The Festival d’été de Québec unveils its lineup for 2014!

Quebec City, April 10, 2014 – From July 3 to 13: Billy Joel, Lady Gaga, The Killers, Bryan Adams, Snoop Dogg, Journey, Steve Miller Band, Soundgarden, Queens of the Stone Age, Louis-Jean Cormier, Local Natives, Three Days Grace, Daniel Lanois, Cypress Hill, Paul Daraîche, Grand Corps Malade, Gogol Bordello, Émilie Simon, Tiken Jah Fakoly, St-Vincent, John Mayall, Father John Misty and many more! The 47th Festival d’été de Québec stays true to tradition by offering once again a top quality, well balanced and diversified program.

For FEQ General Manager Daniel Gélinas “It’s an attractive program that we’re all very proud of. True music fans, those with a thirst for discovery as well of those who follow trends, the nostalgia buffs, the young and not-so-young, there’ll be something for everyone and nobody will have much down time during this non-stop, eleven-day music event.”

“Our goal has remained the same for the past three years, that of providing consistency so that all festivalgoers, regardless of their musical tastes, are happy from the first day to the last,” adds Program Director Louis Bellavance.

Bell Stage on the Plains of Abraham

American superstar Billy Joel will be making a visit to Quebec City for the very first time, to offer what will be nothing less than a spectacular evening. Having sold over 150 million albums globally, his music has remained among the most popular in the world. The singer/songwriter/composer is the sixth best-selling recording artist of all time and the third best-selling solo artist. Joel has several performances scheduled in 2014, including one sold out concert a month at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Pop icon Lady Gaga will also be premiering as she has chosen to add a stop on the Plains to her world tour entitled Lady Gaga’s artRAVE: the ARTPOP ball. The phenomenal singer who has sold 25 million albums worldwide and won five Grammys will launch her new tour in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on May 4th and has already begun attracting both her fans and the curious at heart.

In a city that rocks like Quebec, the lineup for the Bell Stage will make for many happy fans! Five headliners cover a broad spectrum: the amazing American band The Killers and their pure, contemporary rock, Queens of the Stone Age with a very modern striking rock, a foray into classic rock with Journey and Steve Miller Band, the heavier sounds of Soundgarden from the first wave of grunge music, and finally, to wrap up the Festival with a ton of hits, Bryan Adams and his unifying style of rock.

As for music in French, this year it’s Louis-Jean Cormier’s turn to take up the challenge on the Plains! A darling among critics and music lovers alike for several years now, he has become a revelation for the Quebec public in recent months. After Vincent Vallières in 2012 and the Trois Accords in 2013, it’s now his turn to have carte blanche to produce a show in his image. And to kick off the Festival, a concept tribute show to Félix Leclerc will bring together numerous artists from Quebec and the French-speaking world. More details and the special guests for these two shows will be revealed soon.

Following last year’s success, another large-scale hip-hop event was a requisite and fans of the genre should be thrilled by the visit from legendary rapper Snoop Dogg, with BAS, Joey Bada$$ and A$AP Rocky kicking off the night.

ElectroFEQ

ElectroFEQ, one of the Festival’s highlights these past two years, is back! The event will run for three consecutive nights, on July 7, 8 and 9, and take various venues by storm, namely the Impérial, the Parc de la Francophonie, the Plains and, a first this year, the Cercle with its late- night shows. The full lineup for ElectroFEQ will be announced in a few days.

Loto-Québec Stage at Parc de la Francophonie

This year, the Quebec contingent is especially exciting at Parc de la Francophonie, a venue known for its magical encounters between artists and audience. Daniel Bélanger, Jimmy Hunt as well as Paul Daraîche with special guests and his Mes amours, mes amis show will take to the stage. Bobby Bazini preceded by Serena Ryder, who has just won a Juno award, will also be performing there. And the must-see folk rock evening has got to be the show featuring Daniel Lanois, Jake Bugg – this year’s sensation in England, where he’s regarded as the new Bob Dylan – and Moriarty. Other musical genres have not been forgotten either: Local Natives will open the Festival with an indie rock night, Three Days Grace will offer its heavy rock and hip-hop fans have a not-to-be-missed date with Cypress Hill. The surprise concert that will fill the empty July 11 slot will only be announced a few days ahead of time.

Hydro-Québec Stage at Place D’Youville

World beat, blues and French music will have spectators up and dancing time and again at Place D’Youville. The names to watch out for this year include afrobeat pioneer Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, Gogol Bordello with their eclectic Eastern European sounding music, and Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue with an evening infused with Louisiana rhythms. For blues enthusiasts, there’s Vintage Trouble and their retro blues rock sound and the sultry voice of Texan guitarist Gary Clark Jr. French-language music will also have pride of place with Grand Corps Malade, Damien Robitaille and Émilie Simon, to name just a few, while those looking to discover something new won’t want to miss the Melbourne Ska Orchestra, which will bring together close to 20 artists on the same stage.

Indoor shows Groupe Voyages Québec

Impérial de Québec

The program at the Impérial de Québec features big-name acts in every musical style. Among the must-see shows there’s indie rock’s standard-bearer St. Vincent, on her first visit to Quebec City, and a figurehead of jazz John Pizzarrelli, acclaimed for both his compositions and interpretations of jazz standards. Another regular at international festivals, but who will also be stopping by for the first time with his accompanying musicians, Bonobo will grace us with his multifaceted electro sounds. As for blues, the illustrious and tireless John Mayall, who has decided to celebrate his 80th birthday with a brand new tour, will definitely not go unnoticed. This blues giant, with his Bluesbreakers, has contributed to the rise to fame of such greats as Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Mick Taylor and Coco Montoya. The group Stars, which has held a special place in the hearts of Quebec indie rock fans since the success of their album Set Yourself on Fire in 2004, will mark the album’s 10th anniversary by performing it in its entirety. Metal band Anonymus will be celebrating its 25th anniversary and for the occasion has organized a special get-together with former singer Marco Calliari and longtime friend Mononc’ Serge. Father John Misty, winner of the Festival’s Prix Miroir for the Jury’s Pick in 2013, returns and this time will be headlining with a solo performance that will allow festivalgoers to fully appreciate his folk compositions. Moreover, exciting performances by Pierre Lapointe, Nadja and Radio Radio are also sure to stir up the ambiance at the Impérial.

Petit Impérial

The Petit Impérial maintains its calling as the Festival’s blues venue with a rich, accessible and varied program. Among the headliners, French performer Gaëlle Buswel, whose latest album is creating quite a buzz in Europe, will start the ball rolling followed by Selwyn Birchwood, the International Blues Challenge winner in 2013, and Brandon Santini, nominated for two 2014 Blues Music Awards. And Victor Wainwright and the Wildroots are back by popular demand after an acclaimed show at the Festival in 2013 that went on and on with encore after encore! And Valérie Clio, Quebec City singer and star of the television show La Voix, will offer a blues show specially created for the event.

Finally, the Nocturnes shows at the Petit Impérial, presented Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 11:30 pm, are back. The spirited Mononc’ Serge as well as Quebec City-born folk artist Tire le Coyote will each take centre stage for three evenings.

Le Cercle

The Apéro discovery shows, presented at 6 pm at the Cercle, are back and always live up to their name! There are numerous revelations in store, notably the sonorous voice and delicate compositions of folk singer Noah Gundersen, San Fermin’s compelling pop and the vocal harmonies of folk band Seryn. Several Quebec artists will also brighten up the cocktail hour including Maude, Laurence Hélie, Bleu Jeans Bleu, Monogrenade and the festive The Steady Swagger.

The late-night shows at the Cercle have now become an integral part of the Festival, and an added bonus for night owls and music lovers alike. The 2014 edition covers all musical genres, from indie rock to hip-hop, as well as electro and funk. In no particular order, some names to watch out for: the unlikely duo July Talk, Oddissee and his exceptional hip-hop, Montreal rock band Solids, the funk No BS! Brass Band, Badbadnotgood’s unclassifiable music and the murky beats of Tommy Kruise, to name just a few!

“This lineup illustrates that Quebec City will once again be hosting one of the biggest musical extravaganzas in North America. Music fans from all four corners of Quebec are invited to take part in this exceptional artistic event, in an equally exceptional city,” points out Chairman of the Board of Directors Louis Duchesne.

To view this year’s complete line-up, visit infofestival.com.

Festival passes

Festival passes go on sale on Saturday, April 12 at noon and can be bought online at infofestival.com or by phone at 418-800-FEIQ (3347) for the Quebec City area and international customers (outside North America) or 1-855-800-FEIQ (3347) for Canada and the U.S. (toll free). With the first 60,000 passes sold at a special price of $68 and all subsequent passes for $78, taxes and service fees included, plus shipping, the Festival once again offers unparalleled value for your money.

The 47th edition of the Festival d’été de Québec will be held from July 3 to 13, 2014.

The Festival d’été de Québec is presented by Bell in collaboration with Molson Dry.