NEW GLASGOW – The New Glasgow Riverfront Music Jubilee has pulled out all the stops to celebrate its 15th anniversary.
Well-known Canadian acts such as Blue Rodeo, Sloan and the Trews will be headlining the three-day festival that takes place in New Glasgow from July 30 to August. 1
“We wanted it to be special this year in honour of our 15th anniversary so we figured the best way to do this was to bring in some acts that exemplify great Canadian Music, and Blue Rodeo does that,” said Carleton Munroe, the festivial’s executive director.
He said Blue Rodeo was on the short of list of bands the committee wanted to perform at the Jubilee so it started lobbying for Jim Cuddy and the band to come to PIctou County shortly after last year’s festival.
“It wasn’t easy,” said Munroe. “We started early having talks with them and they finally agreed to come. Nova Scotia is their only Nova Scotia stop this summer and it may be their only East Coast visit. We hope everyone puts their best forward in Pictou County and shows them a good time.”
He expects Pictou County will give Blue Rodeo a welcoming response since there has been a lot of buzz since the news broke last week about the band’s visit.
Munroe said the band gave its fan club members the chance to purchase tickets first for five days before it was open to the general public. He said all indications are that preliminary tickets sales went well and based on the calls he has been receiving about the band’s arrival, he expects sales to remain strong.
Tickets for the main stage are now on sale at all Ticketpro locations, by phoning 1-888-311-9090 and online at www.ticketpro.ca. Beginning Monday, tickets will also be available at select Sobeys locations in Nova Scotia. Advance tickets for Friday and Saturday nights are $20 each and tickets for Sunday night are $30 each. Until June 30, early bird weekend passes are available for $50 each. After this date, they will be $60 each. Tickets at the door are $25 each on Friday and Saturday and $35 each on Sunday night.
Munroe said this is the first year the jubilee’s tickets have been sold through Ticketpro and it allows tickets to be purchased across Canada for the three-day event.
He warns that people shouldn’t wait until the last minute to get their tickets since there is a possibility Sunday’s show with Blue Rodeo could be sold out.
“We have the capacity to hold 9,000 people so this is something we have to be prepared for,” he said.
In addition to Blue Rodeo, Munroe said the jubilee is also featuring some well-known Canadian acts that have been big crowd pleasers in the past.
The Trews and Sloan have both performed before and have been dubbed the jubilee’s most popular headliners in the past 15 years.
“Haywire, one of the most successful east coast bands ever, is reuniting to play the festival and this should be a real treat for all those 80s kids who followed the group during its incredible run,” he said.
He said the Jubilee is also proud to include many Pictou County acts including Doris Mason, Alert the Medic, Granfalloon Reunion, Mary Stewart, Fleur Mainville and Dave Gunning, to name a few.
A free youth concert featuring up-and-coming musicians will take place in Carmichael Park Sunday from 1-3 p.m. where several of the teen performers will team up with some seasoned entertainers for a Songwriter’s Circle. This will be followed by an afternoon of “Blues in the Park” from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Some of the featured performers will include the Wildcat Blues Band and the McCready Brothers.
“The Jubilee continues to be one of the most diverse, entertaining and affordable music events in the region,” Munroe said. “It will be a weekend not to miss.”
For a complete schedule and more information on the jubilee, visit www. Jubilee.ns.ca.
