Beyond The Borders: Festival d’été de Québec Promises 11 Mind Blowing Days Of Music

So much happens within the borders of Atlantic Canada that sometimes we forget to look to the west to see what our neighbours are up to. But this year, Festival d’été de Québec (FEQ) is putting on its 51st event from July 5th to 15th, and it is shaping up to be 11 days packed as tightly as possible with impressive acts.

Only 3 hours and a half hours from the New Brunswick border, FEQ is packing a little something for (probably quite literally) everyone, scattered throughout Québec City at the Plains of Abraham, Parc de la Francophonie, Place d’Youville, the Coeur du FEQ Place de l’Assemblée-Nationale, Impérial Bell, Théâtre Petit Champlain, District Saint-Joseph and Anti Bar & Spectacles.

Along with some of our Atlantic Canadian favourites (Partner, Les Hôtesses d’Hilaire, and Hillsburn), FEQ is bringing in big names like The Weeknd, Lorde, Cyndi Lauper, the Dave Matthews Band, Beck, Phoenix, Avenged Sevenfold, John Butler Trio, along with legends of classic rock Jethro Tull and Neil Young.

And, returning after having their 2015 performance cut short by a storm, the Foo Fighters will be back to finish what they started on July 9th.

“FEQ is unique,” says Programming Director Louis Bellavance. “It’s all about diversity, balance and accessibility.”

“We also care about our francophone culture a lot. That’s why you can always find a francophone artist, singing in French, headlining one of our stage everyday of every festival we’ve ever put on.Including the mainstage where someone like Coeur de Pirate will come and take over the main stage between Ice Cube and Selena Gomez performing the previous and next night on the same setup!”

The festival also puts major focus on creating a unique and inclusive experience for festival-goers.

“People want to be part of it all, to be inside the experience, not to witness it,” adds Bellavance. “To watch a concert is not enough to call it an experience. And if it’s not an experience than it’s not a festival.”

This attitude also allows the festival to maintain diversity in the music it hosts as well.

“Being a real not-for-profit corporation, it’s not money-driven and never was. Therefore, it is able to care as much about the non commercial music genres as the fully commercial blockbuster headliners.We’ve presented everyone from Placido Domingo to Metallica, from Lisa Leblanc to The Rolling Stones, from the Backstreet Boys to Kendrick Lamar and everything in between. ”

This year’s exciting eleven day lineup includes: The Weeknd, Jethro Tull, Chromeo, Brockhampton, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Lizz Wright, Random Recipe, Melanie Biasio, Hannah Williams & The Affirmations, Yamantaka Sonic Titan, Con Brio, Maude Audet, Chet Doxas, Bella’s Bartok, Neil Young, Bonobo Live, Passenger, Matt Holubowski, Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real, Geoffroy, Scott Helman, Mappe Of, Altin Gun, The Dreadnoughts, Ala.ni, Langston Francis, Liza Anne, Future, Birkin / Gainsbourg : Le Symphonique, Busta Rhymes, Loud, The Soul Rebels, Da Cruz, Lo’Jo, Men I Trust, The Pick Brothers Band, Sax Machine, Lou-Adrianna Cassidy, Shai Maestro, The Death Wheelers, Fuudge, Shawn Mendes, The War On Drugs, Jain, Pierre LaPointe, Oh Wonder, Frank Turner, M. Ward, Ponctuation, New City, Felix Dyotte, Elise LeGrow, Casual Rites, Afrikana Soul Sister, Foo Fighters, Greta Van Fleet, Car Seat Headrest, Marinah / Ojos de Brujo, La Chiva Gantiva, Yael Deckelbaum & Prayer Of The Mothers Ensemble, The Spencer Lee Band, Partner, Texas King, Gaspard Eden, Morgue, Patrice Michaud, Charlotte Cardin, Quebec Redneck Bluegrass Project, Mississippi Heat, Aliocha, Angel Forrest, Dany Placard, R. L Boyce, Canailles, Les Chiens de Ruelles, Seba et Horg, The Chainsmokers, Tory Lanez, Klo Pelgag, Gorgon City, Metz, Shane, Hubert Lenoir, Le Nombre, Young Bombs, Tagada Jones, The Funk Hunters, Pale Grey, Bad Dylan, La Famille Ouellette, Beck, Phoenix, The Skatalites, Mononc’ Serge, Megative, London On Da Track, Girls In Hawaii, Birds of Bellwoods, The Julian Taylor Band, Zach Zoya, Outre-Tombe, Raphael Denomme, Make-Overs, Kaotik, The Johans, Lorde, Cyndi Lauper, Galaxie, Femi Kut & The Positive Force, Glass Tiger, Milk & Bone, The Box, Les Hôtesses d’Hilaire, Les Deuxluxes, Papagroove, Matthew Stevens, Barry Paquin Roberge, Atroce, Avenged Sevenfold, 2Freres, Alaclair Ensemble, Busty And The Bass, Chixdiggit, Alexandre Poulin, Sate, Gabacho Maroc, Jason Bajada, Pierre-Herve Goulet, Bay Ledges, Hey Ocean!, Fouki, Dave Matthews Band, Sturgill Simpson, Sum 41, John Butler Trio, The Franklin Electric, Flavia Coelho, Pup, Gato Preto, Sam Tucker, Rouge Pompier, Tintamare, Votia, Hillsburn, and Dizzy.

Also returning this year is FestiBUS, offering festival-goers safe trips to and from the festivities. Bundles are being sold now for either $31 (unlimited travel for the entire festival, one per person) or $22 (10 trips starting at 10 a.m., including one 90-minute transfer). For more information, visit rtcquebec.ca.

Early bird Festival passes are currently available for purchase at infofestival.com for $100 until June 4th.