Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival

Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival is a small town festival with a big reputation! Each year, music lovers flock to this distinct UNESCO World Heritage town for the best of Folk music and a healthy dose of fun. We’re the longest running music festival in Nova Scotia and one of the oldest in Canada. This all-ages event takes place over four days in early August and offers something for everyone.

Our indoor and outdoor venues are small, intimate and steeped in history! They offer seating and are within walking distance of each other. Musicians playing on our Wharf Stage are often accompanied by the songs of seagulls and fresh sea breezes to complete the Folk Harbour experience. Between shows, enjoy the numerous galleries, museums, shops, homemade ice cream, pubs and restaurants that make our colourful town so rich—with so much to do you’ll wish our festival were longer!

We’re more than just music performances! We showcase music and dance from a wide range of cultures. Canadian and International artists are featured in educational workshops and pre-festival conferences. These work to promote the preservation of traditional folk music through an emphasis on acoustic instrumentation and A cappella singing. We also place a special focus on the next generation of Folk artists, with scholarships and Young Folks concerts, where we get to show off some of our amazing local youth in action.

Our audiences are attentive, not rowdy—they love music more than anything and faithfully return each year! Guests are invited to participate and interact with the artists so get your cameras ready; you’ll have plenty of photo ops!

Our main venues are all alcohol-free, providing a comfortable all-ages environment for concert-goers.

Over the years we’ve presented hundreds of musicians from across Canada, The United States, and beyond, and we’ve made a name as one of this country’s leading music festivals. Our fans consistently tell us they come to our festival to see their favourite musicians, but leave having discovered new “musical addictions”. Performers love us too. They tell us that our audiences are gracious and fully engaged—quite a compliment coming from artists who, in many cases, have played all over the world.

Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival is truly an intimate affair and a vibrant East Coast experience—a chance to get up close and personal with the artists who sing the songs that influence and shape our culture.

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