Folk on the Rocks set to kick off this afternoon

46th edition of music festival will feature three days of events and performances for everyone

Folk on the Rocks set to kick off this afternoon Published 2:01 am Friday, July 17, 2026 Folk on the Rocks’ 46th annual music festival is set to kick off today with more than 4,000 people from communities across the Northwest Territories and Canada expected to come out. This year’s line-up includes more than 50 acts spread across multiple venues at the site itself off of Highway 3 and at Somba K’e Civic Plaza.

“I’m looking so forward to this year and being able to welcome our community once again,” said Teresa Horosko, the festival’s executive director. “In a way, this feels like a party to celebrate all of them because this really is a community event.” Live music performances take place all-day throughout the weekend — today’s performances are scheduled to begin at noon and ending at 2:30 a.m.

Saturday’s schedule will see the music begin at 12:30 p.m., while the final day on Sunday is set to run from 1:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. This year’s festival will have some projection mapping exhibits on site in partnership with Western Arctic Moving Pictures and Makerspace YK. There will also be two live mural paintings on-site for crowds to watch, one by Lisa Weaver and the other by Joshua Qaumariaq.

More than 40 artisan and non-profit vendors will be offering up their wares with more than a dozen selling various foods. Throughout the weekend, there will be family programming and workshops by the Aurora Fiddle Society and the Yellowknives Dene Drummers. There will be story time, puppets, face painting, chalk walls and a bouncy castle for children.

The music festival’s headliners are Aysanabee, Mae Martin, Cadence Weapon and The OBGMs. Some other artists performing at the festival are The Daughters of Donbas, a band that blends art-folk, chamber songwriting and Ukrainian folk vocal traditions; Shauit from Quebec’s North Coast, who blends folk, roots and reggae in his songs about the complexity and beauty of the Innu nation; and the Cows Go Moo band from Whitehorse. The local performers include Tree of Peace Jiggers, Stella Gams, Jeffrey Straker, aerialist duo FAFO and local artists Gnarwhal and Cat McGurk.

Horosko said the festival is a way to connect, gather and celebrate arts and culture, the community as well as Northern hospitality and excellence. “There’s so much power in being able to have these spaces where you can see folks in such a celebratory fashion,” said Horosko. “Life is busy and life moves fast, so to be able to have this time and year that you can look forward to ... is just so needed in this time of our lives.”

More than 85 sponsors and 450-plus volunteers will help run the events over the weekend, she added.