Edmonton's Up+Dt Festival Returns
Every October, from 2013 - 2018, Edmonton music fans would gather in the downtown core for Up and Downtown Music Festival (Up+DT). A multi-venue festival that would highlight incredible bands, DJs, and comedians from Canada and around the world. Over the course of six years, the festival grew immensely and brought in names like Antibalas, Constantines, Dan Deacon, DIIV, Preoccupations, PUP, Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet, Tanya Tagaq, and so many more.
Then, after the 2018 event, a large chunk of the core festival team (including its founder) decided not to return. The Edmonton music community assumed the festival was over, just as it was beginning to grow in notoriety. There were some rumblings around the city that the festival had changed hands and Edmonton could expect its return after a year off to refocus. The rumours seemed to be true when, in 2019, Up+Dt held a show at the famed Freemason’s Hall venue and it appeared as though there was a glimmer of hope…. then… 2020.
The timing was especially bad for Up+Dt as the global pandemic stopped any chance of the festival’s return and once again Edmontonian’s lost all hope of a return for the festival.
Well… Not everything loved faltered due to the pandemic because today we are very excited to announce that it’s time to regain that glimmer of hope of a return to form for this loved Edmonton event.
On Saturday August 7th, 2021, Edmontonian’s will be able to gather in limited numbers at The Heritage Amphitheatre in Edmonton’s gorgeous Hawrelak Park to take in a full day of live music. The event is being coined “Purple City” and will be a one of a kind event to celebrate the resilience, immense talent, profound diversity of the Edmonton music community. The lineup is comprised 100% of Edmonton artists from days present and past.
Tickets cost $50.00 and are on sale now. Get them fast for your chance to catch an excellent day of music that includes: Calvin Love, Cayley Thomas, Wares, Aladean Kheroufi, ☽AG 47 ( Featuring BORYS & Kris Harper of nehiyawak ), Mustafa Rafiq, Karimah, and Billie Zizi.