Westben is celebrating its 23rd season with a summer festival of live performance in July, including a range of musical genres along with comedy and spoken word.
Michael Kaeshammer, Suzie Undgerleider, Joel Plaskett, William Prince, Julian Taylor, and Natalie MacMaster are among the musicians who will be performing during the summer festival at Westben, located on a 50-acre farm near Campbellford in Northumberland County.
The summer festival kicks off on Saturday (June 25) with a free concert at The Barn celebrating the 5th anniversary of Westben’s Performer-Composer Residency, featuring a mix of live and digital performances and creative exchanges by some of the 40 international participants in this year’s residency.
The following Friday, celebrate Canada Day with live music on Willow Hill featuring some of the best musical talent in Northumberland County, including Ken Tizzard and Music for Goats, The John Cleats, Janet Jeffery, Jana Reid, Cale Crowe, Jane Archer and the Reactionaries.
Here’s the full line-up for Westben’s summer festival along with dates and ticket prices (which do not include HST):
- Creating Apart, Sounding Together – Saturday, June 25 at 7 p.m. – Concert at The Barn – Free
- Friends on the Hill featuring Ken Tizzard and Music for Goats, The John Cleats, Janet Jeffery, Jana Reid, Cale Crowe, Jane Archer and the Reactionaries, and more – 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. – Spoken word around the Campfire – Tickets $50 adult, $48 senior, $20 for those under 20
- ABBA MIA! – July 13 & 14 and 19, 20 & 21 at 2 p.m. (Concert at The Barn) and July 22 at 7 p.m. (Concert on Willow Hil)l – 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
Last year, Westben reconfigured its main performance venue and created two new outdoor venues to accommodate public health restrictions during the pandemic.
The Barn, which seats 400 and has doors that roll open onto a meadow, has new circulation fans and movable seats to allow for greater flexibility and physical distancing. 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.”
Single tickets for the summer festival are available online at www.westben.ca/2002-summer 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.
