The Winnipeg Folk Festival lineup for 2015 features Chicago-based indie band Wilco, as well as 63 other artists, including folk pioneers Arlo Guthrie, who will celebrate his 68th birthday at Bird’s Hill Park, and Steeleye Span with lead singer Maddy Prior, stars from the British folk scene of the 1960’s and ’70s.
Making their first appearance at Folk Fest will be L.A. folk star Jenny Lewis, Philadelphia alt-rocker Kurt Vile and Americana artist Jason Isbell.
Other notable acts coming this year include Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Hungary’s Söndörgö (a big hit at this year’s World Music Festival), and the Jerry Cans, a band from Iqaluit that combines an alt-country sound with Inuktitut lyrics and throat-singing.
Several Manitoba acts will be featured including up and comers Grant Davidson, Royal Canoe and The Mariachi Ghost.
Local indigenous artists, The Summer Bear Dance Troupe and Leonard Sumner, will also perform.
The Festival is now four days instead of five.
Earlybird adult festival passes go on sale today and are $185 for the four-day pass, a $45 drop from last year’s five-day pass. On May 1, the price goes up to $215 and then to $235 when purchased at the gate.
Festival camping ticket prices fell to $260 from $300, but rise to $290 on May 1 and $310 when the festival begins.
There are added discounts for youths and seniors, and children 12 and under are free. For more info go to winnipegfolkfestival.ca.
The list of performers:
Arlo Guthrie – 50th Anniversary of Alice’s Restaurant (Massachusetts, folk)
Ash Grunwald (Australia, blues)
Bahamas (Ontario, roots)
Birds of Chicago (Quebec, Americana, rock)
Blind Boy Paxton (California, blues)
Bobby Bazini (Quebec, folk, soul)
Brandy Zdan (Texas/Manitoba, indie rock)
Casey Driessen (Tennessee, bluegrass)
Current Swell (B.C., indie rock)
Dan Mangan + Blacksmith (B.C., alternative rock
Daniel Champagne (Australia, roots)
Dawes (California, folk rock)
Donovan Woods (Ontario, roots)
Dustbowl Revival (California, Americana swing)
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, (California, indie folk)
Frazey Ford, (B.C., soul)
Gingger Shankar (California, singer-violinist)
J.D. Wilkes (Kentucky, alt-country)
Jason Isbell (Tennessee, country)
Jenny Lewis, (California, folk)
Jeremy Fisher (Ontario, pop)
Jessica Pratt (California, freak folk)
José González (Sweden, classical guitar)
Kurt Vile (Pennsylvania, rock)
Lana Gay (Ontario)
Leonard Sumner (Manitoba, roots-rap)
Les soeurs Boulay (Quebec, folk)
Leyla McCalla (California, Caribbean folk)
Liz Longley (Tennessee, alt-country)
Luluc (Australia, indie folk)
Marlon Williams (New Zealand, roots)
Matt Andersen & the Mellotones (New Brunswick, blues)
Mexican Institute of Sound & Toy Selectah: Compass Project (Mexico, hip hop)
Mo Kenney (Nova Scotia, pop)
Nahko and Medicine for the People (Oregon, roots)
Robyn Hitchcock (U.K., roots)
Royal Canoe (Winnipeg, rock)
RURA (U.K., Celtic folk)
Seanster and the Monsters (Winnipeg, rock for kids)
Secret Agent 23 Skidoo (North Carolina, hip hop, soul)
Shakey Graves (Texas, Americana)
Shred Kelly (B.C., “stoke-folk”)
Slow Leaves (Winnipeg, country-folk)
Söndörgö (Hungary, Eastern European folk)
Steeleye Span featuring Maddy Prior (U.K., folk)
Steph Cameron (Ontario, folk)
Steve Gunn (New York, rock)
Steve Poltz (California, folk)
Summer Bear Dance Troupe (Winnipeg, aboriginal dance)
Tamikrest (Mali, blues)
The Barmer Boys (India, Sufi folk)
The Bright Light Social Hour (Texas, rock)
The Jerry Cans, (Nunavut, roots-rock)
The Jones Family Singers (Texas, gospel-soul)
The Mariachi Ghost (Mexican folk-rock)
The Perch Creek Family Jug Band (Australia, folk)
The Reverend Rambler (Manitoba, blues)
The Sadies (Ontario, rock)
The Tillers (Ohio, folk)
The Weather Station (Ontario, folk)
Trampled by Turtles (Minnesota, bluegrass)
Wilco (Illinois, indie rock)
William Tyler (Tennessee, folk)
Xylouris White (Greek folk-rock)
The Winnipeg Folk Festival runs July 9-12, 2015 at Bird’s Hill Park.
The Winnipeg Folk Festival is one of more than 170 charitable organizations that has an Agency Fund at The Winnipeg Foundation. An Agency Fund provides a sustainable source of income for a charity. Click here to learn more about organizations with agency funds.