Grammy-award winning musician Lenny Kravitz will be headlining the second day of a Halifax outdoor music festival this summer, joining other big name acts like Nickelback and The Killers.
Halifax Music Fest, which runs June 27 to 29, will be set up at Garrison Grounds at Citadel Hill — in the heart of downtown Halifax.
The president of Sonic Concerts, which is putting the festival on alongside Mighty Quinton Concerts, said it’s been a long-awaited announcement.
“It’s important for us to create some legacy music event here in the city as opposed to getting on an airplane,” Louis Thomas told Global News.
“We should be hosting these things.”
Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m.
In addition to Lenny Kravtiz, the line-up for June 28 includes Canadian pop-rock singer Amanda Marshall and Canadian song-songwriter Terra Lightfoot.
As previously announced, June 27’s line-up includes Nickelback, The Glorious Sons, Big Wreck, and Tenille Townes. June 29 will see The Killers, Alvvays, Lights, and Said The Whale take the stage.
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Creed is also headlining a Summer of ’99 Tour on Aug. 30.
‘Make Halifax what it was once before’
Halifax was once a live concert Mecca, with big-name acts including the Rolling Stones in 2006 and Paul McCartney in 2009.
In the early 2010s, however, there was a concert-funding scandal. This was followed by the end of the Halifax Pop Explosion in 2021 after controversies.
Those in the tourism industry hope to see Halifax regain a lively entertainment scene.
“We’ve had a rough, let’s be honest, five years with COVID and then the tariffs,” said Jayme Lynn Butt, the communications manager for the Downtown Halifax Business Commission.
“There’s just so much going on right now that it’s just really nice to have something to celebrate.”
The business commission is helping create an extra incentive for concertgoers to support local.
“We’re actually working with Jazz Fest and Sonic Concerts to do a partnership with our businesses, so that if someone shows up with a ticket showing that they were at that concert, then there’s going to be some deal,” said Butt.
As well, making Scotiabank Centre and the Garrison Grounds prime tour stops once again means more opportunities to highlight what the Maritimes has to offer.
“I know a couple people within the local scene who have definitely been trying to make a huge push to get artists into this city and make Halifax what it was once before,” said former concert photographer Cuba Fisk.
— with a file from Ella MacDonald
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