shows on 11 stages. It is easy to see why this has been a top pick for festival goers for more than 50 years and consid- ered to be the Super Bowl of Music Festivals. This year more than 800,000 people, yes you read that cor- rectly will attend the Summerfest over the 11 days of the festival which has been certified by the Guinness World Records as “The World’s Largest Music Festival,”since 1999. Summerfest features a variety of music genres, with local, national and international recording artists performing throughout the grounds from noon to midnight. Offering a musical experience that will be unforgettable as you are immersed in amazing artists from the past, present and future during this festival. Although there are just too many international music super stars to mention them all, but with artists like Imagine Dragons, Bonnie Raitt, Florida Georgia Line, Bebe Rexha, Dave Matthews Band, Def Leppard, Blake Shelton, The Weekend, Arcade Fire, Steven Tyler, Kane Brown, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Howard Jones and the hundreds more you will see and hear one of the best Summer playlists that is for sure.
ferent genres and stages for festival goers to enjoy. S ince the beginning, staying relevant has been the secret to success for the festival. Consider the moniker—Bluesfest—a name, not a dictum. Indeed, blues music would figure prominently from the start and still does today. But, although a healthy number of blues fans could be counted on to attend, in order to sustain the event a broader appeal would be required. Note the headliners in 1994, the inaugural year—Clarence Clemons, Randy Bachman, and Buckwheat Zydeco—all popular acts, but not necessarily known for the blues. The idea was to cast a wide net, and that has been the template to this day, leading Bluesfest to become an internationally recognized music festival—a multi-genre outdoor celebration that welcomes music fans of all stripes. This approach was evident in 1998 when organizers took what was then a considerable gamble, booking Ray Charles. It was an unequivocal success. Pushing the boundaries in 2000, the festival brought in Sting for a memorable perfor- mance that packed the park. With a view to constantly improve fan experience, the festival relocated several times before finding the ideal home at LeBreton Flats Park, in 2007. The opening act that year was Van Morrison, followed the next evening by Bob Dylan—and the programming has continued to feature some of the most relevant acts on the planet, ever since. But the innovative approach didn’t stop at programming and re-location. “We were building a loyal following and we were starting to feel a ‘buy in’ from the community and beyond; fans had a sense of pride in what we were doing, and this led to a lot of feedback as to how we could add to the experience,” says the festival’s executive director, Mark Monahan. “The new site and diverse programming were well-received, but we knew we could do more.” In recent years, fans have seen pink port-a-potties pop up for the exclusive use of female patrons, and an ongoing nation-wide talent search for emerging female artists, called ‘SHE’S THE ONE’, has been launched. In 2017, a new ‘Bluesville’ area was established, featuring a tented stage, bleachers, and even a Ferris wheel with a great view of the grounds. And, more female artists than ever before have been booked this year—including some top-trending acts like Jesse Reyes, Kimbra, Kodie Shane, Noname, and Yaeji. These and many more upgrades were all thanks to fan feedback, with more to come in 2018. “Our patrons are our most important stake holders, and they also know what they’re talking about,” says Monahan. “This year we even went so far as to host a listening session, open to the entire community. We gleaned some important feedback and were impressed with the ‘outside the box’ ideas that were raised.” Much of the feedback from that meeting will be incorporated into this year’s festival. “We are very grateful to the music fans that support the festival and will continue to let them know, we are listening, while always striving to remain relevant through innovation.”
For more information on Summerfest 2018: https://summerfest.com Ticket Prices: $14.00 USD to $165.00 USD Follow on Twitter: @Summerfest Follow on Facebook: @summerfest Follow on Instagram: @thebiggig
The 25 th RBC Bluesfest
Twentyfive years of diversity and innovation keep Ottawa festival relevant
Rank: #1 (Previous: Top 10 ‘17 Canada #2)
When: July 5 th – 15 th , 2018 Where: Ottawa, ON, Canada
By AJ Sauve
Why: For the past twenty-five years, the RBC Bluesfest hasset the national standard for relevance in the live music industry through innovation and diversity. And, when it comes to artistic programming, it has established a track record that is second-to-none with amazing artists like Bryan Adams, Shawn Mendes, Brett Eldredge, Foo Fighters, Dave Matthews Band, Beck and Blue Rodeo and many others taking the City Stage for this year’s events with many more artists performing on the Barney Danson Theatre, Claridge Himes Stage and the Black Sheep Stage offering many dif-
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • MAY 2018
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