Returning for its seventh year to host a week-long celebration of la fête nationale de l’Acadie is the Festival Acadie Rock from August 11th to 18th. The festival will be bringing the city of Moncton alive with the spirit of la francophonie through music, literature, comedy and visual art.
This year, the festival is bringing together artists from the Maritime provinces, Quebec, Louisiana and even Cuba and Korea.
Opening the week will be one of our favourite local groups, Tampa, who have been taking the east coast by storm since their debut album dropped in March. Joining them that night will be MoonTunes and DJ Dick Daigle.
Other acts to perform at the festival will be Julie Aubé, Vishtèn, Sweet Crude, Daniel Bélanger, La Dame Blanche, MoonTunes, Dj Dick Daigle, Jourdan Thibodeaux et les Rôdailleurs, Tampa, Christine Melanson, Jambinai, Simon Daniel, Fuudge, Comté de Clare, Les Hôtesses d’Hilaire, Track of Rock, and Jacques Surette.
The festival will also be hosting a comedy night and a soirée de poésie with comedians Mélanie Beaulieu, Julien Dionne, Solange Leblanc, Martin Saulnier, Ryan Doucette and Yves Doucet and with poets Gabriel Robichaud, Georgette Leblanc, Cindy Morais, Emilie Trudel, Marc Arseneau, Frederic Gary Comeau and Christine Roy. In addition, visual artist Mathieu Léger will be creating artistic installations throughout the city in depiction of the transitory quality of language.
“I am very proud of the new partnership with the Atlantic Dance Festival as well as Pride 2019. These partnership continue my vision of having the festival be a beacon of inclusiveness for all art forms as well as all citizens of our communities,” says Acadie Rock’s director of programming Marc Chops Arsenault.
“I am also looking forward to seeing artists who I have yet to see in a live setting, even though I am familiar with their music, such as Daniel Belanger, Jambinai and La Dame Blanche and am very grateful that they accepted our invitation to come share their international acclaim in our corner of the world!”
The August 15th celebrations for la journée de l’Acadie will include a traditional tintamarre for which all are invited to participate. Those attending are asked to dress in Acadian reds, whites and blues and bring objects to make noise with during the march from the Aberdeen Cultural Centre to Riverfront Park.
Event tickets for Festival Acadie Rock are available now on the Acadie Rock website HERE.