Saint John is gearing up for it’s favourite cargo container-themed summer music festival. AREA 506 announced today the lineup for its third year and it is looking like it might be their best one yet.
Held on Saint John’s Long Wharf during the New Brunswick Day long weekend, the festival boasts some big names mixed in with plenty of local favourites. This year’s headliners include Arkells and returning champions July Talk.
“I think it’s the deepest lineup we’ve ever had, and we really set out to try to put something together that felt cohesive, but also included something for everyone,” says Area 506 organizer and chief spokesperson Ray Gracewood.
“There’s one performance from 2016 that created the spark that really started to create an atmosphere for AREA 506, and that was July Talk. In the past two years they’ve gotten far bigger, and we thought they were a great headliner considering how amazing their performance was last time. I think the people of Saint John are begging to see them again, and I think those that travel will be in for a treat.”
The 2018 lineup for Area 506 includes: Arkells, July Talk, The New Pornographers, Whitehorse, Reuben in the Dark, The Monoxides, Brent Mason Band, The Tortoise the Hare & the Millionaire, The Kendra Gale Band, Big Wreck, The Glorious Sons, Les Hôtesses d’Hilaire, Tomato/Tomato, Olympic Symphonium, Tampa, and Kill Chicago.
The festival have done well in curating a certain vibe that appeals to abroad audience while chiseling out a niche for themselves in the province’s booming festival scene. Area 506 have managed to draw in crowds by balancing acts like 90s juggernauts Big Sugar against contemporary rockers such as July Talk. This year the festival will be revisiting another 90s hit-maker with Big Wreck.
“First, for anyone who’s seen Big Wreck in the past two years, their live show is stronger than it’s ever been and Thornley doesn’t get enough credit as one of the country’s best guitarists,” says Gracewood. “Second, it’s a band that means a lot to a lot of people in New Brunswick considering the incredible support they’ve shown the province in playing here over the years. Similar to Big Sugar in 2016, the appeal of these bands are still incredible & it’s because of the miles they put on to build a following over the years.”
The festival also includes the ever-popular shipping container village teaming with New Brunswick goods and culture, and very likely a few new ways the festival have cooked up to keep it interesting. Area 506 have also announced the creation of a VIP area this year.
“The village worked well last year, but we’re always tinkering. We’ll hopefully unveil the design shortly. We’re offering VIP tickets this year for the first time, it’s something that we’ve been asked about a lot – we’re confident that festival delivers on a pretty incredible experience in general, but the added convenience of a specific bar, washroom, viewing area & entry appeals to a lot of people.”
Area 506 kicks off on Friday, August 3, 2018 with an open-air preregistration event featuring a surprise lineup of New Brunswick talent and runs until Monday, August 6, 2018.
Pre-Early Bird weekend passes go on sale at 4PM Thursday April 5th at AREA506.ca and are priced at $89.00 + HST and applicable fees for a very limited time. Early Bird pricing will begin once Pre-Early Bird tickets are sold and will be priced at $99 while supplies last. Regular weekend passes are $119.00 + HST and applicable fees, and individual day passes are $79.00 + HST and applicable fees. VIP tickets will be a new addition to the festival this year. Priced at $249, they include preferred viewing area, preferred entry, washrooms and bar access.
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