advertisement
Concerts

Iron & Wine, Waxahatchee, The Sheepdogs Headline 65th Edition of Mariposa Folk Festival in 2025

Canada's longest-running folk/roots summer festival has just announced the full lineup of performers for this year's edition, running July 4-6 in Orillia, Ontario.

Waxahatchee

Waxahatchee

Courtesy Photo

65 years as an active music festival is a milestone that few events have achieved. Long one of Canada’s most important folk and roots fests, The Mariposa Folk Festival will celebrate that anniversary this summer with a lineup full of prominent folk and roots acts from the United States and Canada.

Headliners at the event, set to run July 4 to 6 to Tudhope Park in Orllia, Ontario, include acclaimed American roots-rock outfit Iron & Wine and Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Waxahatchee, alongside Canadian rockers The Sheepdogs.


All three acts are making their Mariposa debut, while the bill also includes Canadian artists who have shone at earlier editions. That list features such prominent performers as Jane Siberry, Serena Ryder, Ron Sexsmith, Hayden, Basia Bulat and Irish Mythen, with folk maverick Bob Snider also making a welcome return.

advertisement

Other notable names include jazz star Holly Cole, indie rock veterans Born Ruffians and Cuff The Duke, roots supertrio Blackie and The Rodeo Kings (Tom Wilson, Colin Linden and Stephen Fearing), roots troubadour Julian Taylor, Sheepdogs side project Bros, Maritime faves The East Pointers and Les Hay Babies, well-regarded singer-songwriters Charlotte Cornfield and Martha Wainwright and Quebec stars Klo Pelgaq and Elisapie.

The lineup also includes Goldie Boutillier, Bria Salmena, Rock Plaza Central, Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, Dan Edmonds, The Red River Ramblers and Bess Atwell.

Singled out by Mariposa artistic directr Spencer Shewen as a potential Mariposa highlight is a one-time ensemble performance from some stellar songwriters. “On Sunday evening, Serena Ryder, who has performed at the festival on no less than six previous occasions, will be joined by Martha Wainwright, Julian Taylor and special friends for a Mariposa retrospective performance," he says.

The three-day Mariposa Folk Festival features 11 stages of folk-roots and other genres, along with presentations of story, dance, and craft.

Tickets for Mariposa are on sale now here. Children 12 & under are admitted free. The festival has special pricing for youth and young adults. Onsite camping is available.

advertisement

See a full list of performing artists here.

advertisement
Raul Malo
Concord

Raul Malo

FYI

Obituaries: Canadians Remember The Mavericks Frontman Raul Malo

This week we also acknowledge the passing of Detroit rocker Scott Richardson, opera singer Jubilant Sykes and New Zealand rock drummer Brent McLachlan.

Raul Malo (Raul Francisco Martínez-Malo Jr), the singer and songwriter whose operatic, lush lead vocals led the eclectic Americana/country group The Mavericks, died on Dec. 8, at age 60 following a two-year battle with cancer.

The Mavericks posted on the group’s official Facebook page, writing, “It’s with the deepest grief we share the passing of our friend, bandmate and brother Raul Malo. Anyone with the pleasure of being in Raul’s orbit knew that he was a force of human nature, with an infectious energy. Over a career of more than three decades entertaining millions around the globe, his towering creative contributions and unrivaled, generational talent created the kind of multicultural American music reaching far beyond America itself.

keep readingShow less
advertisement