Sudbury’s Northern Lights Festival Boréal (NLFB) is approaching in just over a month! As has been tradition since 1972, a diversity of acclaimed musicians from around the world are set to perform over 3 days in Bell Park: July 4-6.
NLFB has announced the bulk of the lineup, including headliners Lights, Destroyer, Melbourne Ska Orchestra, Fateh Doe; plus feature artists: David Francey, Jamie Fine, The Weather Station, Rich Aucoin, Klô Pelgag, and numerous others. Tickets and full information are available at nlfb.ca.
The festival team is thrilled to share the full festival schedule, available at nlfb.ca/schedule and via the FEST mobile app. It includes 3 days of programming, across 7+ stages/venues, over 60 shows, and over 40 acts. There is a full stage and area devoted to family programming and activities, as well as a large assortment of artisan vendors, food vendors, visual arts offerings and interactive activities. The NLFB team suggests using the FEST mobile app as your complete guide to the massive number of activities taking place on festival weekend.
Begonia’s coming back! NLFB audiences raved about Bergonia’s performance at the festival in 2022 and will be thrilled to see her take the Main Stage on Sunday, July 6th, this summer. Pegged as Canada’s breakout alt-diva, Begonia has built a legion of fans online and at her legendary live shows. Among her accolades, she has a JUNO nomination, two Polaris Prize nominations, multiple #1 songs on CBC Radio, and was named one of NPR’s Artists You Need to Know. Her sophomore album, Powder Blue, emerged in early 2023 and confronts themes of sexuality, self-discovery, acceptance and empowerment. The album was named one of CBC Music’s Best Canadian Albums of 2023 (#7) and was shortlisted for the 2023 Polaris Music Prize. Begonia’s vocal prowess has the power to absolutely floor an audience, evidenced at her Polaris Gala performance. She is a standout Canadian talent, and the world is beginning to take notice.
Another new lineup announcement: on Friday, July 4th, Montreal-based Wendat pop-soul artist Eadsé will appear, presented in partnership with Radio Canada. She released her debut, full-length album in March of 2025. This album and the current live show mark her artistic maturity, tackling themes of healing and determination with powerful messages. She mixes languages (French, English, Wendat) to offer a profound and enriching musical experience. Eadsé was officially selected as one of the Révélations Radio-Canada artists for 2025-2026, a group of francophone artists selected annually, featured and recognized for their work.
NLFB is excited to announce a rising talent who will energize the festival’s close-out party at The Townehouse Tavern on Sunday, July 6th. Kat Pereira is a Montreal-based multi-instrumentalist and synesthete. Known as a keyboardist, guitarist, bassist, flutist, and backing vocalist in various projects including Alfa Rococo, Eli Rose, Alex Nevsky, Laura Niquay, and Noé Lira, she steps out of her chameleon role to reveal her true self through a luminous and electrifying neo-soul pop sound, inspired by queens like Erykah Badu, Hiatus Kaiyote, and Saya Gray. Kat Pereira blends powerful poetry with catchy melodies to explore themes both intimate and universal: colonialism, feminism, and the search for identity. Her name became widely known as a finalist in Les Francouvertes, Montreal’s renowned music competition.
More top-notch Northern Ontario talent is also being added to the festival roster. Mistaken for Wayne is the northern-born alt-folk project of singer-songwriter and farmer Wade Montpellier, along with various north Ontario-based collaborators. His latest EP, This Time of Year, stems from the view outside his windowpane: the cycle of seasons, nature’s evolution, and time passing. In all his music, he focuses on sustenance—whether through a harsh winter, a hard love, or an artistic pursuit. He makes music with a sunburnt sleeve, portraying rural life and the nature around us all.
Northern Lights is not like other festivals for many reasons – some of it’s hard to describe: a vibe, a feeling of community, a belief in the magic of music. One feature that is distinct and unique for Northern Lights is the collaborative workshop performances. Seeing your favourite new artist rock the Main Stage is an amazing experience, but how about also being able to see them in a more intimate setting, collaborating with other artists, sharing stories and cracking jokes? Or have you ever thought about what it would be like to combine two of your favourite bands into one show? These are the types of exclusive experiences you can only witness in Northern Lights workshop performances. With some exceptions, these are not workshops of the ‘instructional’ kind, but special sets where artists from various acts are grouped around a style, theme, instrument or influence. For example, join the stacked workshop I’m Not OK (and that’s OK), on Sunday the 6th, featuring: The Weather Station, Begonia, Klô Pelgag and Kate Maki. These artists will join each other on-site to share songs that explore feelings of fear, anxiety and uncertainty – plus the stories behind them. On the more jam-oriented side, on Saturday the 5th, members of Melbourne Ska Orchestra, Cheikh Ibra Fam, and the Sarah Craig Quartet will combine forces and share songs featuring the mighty saxophone as a key instrument. These are just two examples of roughly eight of these ultra-special workshop performances.
NLFB encourages potential and committed festival-goers to check out the full schedule at nlfb.ca to get a sense of the sheer amount of music, arts, and celebration planned for festival weekend. Festival passes are cheaper when purchased in advance, with the Full Festival Pass providing the best value by far. There are discounted hotel packages available for those travelling to attend. There are also discounts for students/youth, and kids 14 and under get free access with a ticket-bearing adult. A $20 pass for afternoon-only programming can also be purchased at the gate. This pass is not available online, and does not include access to evening feature concerts or any musical programming after 5 pm. Information on Canada’s longest consecutively running music festival is available at nlfb.ca or by calling the festival office at 705-674-5512.
