Up Here Urban Art + Music Festival will once again take Sudbury by storm this summer for its 10th annual edition taking place from August 15 to 18. The fest's anniversary iteration boasts a stacked lineup led by PUP, Beverly Glenn-Copeland, Allie X, TOBi and Corridor — but there's lots to look forward to at Up Here outside of the great performers.
Tickets are on sale at the fest's official website now. In anticipation of the festivities, find Exclaim!'s must-see unique experiences to check out at Up Here below.
Geodesic Dome
The three-story geodesic (hemispheric thin-shell) dome housed by Up Here Square is one of the most unique spots you might ever catch a show — in fact, some would say it's Northern Ontario's answer to the Las Vegas Sphere. Check out some clips of the dome in action here. Organizers promise "you have to see it, experience it, dance in it to really understand its awesomeness."
Guided Mural Tours
There's lots of art to be seen at festivals nationwide, but nothing displayed as proudly as the Up Here murals. With muralists as celebrated as performing artists, the guided mural tour will give festgoers an in-depth look at over 25 public art walls throughout the city — and attendees can find nearly 50 murals if they take a self-guided mural tour through the app.
Immersive Multimedia Installations
The multimedia installations strewn about the city — dubbed the "glitter" by organizers — are treated with the same reverence as the murals. Previous immersive exhibits have included projected media, giant alien flowers and secret spaces found behind out-of-order porta-potties.
Legal Graffiti Wall
For a long time, people associated graffiti with vandalism. Some still do, but in Sudbury, Up Here has flipped that narrative on its head by teaming up with city officials to designate the city's first and only legal graffiti wall as a space for street artists to express themselves freely. Have a sneak peek at some of the wall's best graffiti here.
Surprise Shows
In addition to the confirmed lineup of performers booked for Up Here 10, the fest has even more excitement in store by way of surprise shows. Unsuspecting audiences can keep an eye on the Up Here app for last-minute announcements regarding pop-up shows and Sunday's Mystery Tour of concerts held at surprise locations throughout the city.