2020 Block Heater music festival celebrating 5th year with more venues, acts

Calgary will be abuzz with music, dancing and warm vibes again in February as the fifth annual Block Heater music festival rolls back into town.

The festival released its 2020 event lineup on Thursday, boasting more artists and more ways to enjoy the live entertainment.

“We’re now at 38 artists and five venues, which is actually larger than some summer festivals,” artistic director Kerry Clarke said.

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“We have more stages than some summer festivals and we’re only in our fifth year.”

Acts will be hitting the stage at Festival Hall, Studio Bell, the King Eddy and Calgary Central Library again this year, with new stages at the Ironwood and Gorilla Whale being added to the fun.

Block Heater is also, once again, bringing a wide variety of local, national and international artists to the city.

“Local artists are in our own backyard,” Clarke said.

“They’re our friends, they’re our colleagues and so giving them an opportunity like this where they get to share stages in collaborative sessions with artists from around the world is how they help develop their careers and grow their audiences and we want to be in on the ground floor while they do that.”

The 2020 winter festival will also feature a special focus on Black Future Month and a strong Indigenous flare, festival organizers said.

Here’s a look at the artists coming to the 2020 Block Heater music festival:

Thursday:

• Bella White
• Tchutchu
• Amy Nelson
• Sam Lynch
• Villages
• Marleana Moore
• Carsie Blanton

Friday:

• Wyatt C. Louis
• Amelie Patterson
• nêhiyawak
• Sunglaciers
• Son Little
• Del Barber
• Hannah Georgas
• Cécile Doo-Kingué
• AfrotoniX
• Kid Koala
• Jess Knights
• Carmanah
• David Wax Museum
• Justin Rutledge
• Shane Koyczan
• Geoffroy

Saturday:

• Jayme Stone’s Folklife
• Laura Hickli
• 36?
• Samantha Martin and Delta Sugar
• Hannah Epperson
• The Weather Station
• Chad VanGaalen
• Élage Diouf
• Boogát
• Sunny War
• Karimah
• Jom Comyn
• Richard Inman
• Shane Koyczan
• Lynn Olagundoye

Like with other Calgary Folk Festival events, people can create their own schedules so festival-goers won’t miss any of the musical action.

The 2020 Block Heater music festival runs from Thursday, Feb. 20 to Saturday, Feb. 22. Tickets can be purchased online.