5 things you need to know about Festival (506)

5 things you need to know about Festival (506)

  1. The first edition was in Moncton in 2004, under the not-so-very-exciting appellation “MNB Week”. It skipped a year in 2005, making this year’s edition in Miramichi the 10th anniversary of the now-rebranded Festival (506). Despite the up-and-coming (428) area code arriving soon in New Brunswick, the festival is not likely to change its title anytime soon. Maybe the latest code will lend its name to the Emerging Artist Stage?
  2. The tagline for Festival (506) is “Four days of shows, conferences, and awards.” The show part is pretty self-explanatory. Thirty-seven artists from all over New Brunswick will congregate in the River City and participate in evenings full of concerts. While they’re in town, they’ll hopefully take advantage of the conferences and info sessions organized by Music•Musique NB, which focus on various areas of professional development, from music publishing to marketing and branding, with a detour around revenue streams and touring. The conference component also offers many networking opportunities between artists and industry professionals coming from all over the country.
  3. The Awards part of the tagline has been there for six years now. The Prix MNB Awards are given out annually to recognize the incredible talent of musicians living here in New Brunswick, as well as the indispensable support of industry professionals. Past winners include Lisa LeBlanc, David Myles, Pascal Lejeune, Andy Brown and Les Hay Babies. Once the 2016 nominees are announced, the public will have a chance to vote on some categories, including a Fans’ Choice, allowing them to determine who they think deserves to take home an award.
  4. Festival (506) is for music fans as well! Whether your local music venue knows your name (and your kids’ birthdays…) or you haven’t set foot at a concert since your college days, Festival (506) is an ideal place to hear and discover great music. It’s not expensive and you’ll be able to say, “I saw them before they became big!” Individual tickets cost less than a triple, Venti, half-sweet, non-fat caramel Macchiato, and a Festival Passport is about the same price as a night at the movies with a popcorn and drink.
  5. Festival (506) is also about cultivating the future musicians and industry professionals of New Brunswick. The “dB Program” (“dB” stands for debut and for decibel) provides mentorship and performance opportunities to aspiring artists aged 13 to 18. Selected participants learn the industry basics from established musicians, take part in a guided sound check, and perform a few songs on stage as part of a free, all-ages concert.

Festival (506) will take place in Miramichi from October 13 to 16, 2016. Festival Passports, which give access to all shows, will go on sale soon.

For more information, please visit www.festival506.ca.

Published Monday July 4, 2016
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