Michael Kaeshammer, Suzie Undgerleider, Joel Plaskett, William Prince, Julian Taylor, and Natalie MacMaster are among more than 70 artists performing during an open-air summer festival at Westben, located on a 50-acre farm near Campbellford in Northumberland County.
Tickets are now on sale for Westben’s 23rd season, which features a full month of in-person classical, broadway, jazz, folk, pop, fiddle, rock, opera, and comedy performances. The festival opens with a Canada Day concert featuring local musicians and runs until the end of July.
In 2021, Westben reconfigured its main performance venue The Barn and created two new outdoor venues, Willow Hill and The Campfire, to accommodate public health restrictions during the pandemic.
For The Barn, which seats 400 and has doors that roll open onto a meadow, Westben removed the first section of seats and put in movable ones, to allow flexibility and physical distancing, and installed new circulation fans. Willow Hill, where audiences bring their own chairs, is a natural grassy amphitheatre located north of The Barn. The Campfire is an intimate space where audiences and enjoy music, stories, and campfire treats such as smores and baked brie.
“Watching the sunset while listening to music around the campfire is unforgettable,” says Westben co-founder Donna Bennett. “Westben is where music comes to life amidst breathtaking nature.”
Here’s the full line-up for Westben’s open-air summer festival in July:
- Friends on the Hill – Friday, July 1 at 7 p.m. – Concert on Willow Hill – Tickets $35 adult, $33 senior, $20 for those under 20
- Ofra Harnoy – Saturday, July 2 at 2 p.m. – Concert at the Barn – Tickets $65 adult, $63 senior, $20 for those under 20
- Michael Kaeshammer – Sunday, July 3 at 2 p.m. – Concert at the Barn – Tickets $55 adult, $53 senior, $20 for those under 20
- Suzie Undgerleider – Sunday, July 3 at 8 p.m. – Concert around the Campfire – Tickets $50 adult, $48 senior, $20 for those under 20
- Mary Walsh – Friday, July 8 at 7 p.m. – Concert at the Barn – Tickets $65 adult, $63 senior, $20 for those under 20
- Joel Plaskett – Saturday, July 9 at 7 p.m. – Concert on Willow Hill – Tickets $55 adult, $53 senior, $20 for those under 20
- Late Night Intimacies with Brian Finley – Saturday, July 9 at 10 p.m. – Concert at the Barn – Tickets $50 adult, $48 senior, $20 for those under 20
- Queer Songbook Orchestra – Sunday, July 10 at 2 p.m. – Concert at the Barn – Tickets $55 adult, $53 senior, $20 for those under 20
- Sarah Lewis – Sunday, July 10 at 8 p.m. – Spokenword around the Campfire – Tickets $50 adult, $48 senior, $20 for those under 20
- ABBA MIA! – July 13, 14, 19, 20, and 21 at 2 p.m. (Concert at the Barn) and July 22 at 7 p.m. (Concert on Willow Hill) – Tickets $55 adult, $53 senior, $20 for those under 20
- William Prince – Friday, July 15 at 7 p.m. – Concert on Willow Hill – Tickets $55 adult, $53 senior, $20 for those under 20
- Eve Parker Finley – Saturday, July 16 at 7 p.m. – Concert on Willow Hill – Tickets $35 adult, $33 senior, $20 for those under 20
- Canadian Brass – Sunday, July 17 at 2 p.m. – Concert at the Barn – Tickets $65 adult, $63 senior, $20 for those under 20
- Julian Taylor – Sunday, July 17 at 8 p.m. – Concert around the Campfire – Tickets $50 adult, $48 senior, $20 for those under 20
- Natalie MacMaster – Saturday, July 23 at 7 p.m. – Concert on Willow Hill – Tickets $75 adult, $73 senior, $20 for those under 20
- Karina Gauvin & Brian Finley – Sunday, July 24 at 2 p.m. – Concert at the Barn – Tickets $65 adult, $63 senior, $20 for those under 20
- David Maracle – Saturday, July 24 at 8 p.m. – Concert around the Campfire – Tickets $50 adult, $48 senior, $20 for those under 20
- Okan – Friday, July 29 at 8 p.m. – Concert at the Barn – Tickets $50 adult, $48 senior, $20 for those under 20
- Carol Welsman – Saturday, July 30 at 2 p.m. – Concert at the Barn – Tickets $60 adult, $58 senior, $20 for those under 20
- Barbra Lica & the Toronto Chamber-Pop Orchestra – Sunday, July 31 at 2 p.m. – Concert at the Barn – Tickets $65 adult, $63 senior, $20 for those under 20
Single tickets (prices do not include HST) are now available online at www.westben.ca or by calling the Westben box office at 1-877-883-5777. Pick 3 and Pick 5 subscriptions and season passes are available by calling the Westben box office.
Along with the performances, Westben offers gourmet picnics on the meadows, curated wine and beer selections from the Milk Shed, pre-concert chats, guided nature walks on a neighbouring Nature Reserve, and a chance to relax by the pond..
