Vancouver Folk Music Festival adds three new acts to 2023 lineup

Plus, fest extends early-bird weekend pass deadline, with one day tickets on sale at early-bird price

VANCOUVER FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL, taking place July 14 to 16, is adding acts to the 2023 program.

Joining the fest is the multinational troupe Medicine Singers featuring Zoon and Yonatan Gat with special guest, Gord Grdina. The group is known for its groundbreaking sound that embodies decades of musical genres influenced by Indigenous music. As Pitchfork put it, Medicine Singers deliver a “vivid new context for the sound of the powwow drum, highlighting the debt that rock music owes to Native American music”.

North Carolina’s Toubab Krewe will travel West for the fest with its combination of rock, with African traditions, jam stylines, global folk strains, and more.

And Colin Linden, a singer-songwriter-guitarist who splits his time between B.C. and Tennessee, will bring his powerful blend of blues, rock, and roots.

Some 40 or so musical acts with roots in more than 10 countries, seven states, and eight provinces will be performing on three daytime stages and an evening stage throughout the weekend.

The fest has also announced that the deadline to purchase early-bird weekend passes has been extended to June 15 at 5 pm, while one-day tickets are on sale now at the early-bird discount prices (to June 15 at 5 pm as well).

See the full lineup in Stir’s coverage here.

A range of food and artisan vendors, a beer and wine Garden, a Community Village, and Little Folks Area are all also on the bill.

More information is at www.thefestival.bc.ca.

Articles

Domestic life and video-game music shaped Basia Bulat’s most recent batch of songs

Montreal-based singer-songwriter talks about the dreamy layers of sound that went into her latest album—and stripping them away for her new EP and solo tour

Little Miss Higgins celebrates fall with her Harvest Tour at the Shadbolt Centre, October 1

Audiences can expect a heartwarming set, plus a merch table filled with homegrown garlic and handmade soap

At Come Toward the Fire, singer-songwriter Logan Staats values connections—to both audiences and other Indigenous artists

The Mohawk musician’s career trajectory has taken him from bar shows to The Launch to Nashville, but he’s always stayed grounded in his Six Nations community

Chutzpah! Festival unveils 2026 programming, with actor Ari’el Stachel, comedian Jacob Samuel, dance artist Meghann Michalsky, and more

The 26th annual edition spans theatre, dance, comedy, and music from November 3 to 15

Branford Marsalis and Dianne Reeves celebrate John Coltrane at the Chan Centre, October 13

The pair of Grammy Award winners honour the jazz legend’s legacy in honour of his centennial

Beacon of Light launches the Vancouver Chamber Choir's 56th season, October 2

Program features the Canadian premiere of Tawnie Olson’s Missa Brevis, kicking off her tenure as Composer-in-Residence

At Vancouver Latin American Film Festival, Mayra Hermosillo discovers empathy on both sides of camera

Mexican actor and first-time feature director reflects on the powers of film to find the universal in the local and reveal new sides of an artist’s personality

Vancouver Latin American Film Festival kicks off with A Loose End on September 10

Writer-director Daniel Hendler’s feature blends elements of noir and comedy to tell the tale of a mild-mannered cop on the run from corrupt colleagues

Western Gold Theatre's Have A Senior Moment Festival opens with Anniversary, September 25 to 27

A staged reading of Carol Shields and Dave Williamson‘s comedy takes a sharp look at life and love in middle-class suburbia

Film reviews: Powerful documentaries and dimsum pleasures at Vancouver Queer Film Festival

Saving Etting Street looks at an inspiring building project in Baltimore; “Egg Yolk Custard Bun (奶黃包)” features full-bodied food performances; and What Will I Become takes a moving look behind the statistics of trans suicide

Singer-guitarist John Pizzarelli continues the storied tradition of Italian-American jazz

The New York artist draws on everything from the guitar work of legends like Joe Pass and his own father to the unmistakable voice of Tony Bennett—the inspiration of his latest album

Chor Leoni announces 2026–27 season featuring sea shanties, returning holiday favourites, and day of free concerts

A new series of public performances and a cross-country collaboration with La Nef and Seán Dagher mark the choir’s 35th season

Vancouver New Music unveils 2026–27 season, featuring artists from around the world

Japan’s Kuniko Kato Quartet opens the lineup as part of the VNM Festival: Open Frequencies, performing the music of Steve Reich

Mexico’s Silvana Estrada brings her eclectic influences to the Chan Centre on October 4

The singer-songwriter and Latin Grammy winner has collaborated with artists from all over the world, and she will perform with Vancouver’s own Black Dog String Quartet

Vetta Chamber Music launches its 41st season with Legacy, September 25 to 28

Former artistic director Joan Blackman, esteemed pianist Jane Coop, and newly appointed artistic director Hung-Wei Huang join forces onstage

Jesse Eisenberg’s The Debut to open Vancouver International Film Festival, while Martin McDonagh’s Wild Horse Nine to close it

Amid today’s full programming announcement of more than 160 features, DEVO icon Mark Mothersbaugh is added to VIFF Live lineup

Montreal’s Basia Bulat tours to the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, September 20

Singer-songwriter performs tracks off her latest album, playing guitar, piano, and autoharp

Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival celebrates the small wonders of local nature, September 7 to 26

The 24th annual event culminates in a five-hour journey featuring the Harvest Fair, Twilight Lantern Procession, and Streamside Lanterns

I Pagliacci opera triggers the tears of a clown, August 26 to September 5

Nebula Performances stages a full production of Ruggero Leoncavallo’s famous work, with Wanshuai Yu in the leading role

Chan Centre hosts Indigenous cultural festival ʔəm̓i ce:p xʷiwəl Come Toward the Fire, September 18 to 20

Fifth-annual festival features learning opportunities, a full day of free activities, and a concert headlined by Juno Award–winning artist Aysanabee

Pi Theatre and EDAM present the world premiere of birdcage, September 3 to 5

Meditative piece is a collaboration between interdisciplinary artist Alex Mah and violinist Ilana Waniuk

Improv Butoh rises again at Kokoro Dance’s KW Studios, August 21

Guitarist Cole Schmidt performs at a jazz-driven music-and-dance series reborn after the June passing of Tony Wilson

Elektra announces its 40th anniversary season with new voices and returning favourites

For 2026–27, the choir will premiere new commissions by Canadian composers Suba Sankaran and Alex Eddington, as well as revisiting works from its inaugural year