Quebec, Lévis, Saint-Irénée, Rimouski: the simultaneous presentation of four festivals will land stars all over eastern Quebec over the next weekend.
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While Kaleo and Portugal. The Man will become the first headliners of the new Cigale festival, in the bay of Beauport, Festivent will host Young The Giant, Cage The Elephant, Marie-Mai, the Strumbellas and Les Cowboys Fringants, a few kilometers further south, in Lévis.
Photo AFP
Zach Carothers, from the band Portugal. The Man, in concert at Beauport Bay, Saturday.
At the same time, Les Grandes Fêtes Telus de Rimouski will present Les Trois Accords, replacing Les Cowboys Fringants at short notice, and three great American stars – The Chainsmokers, The Offspring and Flo Rida – while the Festival du Domaine Forget will offer its Charlevois scene to Marc Hervieux, Ariane Moffatt and their special guests (see box).
Photo AFP
Dexter Holland, lead singer of The Offspring, who will be taking a tour of Bas-du-Fleuve this weekend.
In the Quebec City region, two events featuring international artists rarely take place at the same time.
The general manager of the Festivent says he was “taken aback” when he learned that Cigale would be held at the same time as his event.
“We talked to each other and we realized that we mightn’t do much at the point where we were. We said to ourselves that we were going to do what we had to do. We are no less good friends, however,” says Sébastien Huot.
On the side of Cigale, no one was available to grant us an interview.
Sales are good
300 kilometers further east, the boss of the Grandes Fêtes Telus is not too worried regarding this congestion of festivals.
“There are two months in the summer and 250 festivals in Quebec. Inevitably, some will be in the same dates. Judging by the numbers we currently have, it doesn’t hurt,” says Sébastien Noël.
Same observation for the moment in Lévis. “We are not sold out, but we are doing our numbers. If I look at other festivals I’ve been to, a lot of people buy at the door compared to other years,” observes Sébastien Huot.
COVID: spectators to decide
In any case, the organizers do not intend to impose measures once morest COVID-19 despite the many cases that have been observed in the Quebec region in connection with the Summer Festival.
“It’s the festival-goer’s choice to wear the mask or not”, submits Sébastien Noël, a common position among festivals since the start of the summer.
In Quebec, Lévis and Rimouski, however, it is assured that there will be disinfection and hand washing stations in sufficient quantity. At Cigale, we indicate that we will have a reserve of masks for festival-goers who request them.
To see in the East
Cicada
August 6 and 7Beauport bath
- 6 : Kaleo, City and Colour
- 7 : Portugal. The Man, Andy Grammer
Full program at cigalequebec.com
Festivent
August 3 to 7Champigny Park and Juvénat Notre-Dame, Lévis
- 3 : Young The Giant, Elliot Maginot
- 4 : Cage The Elephant, Kaïn
- 5 : Marie-Mai, 83, Souldia
- 6 : The Strumbellas, Pirate Heart
- 7 : Les Cowboys Fringants, Salebarbes
Full program at festivent.ca
Telus Holidays
August 4 to 7Beausejour Park, Rimouski
- 4 : The Three Accords, Francois Bellefeuille
- 5 : The Chainsmokers
- 6 : The Offspring
- 7 : Flo Rida, Souldia
Full program at lesgrandesfetes.com
Festival du Domaine Forget
August 5 to 7Domaine Forget, Saint-Irénée
- 6 : Marc Hervieux and the OSQ (with Florence K and Laurence Jalbert)
- 7 : Ariane Moffatt (with Alex McMahon, Joseph Marchand, Jean-Phi Goncalves and Marie-Pierre Arthur)
Full program at domaineforget.com