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The Festival is pleased to announce its 2008 lineup – with more still to come.

One of the sure crowd-pleasers at this year’s party will be a back-by-popular-demand appearance by Michael Franti and Spearhead, one of the biggest hits of last year’s festival. The festival audience must also prepare to have its common soul rocked by the hardcore gospel sounds of Robert Randolph and the Family Band (who are in the studio recording a new album with T-Bone Burnett).

The anniversary festival will also feature folk legends Joan Armatrading and Nanci Griffith, plus the country/Mexicana sounds of Calexico and the internationally-followed-but-Winnipeg-based folk-rock agitators The Weakerthans.

There’ll be high-class pickin’ galore with two all-star bluegrass troupes, the legendary David Grisman with his Bluegrass Experience, and last year’s festival favourites Abigail Washburn and Béla Fleck join forces as part of Abigail Washburn & The Sparrow Quartet featuring Béla Fleck.

	Joan Armatrading	Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet featuring Béla Fleck	Nanci Griffith
	Calexico	Winnipeg’s The Weakerthans	David Grisman

Peter Ostroushko

“It’s the 35th anniversary festival, and there’ll be some returnees reflecting festival history,” says Chris Frayer, Artistic Director. “We have Spider John Koerner back, for instance, and Peter Ostroushko. Nanci Griffith was here in 1985. David Grisman hasn’t been here since ’83.

Justin Townes Earle

“But at the same time, we’re always looking forward and outward to introduce audiences to what’s new. And the festival wouldn’t be the same without that aspect of discovery.”

Indeed, a new generation of musicians has been revitalizing folk music all over the map, and some of this year’s “new folk” stars are Martha Scanlan (who played on Down From the Mountain), West Coast band Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter, Texan singer-songwriter Carrie Rodriguez, and Steve Earle’s talented progeny Justin Townes Earle.

Forro in the Dark

The festival is a sonic global village with sounds from all over the world, this year including Nigerian Afrobeat stars Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, singer Dobet Gnahoré from Côte d’Ivoire, Balkan Beat Box from Israel (and New York), and Hungary’s A Hawk and a Hacksaw. Scottish Celtic group Lau, winner of Best Group at the 2008 BBC Folk Awards, will be there.

Seun Kuti

Living legend Charlie Louvin

Jim Byrnes

Of course there’s too much on the menu to list all at once, but a few other highlights include country legend and Louvin Brother Charlie Louvin—who’ll turn 82 just before the festival and whose music is enjoying a renaissance with collaborators such as Elvis Costello and Jeff Tweedy. The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker, the top new band at last year’s Bonnaroo Festival, play horn-laden, funky old-style soul that will make you think you’ve landed in another decade. Winnipeg Fringers will remember spoken word “cabaret” act The Fugitives, a huge hit from last summer’s Fringe Festival. Gospel acts include Jim Byrnes, The Warrior Gospel Band, The Sojourners, and John Boutte.

The complete lineup is posted on our Performers page, complete with web links, and with new acts added as they are confirmed.

Lineup is subject to change without notice.