Manitoba

Fleet Foxes, William Prince, country legend Emmylou Harris part of 2023 Winnipeg Folk Fest lineup

A wide range of musical acts from across genres and the globe were announced in this year's lineup at the Winnipeg Folk Festival.

60 artists to perform over 4-day festival at Birds Hill Park in July

A concert stage.
The Winnipeg Folk Festival's main stage is pictured during opening night in 2022. The festival returned last year after a two-year pandemic hiatus. (Travis Golby/CBC)

A wide range of musical acts from across genres and the globe were announced in this year's lineup at the Winnipeg Folk Festival.

Over 60 artists are set to perform over four days at Birds Hill Park next summer.

American indie folk band Fleet Foxes will perform in the province for the first time, as well as The War on Drugs, who won the 2018 Grammy award for best rock album of the year, a Friday news release said.

"I want festival goers to come away with a new appreciation for the music they know and love, and a revived list of discovered artists to add to their playlists," artistic director Chris Frayer said in the release.

The festival, which takes place at Birds Hill Park, returned last year after a two-year pandemic hiatus.

Indigenous artists in this year's lineup include Peguis First Nation's William Prince, multi-instrumentalist Aysanabee, Ojibwe singer-songwriter Evan Redsky, and powwow-step pioneer DJ Shub.

Manitoba talent set to hit the stage includes folk-roots duo Fire & Smoke, Métis/Franco-Manitoban singer-songwriter Andrina Turenne, and Fontine of Cowessess First Nation in Saskatchewan, who has made a name in the Manitoba music scene.

More big names on this year's lineup include Grammy lifetime achievement recipient Emmylou Harris, who last performed at the festival in 2010, and Orville Peck — a Canadian-based and South African-born country music artist.

The lineup will also include American singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright, along with his Juno award-winning son Rufus.

International artists include synth folk musician Ko Shin Moon of France, South Korean progressive rock band Dongyang Gozupa and northern Niger band Etran de L'Aïr, whose name translates to "the stars of the air," according to the release.

"We have been trying for a few years to land some of these artists and this year everything lined up just right to make that happen," Frayer said.

Folk Fest will run July 6-9.