Sudbury, ON's Northern Lights Festival Boréal returns this July 4 through 7, bringing another stellar crowd of Canadian artists with it. For its 53rd edition — the festival was founded way back in 1972 — NLFB is once again filling Bell Park with the best that Canada has to offer in the world of folk and roots music, as well as a range of other genres.
Here are five acts that everyone should see at Northern Lights Festival Boréal 2024. Tickets are available here.
Tim Baker
Former Hey Rosetta! frontman Tim Baker's shows are known for their communal warmth, the St. John's songwriter expanding his tender folk rock to envelop everyone in attendance. With last year's Along the Mountain Road EP in his back pocket, Baker is sure to bring that energy to his headlining NFLB set.
Jully Black
North York's Jully Black has a voice like few others — equal parts fiery and icy, brash and gentle, her live performances (like her lyric-swapped rendition of "O Canada" in 2023) always stir conversations and tug on heartstrings, and she's a surefire bet for a hot festival day.
Housewife
Housewife — formerly the group Moscow Apartment, now the solo project of Brighid Fry — has a fan in James Gunn and will likely only find more on this year's festival circuit. If Fry's latest single "Wasn't You" is any indication, they're only getting better, and they'll make for a decidedly modern, sweeping addition to NLFB's rootsy oeuvre.
Sarah Jane Scouten
An herbalist and folk musician, Canadian-born — but Scotland-based — songwriter Sarah Jane Scouten works in healing modalities. Her music is gentle and driving, splitting the difference between traditional folk and forward-leaning Americana. It's the kind of music made to be played from a festival stage, built to drift on warm summer air.
Willows
Montreal-based songwriter (and Exclaim! New Faves alum) Willows, otherwise known as Geneviève Toupin, creates the kind of exploratory, sideways folk rock that's always finding new wrinkles in traditional sounds. Last year's glittering Maison vent finds her working at the peak of her powers, a tribute to the various women in her life and their shared heritages. She's not to be missed.
