Montreal’s summer festival landscape just got a little more interesting. Soul of the City, the city’s first music festival dedicated entirely to soul and R&B for emerging artists, launches its inaugural edition August 12–16 across three venues on Saint-Laurent: Casa del Popolo, La Sala Rossa, and La Sotterenea.
The festival was founded by four people with direct stakes in the music it’s celebrating. Hanorah (Elizabeth Hanley), Christian Henegan-Comeau, Avery Jane Paul, and Sarah Armiento built it, three of them working artists themselves. As Hanorah put it in the announcement: “Montreal’s soul and R&B community has been filling venues night after night for years. Soul of the City exists to give these artists the dedicated platform and industry attention they deserve.”
The five-day programme opens August 12 with an industry mixer at Café Bravo, drawing together emerging Canadian artists and music professionals from Quebec and Ontario. Four days of live showcases follow, alongside workshops and additional mixers.
The inaugural lineup is broad and worth paying attention to: Avery Jane, Clerel, LeCypherX, Nora x Hanorah, Nyota Parker, Olivia Khoury, Aphrose, Avery Raquel, Christian, Coco Rose, Gemini Crab, Janette King, Kola, Rose Adam, Sankya, Sara-Danielle, Victoria Jean, Yzabo, Zibuwa, and more.
The festival has backing from CALQ, Canada Heritage, Conseil des arts de Montreal, and ELAN, with partners including Zamalek, Mixart, and Fortin Microphones.
Tickets are available at soulofthecitymtl.com.
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