by WGO STAFF
From Gordie Sampson to Ria Mae, The Town Heroes to The Beaches, Makin’ Waves presented by Sydney Credit Union has become the soundtrack to summertime emanating from Sydney’s historic Wentworth Park Bandshell.
The fifth year of Makin’ Waves presented by Sydney Credit Union will be led by local favorites and Allan Slaight Juno Master Class winners Port Cities as well as Juno Award winning rockers Joel Plaskett Emergency and Wintersleep, while looking to its roots with performances from year one artists Slowcoaster and Dave Sampson.
“Having three Cape Breton performers headline this year’s event shows the growth these artists have had since 2015 and how proud we are to continue to support them and all Cape Breton artists,” says Duane Nardocchio, Operations Manager at the Cape Breton Music Industry Cooperative (CBMIC).
Rounding out the mainstage lineup of 2019’s Makin’ Waves presented by Sydney Credit Union is a diverse collection of artists from the Maritimes and beyond. Fire Valley Fire and Emma Stevens complete the collection of Cape Breton artists, while visiting artists will include T. Thomason from CTV’s The Launch and Jah’Mila from Halifax, Rachel Beck and the Atlantic String Machine from PEI, and 2019 Indigenous Music Award nominee Mimi O’Bonsawin from Toronto. Collectively, the lineup has 125,000 Facebook followers, 300,000 monthly Spotify listeners, and over 2,000,000 Youtube views.
“For five years, we have been working to move the needle in terms of the artistic experiences we have in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality,” says Joe Costello, Program Coordinator for CBRM Recreation. “The music is curated not only to bring some of Canada’s best artists to Wentworth Park, but also to ensure we do our part to present artists reflective of our community’s diverse makeup. We are proud to not only support our Cape Breton artists, but also many women, First Nations, LGBTQ, and racialized performers in our programming.”
sharing the stage with PEI’s Rachel Beck & the Atlantic String Machine.
Makin’ Waves presented by Sydney Credit Union will again take place on Thursday evenings from July 4th through August 1st. The free event will feature food trucks, family activities, the popular Festival Market, and support from partners such as Marco Hearing Health Centre, Protocase, Ultramar, Marine Atlantic, and 101.9 The Giant. An addition for 2019 will be the Sound Source Pro Audio Members Club, a way for residents to become more engaged with the event. Becoming part of the Members Club gives you access to news first, as well as exclusive giveaways, meet and greets, performances, and more. More information will be released in April on how you can become a part of the Sound Source Pro Audio Members Club.
Makin’ Waves presented by Sydney Credit Union is produced by the Cape Breton Regional Municipality Recreation Department and the Cape Breton Music Industry Cooperative. Makin’ Waves has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada through the Canadian Arts Presentation Fund. Full event details are available at makinwavesfestival.ca powered by Novastream.
