Calgary Folk Music Festival drops the needle despite exchange-rate sour note

David Bell · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 02, 2025 5:12 PM EDT | Last Updated: 28 minutes ago

Picture it. Late summer 2025. You are strolling on Memorial Drive and arsenic you get person to Prince's Island Park, you tin perceive music.

Lots and tons of people music.

The 46th variation of the Calgary Folk Music Festival takes implicit the municipality land parkland for a four-day play starting July 24.

"There are a batch of section artists and Canadian artists," the festival's creator manager Kerry Clarke told reporters Wednesday.

"Because our festival is truthful collaborative, it gives them a accidental to effort things retired and conscionable different artists and possibly bash immoderate caller songs for them."

Thursday's signifier volition invited Sierra Ferrell, Michael Kiwanuka and Elisapie.

Patrick Watson, Ruby Waters, Cymande, BadBadNotGood and Moontricks volition entertain Friday.

"Saturday night's festivities culminate with revered hardcore troubadour Steve Earle with Reckless Kelly, Texas's beacons of caller hick rock, aft ace East L.A. Mexican roots and blues rockers Los Lobos and Madeleine Peyroux's dusky lyrics, wrapped successful sultry, playful, retro sounds," the festival said successful a release.

The festival wraps Sunday with Cake, Ocie Elliott and LA LOM.

Here's the afloat lineup.

Clarke said there's a batch of moving pieces with a festival of this size.

"A batch of negotiation, a batch of backmost and forth. Michael Kiwanuka was out, past helium was in, past helium was out, present helium is in. So a batch of juggling and negotiation," she said.

"This festival is capable to pull large artists due to the fact that we person a truly bully reputation."

The volatile concern southbound of the borderline with tariffs and a punishing speech rate affects decision-making successful Calgary, Clarke explained.

"A batch of artists are booked good earlier we knew precisely who was going to beryllium elected and erstwhile they were elected, precisely what interaction that would have," she said.

"There are a batch of American headliners that are going to bring successful radical to spot Canadian artists, and we privation to support collaborations betwixt the 2 countries. Those conversations are critical."

The festival aims for a minimum of 50 per cent Canadian artists. This year, Clarke said it's person to 60.

But it's the U.S.-Canadian speech complaint that's truly hurting.

"It impacts the fund hugely," Clarke said.

"This twelvemonth is 1 of the worst successful astir the past 20 years.… If we didn't person that immense cost, we could person astatine slightest a mates much American headliners, astir apt 4 oregon 5 much Canadian headliners. So it does interaction the wide look of the lineup."