38th International Nuits d’Afrique Festival in Montreal (Photo: Gareth Madoc-Jones/CityNews)
The 38th edition of the International Nuits d’Afrique Festival is underway in Montreal. The festival features African, Caribbean and Latin music and is considered one of the largest world music festivals in the world.
“We have been discovering groups all year round and we try to offer you the best during those 13 days,” said Suzanne Rousseau, director of the International Nuits d’Afrique Festival.
This year’s festival kicks off with a wide range of paid shows at venues including Club Balattou, Le Fairmount and Le Ministère.
For six days, starting July 16, the series of free outdoor shows will kick off in downtown Montreal on stages in the Quartier des Spectacles. The free concerts will begin at 3:30 p.m. and last until late in the evening.
“The outdoor area is really important because it allows you to fully experience the festival,” Rouseau said, adding: “You have two stages with a show that takes place back to back on Parterre du Quartier des Spectacles and Esplanade Tranquille between Ontario Street and Saint Catherine on the corner of Saint Urbain.”
In total, more than 700 artists from over 30 countries perform at the International Nuits d’Afrique Festival. But there’s more to experience than just music: festival-goers can also enjoy a market, food stalls, outdoor dance workshops and activities for children.
“Every day we start your day with a professional dance workshop, either from Colombia, Congo, each coast, from Brazil. Every day is a different dance workshop,” Rousseau explained.
A complete overview of concert times and performing artists, as well as activities and a map of the location can be found on the festival website.
“People tell me that it’s the first festival where my adolescent, my young adolescent and I will appreciate the same group,” Rousseau said. “For me, that’s very important, because then they live together an experience that they will probably never forget, even when they get older.
