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The Up Here Festival is an annual art and music festival, staged each summer in
Greater Sudbury Sudbury, officially the City of Greater Sudbury, is the largest city in Northern Ontario by population, with a population of 166,004 at the 2021 Canadian Census. By land area, it is the largest in Ontario and the List of the largest cities and t ...
,
Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
,
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
. Based on the theme of beautifying and transforming the city through
public art Public art is art in any Media (arts), media whose form, function and meaning are created for the general public through a public process. It is a specific art genre with its own professional and critical discourse. Public art is visually and phy ...
, the festival blends the creation of new public
mural A mural is any piece of Graphic arts, graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' ...
s and
installation art Installation art is an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific art, site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space. Generally, the term is applied to interior spaces, whereas exterior intervent ...
projects with a lineup of musical performances. The festival was launched by We Live Up Here, an arts organization which grew out of a 2012 book project by local artists Christian Pelletier and Andrew Knapp. It was also partially inspired by the
Nuit Blanche Nuit Blanche () (White Night) is an annual all-night or night-time arts festival of a city. A Nuit Blanche typically has museums, private and public art galleries, and other cultural institutions open and free of charge, with the centre of the ...
model of art festivals, which make use of unexpected and non-traditional spaces to change the public's relationship with art, using the city's entire downtown core as a giant open-air venue.


2015

The festival was first staged in 2015; participating artists included Troy Lovegate, Labrona, Alexandra Mackenzie, Trevor Wheatley, Johanna Westby, Danielle Daniel, Nico Glaude and Alexandra Berens-Firth while the musical component was headlined by
A Tribe Called Red The Halluci Nation, formerly known as A Tribe Called Red (a name inspired by hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest), is a Canadian electronic music group who blend instrumental hip hop, reggae, moombahton and dubstep-influenced dance music with ...
,
Tanya Tagaq Tanya Tagaq ( Inuktitut syllabics: ᑕᓐᔭ ᑕᒐᖅ, born Tanya Tagaq Gillis, May 5, 1975), also credited as Tagaq, is a Canadian Inuk throat singer, songwriter, novelist, actor, and visual artist from Cambridge Bay (Iqaluktuuttiaq), Nun ...
and
Suuns Suuns () is a Canadian rock music, rock band from Montreal. It was formed in mid-2007 when vocalist and guitarist Ben Shemie and guitarist and bassist Joe Yarmush got together to make some beats which quickly evolved into a few songs. The duo w ...
.


2016

Artists at the 2016 festival included Ella et Pitr, Ola Volo, Kirsten McCrea, Thesis Sahib, Hobz, Tracy Baker and Neli Nenkova, while performing musicians included Casper Skulls,
Cris Derksen Cris Derksen is a two-spirit Juno Award–nominated Cree cellist from Northern Alberta, Canada. Derksen is known for her unique musical sound which blends classical music with traditional Indigenous music. Her music is often described as "electr ...
, Dilly Dally,
Foxtrott Foxtrott is the recording name of Canadian electronic music artist Marie-Hélène Leclerc Delorme.Holy Fuck Holy Fuck is a Canadian electronica band from Toronto. They were a part of Dependent Music, a music label and artist collective that began in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia in 2004 until its closing. They were then a part of the Young Turks label and in ...
, Hooded Fang,
iskwē iskwē (Cree syllabics: , formerly transliterated IsKwé) (short for waseskwan iskwew, meaning "blue sky woman" in English) (born Meghan Lynne Meisters, 1981) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and activist. Personal life Originally from Winni ...
, Partner,
Stars A star is a luminous spheroid of plasma held together by self-gravity. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night; their immense distances from Earth make them appear as fixed points of ...
,
U.S. Girls U.S. Girls is a Toronto-based experimental pop project formed in 2007, consisting solely of American musician and record producer Meghan Remy.Young Galaxy Young Galaxy is a Canadian indie pop/dream pop band formed in 2005 in Vancouver, whose members are husband and wife, Stephen Ramsay and Catherine McCandless. History Young Galaxy formed in Vancouver as a duo including Stephen Ramsay and Catheri ...
and Young Rival.


2017

Participating artists were Jarus and Mique Michelle as muralists, while local artists Kallie Berens-Firth, Sonia Ekiyor-Katimi, Melanie Gail St-Pierre, Madison Kotyluk, Bianca Lefebvre, Matti Lehtelä, Scott Minor, Maty Ralph, Jay Rice, Holly Robin, Julianne Steedman, Dani Taillefer and Isaac Weber participated in the Power Up Project to paint 24 downtown electrical boxes. Performing musicians included
The Fleshtones The Fleshtones are an American garage rock band from Queens, New York. They are the only band that debuted at CBGB in 1976 that has not had an inactive year. History 1976–1979 The Fleshtones were formed in 1976 in Whitestone, New York, ...
,
Duchess Says Duchess Says is a Canadian punk rock band from Montreal.
,
Deerhoof Deerhoof is an American musical group formed in San Francisco in 1994. It consists of founding drummer Greg Saunier, bassist and singer Satomi Matsuzaki, and guitarists John Dieterich and Ed Rodriguez. Beginning as an improvised noise punk band ...
, Samito,
Lido Pimienta Lido Pimienta (born 1986) is a Colombian Canadian musician, singer, and songwriter. She rose to prominence after her 2016 album, '' La Papessa'', won the 2017 Polaris Music Prize.Yamantaka // Sonic Titan Yamantaka // Sonic Titan is a Canadian experimental music and performance art collective.
.


2018

Musical performers included
Patrick Watson,
Jeremy Dutcher Jeremy Dutcher is a classically trained Canadian Indigenous tenor, composer, musicologist, performer and activist, who previously lived in Toronto, Ontario and currently lives in Montréal, Québec. He became widely known for his first album '' W ...
,
Venetian Snares Aaron Funk (born January 11, 1975), known as Venetian Snares, is a Canadian electronic musician based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He is widely known for innovating and popularising the breakcore genre, and is one of the most recognisable artists to ...
,
Daniel Lanois Daniel Roland Lanois ( , ; born September 19, 1951) is a Canadian record producer and musician. He has produced albums by artists including Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Peter Gabriel, Robbie Robertson, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, and Harold Budd ...
,
Efrim Menuck Efrim Manuel Menuck (; born November 4, 1970) is a Canadian musician involved with a number of Montreal-based bands, most notably Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra. Menuck is also a frequent record producer ...
, Frederick Squire,
Random Recipe Random Recipe is a Canadian musical group based in Montreal, Quebec. The band members are Frannie Holder (vocals and guitar), Fab (rap, beatbox, steeldrum), Vincent Legault (guitar and keys), and Liu-Kong Ha (percussion and keys). Although the ba ...
, The Sorority and
Charlotte Day Wilson Charlotte Day Wilson (born 1993) is a Canadian contemporary R&B singer-songwriter.
. Artists included Angela Perdue, Aidan Lucas, Maeve Macdonald, Birdo, Ben Johnston, Haley Rose, Johanna Westby, Kelly Barbosa, Kristina Rolander, Mariana Lafrance, Ness Lee, Sarah Blondin and Sarah Dempsey.


2019

The 2019 festival was noted for the creation, by graffiti artist
RISK In simple terms, risk is the possibility of something bad happening. Risk involves uncertainty about the effects/implications of an activity with respect to something that humans value (such as health, well-being, wealth, property or the environ ...
, of the largest public mural in Canada, at the disused St. Joseph's Health Centre site of
Health Sciences North Health Sciences North is a teaching hospital in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. HSN offers a variety of programs and services, with regional programs in the areas of cardiac care, oncology, nephrology, trauma and rehabilitation. Patients visit H ...
. Some specialized painting equipment was stolen from the site during the festival, but the mural was completed by August 31. Performers included ESG,
Snotty Nose Rez Kids Snotty Nose Rez Kids are a First Nations hip hop duo composed of Haisla rappers Darren "Young D" Metz and Quinton "Yung Trybez" Nyce. They are originally from Kitamaat Village, British Columbia. Their 2017 album '' The Average Savage'' was shortl ...
,
Milk & Bone Milk & Bone are a Canadian electropop duo based in Montreal, Quebec, consisting of Laurence Lafond-Beaulne and Camille Poliquin. Their debut album '' Little Mourning'', released in 2015 via Bonsound, was a longlisted nominee for the 2015 Polar ...
,
Hubert Lenoir Hubert Lenoir (born August 14, 1994) is the stage name of Hubert Chiasson, a French Canadian, singer, musician and actor from Quebec City, Quebec.Yonatan Gat Yonatan Gat () is an Israeli American Music producer, producer, guitarist, and composer based in New York City. His cross-genre work has been called "a vital new music form" by a "legendary live performer" by ''Magnet (magazine), Magnet'' magazi ...
,
Charlotte Cardin Charlotte Cardin (born November 9, 1994) is a Canadian singer. She has been nominated for 14 Juno Awards. In 2022, she received four awards for Artist of the Year, Single of the Year for her song "Meaningless", Pop Album of the Year and Albu ...
, Reykjavíkurdætur, Cartel Madras and
Steve Lambke Steve Lambke is a Canadian singer-songwriter. He is a vocalist and guitarist for the indie rock band Constantines, and formerly released solo material under the name Baby Eagle. Biography Lambke grew up in Cambridge, Ontario where he played wi ...
.


2020

Due to the
COVID-19 pandemic in Canada The COVID-19 pandemic in Canada is part of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (). It is caused by SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Most cases over the course o ...
, the musical component of the festival was not staged in 2020; however, various art and mural projects by artists such as Sonia Ekiyor-Katimi, Chantal Abdel-Nour, Ashley Guenette and Lümen Moratz were still undertaken.


2021

The 2021 festival was noted for the creation, by artist Kevin Ledo, of a mural memorializing Sudbury native
Alex Trebek George Alexander Trebek (; July 22, 1940 – November 8, 2020) was a Canadian and American game show host and television personality. He was best known for hosting the syndicated general knowledge quiz game show ''Jeopardy!'' for 37 seasons ...
on the outer wall of
Sudbury Secondary School Sudbury Secondary School is a high school in the downtown of Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, well known for its Arts Education Program, featuring theatre arts, dance, vocal music, instrumental music, keyboard, media arts and visual art. Sudbury ...
. Other participating artists included Alex Berens, Tammy Gaber, Lauren Verwolf, Sarah Dempsey and DRPN Soul. Performing musicians included
Marie Davidson Marie Davidson (born 1987) is a Canadian electronic musician and producer from Montreal. Career Davidson was part of the duo Les Momies de Palerme, along with Xarah Dion. Their album, ''Brûlez ce coeur'', was released on Constellation Records ...
, NYSSA, The 555,
Cadence Weapon Roland "Rollie" Pemberton, better known by his stage name Cadence Weapon, is a Canadian-American rapper based in Toronto, Ontario. Born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, Pemberton released his first album, '' Breaking Kayfabe'', in 2005 with posit ...
, Naya Ali, Jor’Del Downz, Julie Katrinette, Casper Skulls and Zoon.


2022

For the first time in the history of the event, the 2022 festival allowed some of the older murals to be "retired" and painted over with new works. It also marked the addition of the city's new
Place des Arts frame, View of the Place des Arts esplanade. The Musée d'art contemporain is on the left; behind it is the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, with the Théâtre Maisonneuve on the right. Place des Arts () is a major performing arts centre in Montreal, Q ...
to the list of venues, and featured a Sunday afternoon "mystery tour", in which three outdoor musical venues would feature "pop-up" shows by musicians who were not announced in advance. Performers included
Absolutely Free ''Absolutely Free'' is the second album by American rock band the Mothers of Invention, released on May 26, 1967, by Verve Records. Much like their 1966 debut '' Freak Out!'', the album is a display of complex musical composition with politica ...
, The Ape-ettes, aurel,
Backxwash Ashanti Mutinta, known professionally as Backxwash, is a Zambian-Canadians, Canadian rapper and record producer based in Montreal, Quebec. She is most noted for her 2020 album ''God Has Nothing to Do with This Leave Him Out of It'', which won the ...
, DijahSB, DJ Redo, DJ Seith, Ellemetue, Emilio Portal, Exmiranda,
Ghostly Kisses Ghostly Kisses is the musical project of French-Canadian singers Margaux Sauvé and Louis-Étienne Santais. They are based in Quebec. Sauvé is signed to the British record label Akira Records. The name 'Ghostly Kisses' was inspired by the Willi ...
, Groovy Betty, Hippie Hourrah, Jane Inc., Jasmyn, Kimmortal, l’loop,
La Luz La Luz is a census-designated place (CDP) in Otero County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,615 at the 2000 census. It is located immediately north of Alamogordo and lies in the eastern edge of the Tularosa Basin and on the ...
, LaFHomme, Lee Paradise, Like a Girl, Louis Simão, Matt Foy, Maxwell José, OBUXUM, Peach Pact,
Pierre Kwenders Pierre Kwenders is the stage name of José Louis Modabi
. ''
,
Quintron and Miss Pussycat Quintron (real name Robert Rolston; born c. 1967 in Germany) is an American musician and one-man-band. He is a nightclub organist and inventor, who has patented a number of his own inventions and often performs at his own private club, the Spell ...
, Seulement,
Sister Ray "Sister Ray" is a song by the Velvet Underground that closes side two of their 1968 album '' White Light/White Heat''. The lyrics are by Lou Reed, with music composed by John Cale, Sterling Morrison, Maureen Tucker and Reed. The song concerns dr ...
, Status/Non-Status, Thea May and Troy Junker, Tommy and the Commies, Uncle Stu, Will Powers, Wolf Saga and YONI. Art projects were by Alex Bierk, Anong Migwans Beam, Born in the North, Catdog3000, Christian Chapman, Lauren Verwolf, Luella, Maxine Lemieux, Melanie Vanco, Nico Glaude, Stephanie Babij, Stephanie Hrechka, Studio Nude Beach and the
McEwen School of Architecture The McEwen School of Architecture (), formerly the Laurentian School of Architecture, is an architecture school belonging to Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.Bibi Club Bibi Club is a Canadian indie pop musical duo, consisting of Nicolas Basque and Adèle Trottier-Rivard.Dave MacIntyre"Montreal, meet Bibi Club, the king and queen of living room party music" ''Cult MTL'', March 2, 2023. Basque is a member of Plan ...
, Bonnie Trash, Boogey the Beat,
Braids A braid (also referred to as a plait; ) is a complex structure or pattern formed by interlacing three or more strands of flexible material such as textile yarns, wire, or hair. The simplest and most common version is a flat, solid, three-strand ...
,
Devours Devours is the stage name of Jeff Cancade, a Canadian electronic musician. Career Originally from Nanaimo, British Columbia, Cancade launched the project after moving to Vancouver, British Columbia and coming out as gay. Cancade released deb ...
,
Debby Friday Debby Friday is an Electronic music, electronic musician based in Toronto. Her debut album, ''Good Luck (Debby Friday album), Good Luck'', released on Sub Pop in 2023, won the 2023 Polaris Music Prize, Polaris Music Prize. Early life Friday was bo ...
, Gustaf, Myst Milano, Nobro, Pa II, Psychbike, The Retail Simps, Someone's Daughter, Rose-Erin Stokes, Strange Attractor, Super Duty Tough Work, Tall Pork,
U.S. Girls U.S. Girls is a Toronto-based experimental pop project formed in 2007, consisting solely of American musician and record producer Meghan Remy."Here is the Up Here schedule for 2023"
''
Sudbury Star ''The Sudbury Star'' is a Canadian daily regional newspaper published in Sudbury, Ontario. It is owned by the media company, Postmedia. It is the largest daily paper in Northeastern Ontario by circulation. History The ''Sudbury Star'' began ...
'', August 14, 2023.


2024

Musical performers in 2024 included Alix Fernz,
Allie X Alexandra Ashley Hughes (born 31 July 1985), known by her stage name Allie X, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and visual artist. She began her career as an indie pop artist in Toronto in the mid-2000s, playing with local bands and recording se ...
, Anachnid, Bad Waitress, Bassline Jack,
Beverly Glenn-Copeland Beverly Glenn-Copeland (born January 1944) is an American-born Canadian singer-songwriter. His albums include '' Keyboard Fantasies'' (1986). Glenn-Copeland began publicly identifying as a trans man in 2002. Early life Glenn-Copeland was born ...
, Casper Skulls, Cassidy Houston, City of Lakes Music Society, Corridor, Diva Worship, DJ Derek B, DJ Yerf T Spinnermin, Groovy Betty, Janette King,
La Sécurité La Sécurité is a Canadian dance-punk group from Montreal, Quebec, whose debut album ''Stay Safe!'' was released in 2023. The band, consisting of vocalist Éliane Viens-Synnott, guitarists Melissa Di Menna and Laurence-Anne Charest-Gagné, bassi ...
, Max Moon, Medussah, Mistaken for Wayne, Morgan Vie, Myriam Gendron, NADUH, Nicholas Cangiano, Omega Mighty, Paint by Numbers,
Patricia Cano Patricia Cano is a Peruvian Canadian singer and actress from Sudbury, Ontario, most noted for her musical theatre performances in the stage musicals of Tomson Highway. She graduated from the University of Toronto in Spanish Literature and Theatre. ...
, Pelada,
Population II In 1944, Walter Baade categorized groups of stars within the Milky Way into stellar populations. In the abstract of the article by Baade, he recognizes that Jan Oort originally conceived this type of classification in 1926. Baade observed th ...
, Pressure Pin, PUP, Rockpile,
Sebastian Gaskin Sebastian Gaskin is a Cree singer-songwriter from Canada.Richie Assaly"From Tataskweyak Cree Nation to Toronto: Juno-nominated singer Sebastian Gaskin is ready to ‘bust down the door’ with his debut album" ''Toronto Star'', February 21, 2025. He ...
, Shuffle Puppy, Slash Need,
Sydanie Sydanie is a Canadian rapper from Toronto, Ontario. She was highlighted as one of the new faces of Canadian hip hop, specifically in the Toronto music scene, by CBC and ''The Globe and Mail''. Her album, ''999'', was long-listed for the 2019 Pola ...
,
Tafari Anthony Tafari Anthony is a Canadian rhythm and blues singer and songwriter. Originally from Toronto, Ontario, Anthony studied graphic design at Cambrian College in Sudbury. While living there, he was involved in the city's YES Theatre collective, and su ...
, The 555, The Mystery Lights,
Tobi Tobi may refer to: Palau * Tobi (island), island in the Palauan state of Hatohobei * Tobian language, the language of Tobi * Hatohobei, an island and the southernmost of Palau's sixteen states Media and entertainment * ''Tobi!'', a 2009 te ...
, UZ,
Witch Prophet Etmet Musa, also known by her alias Ayo Leilani and her stage name Witch Prophet, is an Ethiopian/Eritrean musician based in Toronto, Ontario. As Witch Prophet, she has released 3 albums: ''The Golden Octave'' (2018), ''DNA Activation'' (2020), a ...
and
Yonatan Gat Yonatan Gat () is an Israeli American Music producer, producer, guitarist, and composer based in New York City. His cross-genre work has been called "a vital new music form" by a "legendary live performer" by ''Magnet (magazine), Magnet'' magazi ...
with Maalem Hassan BenJaafar.


References


External links

*{{official, https://uphere.com/ Art festivals in Canada Music festivals in Ontario Festivals in Greater Sudbury