault, Colin Fowlie, The Gregories, Jamie Comeau & The Crooked Teeth, Joey Robin Haché, Joyful Noise, Kylie Fox, Little You Little Me, The Lumber Jills, Matt Comeau, McKinley Morrison & Williams, Nebullama, Pallmer, REY D, Sadie, Shaun Ferguson, Tomato/Tomato, The Tortoise The Hare & The Millionaire, Troiselle, Wangled Teb, Wolf Castle, and WROTE.
“We are proud to present a lot of artists who are showcasing at Festival (506) for the first time this year. Our Festival is also a professional development opportunity for artists, and we’re happy to give them a helping hand toward a sustainable music career,” says Dawn Després-Smyth, Coordinator of Member Happiness at Music/Musique NB.
After being hosted by the northern town of Caraquet, NB last year, Festival (506) will move its festival location to Moncton, New Brunswick for 2019 and will take place between October 24 and 27.
Festival passes are now available online. FAN Passports, which give access to all the shows (excluding the premium shows like the Awards Show) are on sale for $25. PRO Passport, which include access to all the shows, plus the conference sessions, are available for $50.