The year 2024 marks the 40th anniversary of the Festival Innu Nikamu. From July 30th to August 4th, get ready for the biggest and most impressive edition in its history, featuring Bryan Adams, Flo Rida, Aqua, Samantha Fox, Elisapie, Shauit, Claude Dubois, K.Maro, Katia Rock and Scott-Pien Picard, among others
MANI-UTENAM, Quebec, May 15, 2024- More than 40 artists from near and far, native and non-native, will rock the stages in Mani-utenam this summer:
- July 30, 2024 – K.Maro, Shauit, Shanipiap, Set Léo, Scott-Pien Picard, Jade Mathieu
- July 31, 2024 – Claude Dubois, Elisapie, Nitatshun, Sakay Ottawa, Spencer St-Onge, Lildeuce24k & Yung Blues, Bryan André, Laurence Jourdain and Matthew Jourdain
- August 1, 2024 – Flo Rida, Nikan Awashish, Katia Rock, Sara Curruchich, Passeken, Kong & friends (Will E. Skandalz, Violent Ground)
- August 2, 2024 – Samantha Fox, Le Winston Band, Willie Nab, Tshishapeu, Fort George Rockers, Les Titans de Niaukat – Kashkun, Les Frères Grégoire, Eshkan
- August 3, 2024 – Aqua, Raphaël Picard, Roger Lee Martin, Ninan, Soleil Launière, Les légendes de Innu Nikamu – Rod Pilot, Bozo St-Onge, Lito Fontaine, Jean-Paul Bellefleur
- August 4, 2024 – Bryan Adams, IA, Grégoire Boys, Rodrigue Fontaine, The Sheepdogs, Ivan Boivin-Flamand, Dj Indians, Mike Demero
For the current team, this 40th edition represents an opportunity to raise the bar even higher. “We’re determined to match the caliber of the biggest festivals in Quebec and Canada, despite the fact that we don’t sell alcohol on site,” says Normand Jr. Thirnish-Pilot, Festival coordinator for a third year. “We want to enchant our youngest visitors, while making our elders feel just as welcome, and we’ve made sure that Innu-aimun and Innu-aitun (our language and culture) have a prominent place in the daytime activities”.
For information about passports, consult the Festival website at www.innunikamu.ca.
Setting up ephemeral campsites
The Innu Nikamu Festival is working closely with Locapaq, a company specializing in the rental of outdoor equipment, to increase the region’s accommodation capacity for the duration of the Festival.
Ephemeral campsites offer festival-goers an immersive experience, combining comfort and convenience. Whether you prefer traditional camping, all-inclusive accommodation with a tent, bed and accessories, luxury glamping or space rental for your RV: there will be options for every taste, and each site will be equipped with modern sanitary facilities to ensure a pleasant stay.
“We’re delighted with this partnership with the Innu Nikamu Festival, which marks the beginning of a significant collaboration for us. This ambitious project, which involves housing 3,000 people independently and creating a large ephemeral village with all the necessary logistics, is a first in Quebec. For Locapaq, working alongside the Innu Nikamu Festival and the indigenous community to bring this initiative to fruition is a tremendous and meaningful opportunity,” said David Tall, CEO and founder of Locapaq.
Reservations for ephemeral campsites will begin shortly. Festival-goers are invited to visit the Innu Nikamu website and/or Facebook page frequently, where all information will be posted shortly.
Innu Nikamu sur la route
Finally, the Festival Innu Nikamu also announces the addition of a mobile tour to its official programming via the launch of Innu Nikamu sur la route.
Innu Nikamu sur la route will bring together indigenous and Québec artists on a mobile stage, called Mixbus, stopping off in seven small North Shore communities. This innovative project is part of a process of reconciliation and celebration aimed at strengthening ties between Innuat and Nord-Côtiers, and will promote access to Aboriginal music and culture for local residents who don’t have the chance to host artists on a regular basis. Performances on the Mixbus promise to be immersive, and will focus on creating a connection and closeness between artists and audiences.
“Innu Nikamu on the road is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the unique culture and hospitality of each place visited. Each community will have the opportunity to enrich the event with complementary activities such as daytime activities, additional shows, fireworks, community meals or any other idea of their own,” explains festival coordinator Normand Jr. Thirnish-Pilot.
The destinations confirmed so far are :
- Les Escoumins | July 11, 2024
- Pointe-aux-Outardes | July 20
- Mani-utenam from July 30 to August 4, 2024
Other stops will be added to the tour itinerary and announced at a later date.
Festival Innu Nikamu
The mission of the Festival Innu Nikamu is to promote and enhance Innu culture through music, dance, song and the arts. The Festival aims to bring together the Innu communities of Québec and Labrador, as well as other indigenous and non-indigenous people, in a spirit of sharing and respect. The Festival takes place every August in Mani-utenam, on the North Shore. It is also recognized as one of the largest alcohol-free festivals in Canada.