Vancouver Folk Music Festival announces 2023 lineup for July 14 to 16 event

Calexico, Ferron, Joachim Cooder, Cedric Watson, and Albert Lee among this year’s musical acts

Vancouver Folk Music Festival today announced the lineup for its 46th edition, taking place July 14 to 16 at Jericho Beach Park.

About 40 musical acts—and more to be announced shortly—with roots in more than 10 countries, eight provinces, and six U.S. states will perform on three daytime stages and an evening stage throughout the weekend.

Arizona’s Tex-Mex duo Calexico; women’s icon Ferron; music legends Joe Henry and Albert Lee; percussionist-keyboardist Joachim Cooder; and Juno-winning singer-songwriter William Prince are some of the luminaries who have signed on so far.

Among Vancouver’s own are Juno-nominated singer-songwriter Jill Barber; old-time bluegrass band The High Bar Gang; spiritual gospel trio The Sojourners; blues legend Jim Byrnes; hip-hop adventurer Ruby Singh and The Future Ancestors (BC); and Krystle Dos Santos of Hey Viola! acclaim.

From further afield are Newfoundland’s Rum Ragged; Tennessee-based folk artist Aoife O’Donovan; East LA’s son jarocho band Las Cafeteras; and zydeco and Cajun accordionist Cedric Watson, who will perform with fiddler Jourdan Thibodeaux. Italy’s Kalàscima, which specializes in tarantella, is teaming up with singer Andrea Ramolo, while the Cláudio Rabeca Quartet and special guest Serena Eades will play forró, the popular dance music of Brazil.

Also performing: American Beauties: Songs of the Grateful Dead Re-Imagined; Blick Bassy (Cameroon/France); Tré Burt (TN); Celeigh Cardinal (AB); Steve Dawson and The Hooded; Mergansers (BC/TN); Maya de Vitry (TN); Derek Gripper (South Africa); Joe Henry (ME); Rich Hope (BC); Melón Jiménez & Lara Wong Flamenco-World Trio (Spain & BC); Kayhan Kalhor Trio (Iran/CA & QC); Amythyst Kiah (TN); Albert Lee (UK/CA); Don McGlashan with special guest Anita Clark (New Zealand); Ruth Moody (MB/TN); Namgar (Buryatia); Aoife O’Donovan (NY); Susan O’Neill (Ireland); Samantha Parton (BC); Jocelyn Pettit & Ellen Gira (Canada & US); William Prince (MB); Cláudio Rabeca Quartet with special guest Serena Eades (Brazil & BC); San Pedro Cinco (BC); Tiny Habits (BC, MA); True Loves (WA); and Twin Flames (ON).

It’s been a long road to get to this point, with the fest’s very existence in question just a few months ago. As the 2023 event draws closer, the mood at the Vancouver Folk Music Festival Society is buoyant.

“This festival is a touchstone in the lives of so many of its far-reaching community: long-time and new audience members, out-of-town visitors who come year after year, volunteers, donors, sponsors, artists and so many more,” board member and programming committee chair Fiona Black says in a release. “I think this year everyone appreciates this iconic festival a little more. None of us take it for granted.

“For the VFMF, ‘folk music’ is an inclusive term that encompasses as broad a range of roots-based music from around the world as you can imagine,” Black says. “The beauty of this festival is that it brings such an extensive range of artists together for three days of connecting with each other, inspiring unique collaborations and making lasting memories for the amazing gathering of folks that unite every year to celebrate life, community and music. That tradition continues this year with these artists, and we welcome everyone back to the park this summer to be part of this joyful experience.”

As always, a wide range of food and artisan vendors will be on-site. There will also be a Community Village and a Little Folks Area. Around 1,400 volunteers will be on-hand to welcome some 30,000 festival-goers.

Gates open at 3 pm on the Friday, with music playing on Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to 11 pm. Early-bird passes are now on sale.

Early-bird weekend passes and more details are at www.thefestival.bc.ca./

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