By Andrea Tomkins –
Westfest fans should circle March 4 in their calendars. This day marks the official announcement of the Westfest 2018 line-up and the day of the All-Star Fundraiser. Yellowknife’s Quantum Tangle are headlining this sold-out event. Vocalist Tiffany Ayalik and singer/guitarist Grey Gritt are a Juno Award-winning duo that weaves traditional Inuit throat singing and spoken word stories with blues-influenced melodies.
“It’s going to be quite a treat for anyone in attendance because this act is mind-blowing but not seen very often,” says Westfest founder and producer, Elaina Martin. “You don’t get opportunities to see this act… They are really exceptional artists.”
The fundraiser, which is being held at Cube Gallery this year, will be co-hosted by Councillor Jeff Leiper and Ottawa musician, Jim Bryson. As a special bonus, ticket holders to the March 4 event are automatically upgraded to VIP status for the duration of Westfest.
This year, Westfest is celebrating its 15th anniversary and is taking place June 8-10 in a brand new location at Tom Brown Arena (141 Bayview Rd.). This combination of indoor and outdoor festival space gives the organizers an opportunity to introduce new aspects to this free festival. For example, the main festival stage will shut down at 10 p.m., and the party will continue indoors, upstairs at Tom Brown on the Friday and Saturday nights of Westfest weekend.
Check back here on our website March 4 to get the full festival line-up and to view an exclusive photo gallery of the launch event.