About The Roots North Music Festival
A Festival to Remember
Roots music can refer to several styles or genres in music, but to us it’s music that is firmly rooted in a place of honest expression and emotion. It’s music that travels, shares, and connects, while honouring the past and bravely moving forward. It’s our mission to bring together a wide range of artists and people who share this vision for a weekend of great live music.
Our Venues
Historic Downtown Orillia, Ontario, Canada serves as the backdrop for the music festival. Our headline shows will take place at the beautifully restored
St. Pauls Centre at 62 Peter Street South.
3 artists perform each evening in our comfortable soft-seat theatre.
Before each performance, and during intermissions, we encourage our guests to explore the on-site art market curated by the wonderful folks from Harold & Ferne. A selection of merchandise from our performing artists is also available in addition to one of a kind Roots North Music Festival logo'd memorabilia,
some of which you get the opportunity to design and create on-site as part of our dedication to the arts in Orillia.
More Music Throughout The Downtown
Music, shopping and entertainment surround you as you explore during the Roots North Music Festival in Orillia.
In addition to our ticketed main event performances, several businesses along Mississauga Street, and beyond, have teamed up to provide FREE live music shows within their shops and restaurants. Be sure to explore and join us.
2019 Performance Venues Include:
Brewery Bay, Alleycats Music & Art, The Brownstone Cafe, Bakes By The Lake, Harold + Ferne: The Local Goods Co., Hog N' Penny, Apple Annie's Cafe, Nourish Yoga Studio, Orillia Farmers' Market, The Eclectic Cafe, Mark IV Brothers
2019 Main Stage Artists
Ron Sexsmith
The Roots North Music Festival is proud to announce that Juno winning Canadian singer/songwriter Ron Sexsmith will be one of our headline performers during the 5th annual festival taking place this April, 2019
Ron Sexsmith was seventeen when he started playing at a bar, the Lion's Tavern, in his hometown. He gained a reputation as "The One-Man Jukebox" for his aptitude for playing requests. Ron Sexsmith’s status as one of the greatest songwriters of his generation has never been in doubt, even from the moment he released his self-titled major-label debut album in 1995. His career arc since then has in some ways been a study in how that pure ability has been handled in the studio
He has won acclaim not only from critics but from fellow performers like Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello, and John Hiatt -- some of the same artists, ironically enough, who initially inspired Sexsmith himself to become a musician
The Weather Station
We are proud to announce The Weather Station will be our second headline artist performing at the upcoming Roots North Music Festival.
Plain but elegant, simple but intricate… Her songs feel very much like attempts to understand and appreciate the world in spite of its bitter ills like the most basic forms of folk music, a term Lindeman readily embraces, they come with intent and aim." – Pitchfork
The Weather Station is the project of Canadian songwriter Tamara Lindeman folk music based in classic elements of songcraft – melody, tension, meaning. On the acclaimed All Of It Was Mine, and follow-up What Am I Going To Do With Everything I Know, (both for You've Changed Records) Lindeman established herself as a songwriter's songwriter, earning accolades for her delicate, carefully worded verse, filled with double meanings, complex metaphors,
and rich details of the everyday.
Alysha Brilla
Alysha Brilla is a 2018 Juno Award nominated artist, music producer and songwriter. Her music, blogs and spirituality are inspired by growing up with parents from two different cultural and religious backgrounds; an Indo-Tanzanian father and Euro-Canadian mother. Her fourth, self-produced album "Rooted" culminates the spiritual & philosophical musings with upbeat folk, jazz, and world sounds.
Brilla has performed internationally including across Canada, Australia, Singapore, Tanzania, Chile and more. In addition to live performances of music, Brilla conducts arts education workshops in schools; promoting diversity in music and mentoring in self-expression through the arts.
We're very excited to have Alysha join the 5th Annual Roots North Music Festival
More To Be Announced
Keep checking back for more headline artist announcements for the 5th Annual Roots North Music Festival coming soon
More To Be Announced
Keep checking back for more headline artist announcements for the 5th Annual Roots North Music Festival coming soon
More To Be Announced
Keep checking back for more headline artist announcements for the 5th Annual Roots North Music Festival coming soon