Latest news with #performers
CTV News
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Here's what's happening on Canada Day in the Edmonton area
Musicians and performers will be on hand to celebrate Canada Day at the Alberta legislature on Tuesday. Musicians and performers will be on hand to celebrate Canada Day at the Alberta legislature on Tuesday. Albertans invited to the legislature on Tuesday for Canada Day Turn up the national pride and get ready to celebrate Canada Day on Tuesday, July 1. From family fun to buffet cruises and fireworks, there is something for everyone to enjoy and spend the day doing in and around Edmonton. Fireworks in Edmonton The Edmonton fireworks show will be held in the River Valley on Tuesday, July 1. Here is a list of the best places to watch the fireworks in full view: Queen Elizabeth Park and Hill; River Valley Road shared pathway; Victoria Park; and Ezio Faraone Park (west entrance to High Level Bridge on 109 Street north). Other spots where you can catch a glimpse of the fireworks include: Alberta Legislature grounds; Walterdale Hill Road sidewalks and east promenade; Government House Park; and 109 Street (between Saskatchewan Drive and the High Level Bridge). There will be no viewing or access to Kinsmen Park. Foot traffic will be unavailable from 9:45 p.m. until 30 minutes after the fireworks on several bridges. A list of full road closures and parking restrictions can be found online. Canada Day fireworks (City of Edmonton) Edmonton Transit Service buses and trains will operate on Saturday or Sunday schedules, with some additional bus service for the fireworks show. Transit riders can map out their route ahead of time online. City officials are asking people to follow bylaws and safety precautions if they wish to view the fireworks by watercraft on the North Saskatchewan River or fly a drone. Canada Day at the Alberta Legislature For the early risers, the Edmonton Canada Road Race will be taking place on the legislature south grounds at 7 a.m. on Tuesday. Or, they can come hungry for a pancake breakfast from 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Free, family-friendly entertainment and activities will take place from noon to 5 p.m. Oilers anthem singer Rob Clark will start the celebration on the main stage with O Canada. Live performances will follow throughout the afternoon and roving artists will move about the grounds, including the Brasstactics, jugglers, circus acts and puppetry performers. A full list of the scheduled events can be found online. The visitor centre will also be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Capital Gifts, the Alberta legislature gift shop, will have a holiday discount of 20 per-cent off for the day. Canada Day Salute A Canadian Army Reserve unit will do a 21-gun salute at Government House at noon. Soldiers will fire blank ammunition from 105mm howitzers for about 5 minutes. People can watch the salute behind the 100-metre safety perimeter. Canada Day in Edmonton There is a place for everyone to celebrate the holiday in the city. The Edmonton Valley Zoo will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will also be marking its 66th birthday. Celebrate the zoo milestone and Canada Day by learning about Canadian species and taking in a scavenger hunt, making crafts and more. The Muttart Conservatory will be open from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. to those wanting to check out the summer feature pyramid, Imagination, with a magical theme and bright floral display. Special activities for the day include airbrush tattoos, story telling and a scavenger hunt. An interactive Edmonton sign, which was recently moved from city hall, is also on site for your next social post. Muttart The Loyal Edmonton Regiment Military Museum is hosting an open house at the Prince of Wales Armouries between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday. People can check out the military vehicles on display and kids can go through an obstacle course. Fort Edmonton Park will host celebrations during park hours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for those wanting to revisit the city's history. Sir Winston Churchill Square will be alive with art and music on July 1 as The Works Art and Design Festival wraps up its last day. Visual art displays, food trucks and tours open at 11 a.m., and art workshops will run from noon to 8 p.m. Musical performances will take centre stage from noon until 10 p.m. The Art Gallery of Alberta will have free admission on Canada Day from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Ride down the North Saskatchewan River on the Edmonton River Boat for a brunch cruise, or a late dinner buffet with a fireworks watch party. Tickets can be purchased in advance online. Enjoy the greenery at the University of Alberta Botanic Garden with Canada Day festivities from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Guests can sign up online to create their own red-and-white flower planter to take home. There may be additional fees for activities on top of admission price. Catch some baseball as the Edmonton Riverhawks take on the Port Angeles Lefties at 7:05 p.m. at Re/Max Field. Watch the Edmonton fireworks from your seats. Mill Woods Park will host its 33rd year of Canada Day celebrations from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. Admission is free and the festivities will feature multicultural performances, dance, music and fireworks. Officials are also encouraging people to enjoy other city facilities like spray parks, rec centres, outdoor pools and golf courses for the long weekend. Other Fireworks Not heading to the heart of downtown Edmonton for Canada Day? Here is a list of other firework shows in and around the city: Beaumont - 11 p.m. at Four Seasons Park Fort Saskatchewan - 10:45 p.m. at Rotary Amphitheatre Leduc - 11 p.m. at Lede Park Mill Woods - 11 p.m. at Mill Woods Park (66 Street and 23 Avenue) Sherwood Park - 11 p.m. Northern Lights Fiber Fireworks at Broadmoor Lake Park Spruce Grove - 11 p.m. at Jubilee Park (weather permitting) St. Albert - 11 p.m. at Meadowview Ball Diamonds Wetaskiwin - 11 p.m. at the grandstand at Edmonton International Raceway
BBC News
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Is Leeds safe for buskers? City performers give their views
Buskers have entertained city-centre crowds throughout history, with many famous faces starting out on the streets. But with the music industry going digital, fewer consumers carrying cash - and increasing fears about safety – how is the artform faring?Last week, Jason Allan announced he was no longer setting up his pitch in Leeds after a number of violent also cited the move from cash to card payments as a reason playing on the streets was increasingly difficult."It was a couple of things that happened in a very short period of time," he said."People have less money, you know it's gone from cash to card so I think it was difficult from the get-go but I could handle that, it was just more that when the threat of violence came in, that's when it became a little bit too much for me."Mr Allan's recent confrontation with some teenagers went viral last week with more than 17m busking around the UK – including in London, Birmingham, Glasgow and Newcastle – Mr Allan films his performances for his Instagram and TikTok approach as a musician is to use busking to promote shows inside venues and meet new people."I give myself a month to promote the show," he said."I'm meeting lots of new people on the streets, building a bit of a community, selling tickets, telling them about me and my music."Leeds was a bit more difficult this time and I think that it's just become more difficult for all buskers." Bradford-based Jake Keating, 28, also busks in Leeds. But he does not stream his performances to TikTok and is "not looking for a viral video either"."I understand the way the music industry is geared up," he said."A significant portion of breaking into the industry is in and around online content."I busk to connect with people. I personally choose not to stream because I'm not looking for a traditional career in the music industry." 'A welcoming city' Mr Keating is a leading member of Keep Streets Live, a community group set up to support and protect said a lot of the group's work was about promoting the benefits of art in public spaces."Performances in public spaces are a really important foundation and cornerstone of our national identity," he said."I can see all aspects of society come together, whether it's people who are sleeping rough, people who are out on the town having a night out - they all come together and dance or party or enjoy an experience and a lot of people respect that and really appreciate it."I'm really sorry to see the interaction Jason had and it wasn't a positive one this time around."I want to reassure people that Leeds isn't a dangerous place. It's such a brilliant city and it's a safe city, it's a really welcoming city. " But on the streets of Leeds on Wednesday, busker Katie Gittins described a recent incident in which her takings were stolen."He literally took everything I'd made that day and I'd only made like 15 quid," she said."I was pretty hungry at the time and I was trying to get the money together for a gas and electric bill."When it is most of your income, it does weigh on you a hell of a lot more. Buskers like Jason have the luxury of having income from another place."Ms Gittins has been busking for about three years, mostly in Leeds, but also in Leicester, Wakefield, Bradford, Newcastle, Sheffield and we're talking a busker approaches Ms Gittins to warn her that another performer has had their sound equipment stolen."In the last couple of months, that's the second load of someone's musical equipment that's been stolen," she said."This whole week has just felt weird. I don't know if that's the result of all the tensions that fizzled over during the heatwave."But to me, the altercation I saw that Jason caught on video. Honestly, that looks like a regular Saturday night."She blames the increasing difficulty of busking on streaming and lack of music education in school."Withdrawing the funding from the arts has meant young children are not introduced to music or taught to respect it," she said."The modern streaming system means everybody can just download music for free."A lot of my friends are independent artists. It just seems like they're not getting anything back for the effort they're putting in and it's not just them."A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said any safety concerns should be reported to the police."We are proud to support busking as a vibrant part of our city's culture," they said."Keeping people safe, and ensuring they feel welcome in the city, is a priority for us and our Safer Leeds team works in partnership with other organisations across the city, including emergency services, to achieve this." How do buskers take cashless payments? Nick Broad is co-founder and former CEO of The Busking Project, which is behind the busking payment platform allows performers to get tipped via Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal."There are fewer street performers today because of cashless payments," he said."The cost-of-living crisis and gentrification push struggling artists out of city centres and add to that the rising inflation, street performers need to be earning more than ever before but they are earning less."But despite backing the revolution in digital payments, Mr Broad is wary of encouraging buskers to push their art online."I can't stand the digital landscape," he said."During lockdowns people set up online and put time and money into looking good for Zoom concerts. That's all good but then we came out of lockdowns."If you create music and upload it to platforms like TikTok or Spotify you're competing with an algorithm for views and it's not always about artistic integrity." works with artists in Australia, the US, Canada and the UK. And safety is not a concern Mr Broad regularly hears people complain about."Busking is the one part of outdoor city life that has lasted from ancient times until now. The hawkers, market traders, kids playing games, news callers and so on have all been eradicated," he said."Street performers are still there for a very good reason: there will always be demand for entertainment, and people will always be willing to support a good show." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
CNA
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNA
NDP 2025: Show segment to extend from Padang to Marina Bay
The show segment of the National Day Parade 2025 will feature performances that will expand from the Padang to the Marina Bay. The bay area will include water floats and a performance on a floating stage that's synchronised with the live show at the Padang. 39 artistes and over 3,000 performers will be involved in this year's show segment. Alxis Thng reports.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
'Embarrassing' Glastonbury opening ceremony is panned by revellers after 'sound issues' during fireworks display
Glastonbury festival-goers have criticised last night's opening ceremony as 'embarrassing' after claiming it was marred by a lack of amplified sound. Acrobats and singers took part in the colourful show on the Pyramid Stage which finished with fireworks as the festival began at Worthy Farm in Somerset. But disappointed revellers among the crowd at the start of the five-day event said they were unable to hear anything and the performers had been 'let down'. Others however pointed out that the ceremony, which was entitled 'The Dreamweaver's Journey', was meant to be unamplified due to noise restrictions. MailOnline understands that the lack of sound was because Glastonbury's main stages are not allowed amplified sound until Friday due to the terms of its licence. Choirs were therefore placed around the audience during the performance, while the unamplified circus show and the big screens encouraged the crowd to sing along. But one unimpressed festival-goer told The Sun: 'The opening ceremony started ten minutes late, there was a huge choir on stage that no one could hear. 'All we could hear was the sound of a couple of drums. It was a massive fireworks display with no music, the whole silence lasted 30 minutes.' Others complained about the show on X, with one tweeting: 'Not good from a sound standpoint. I think you have let the performers down here to say the least.' Another wrote: 'Massive crowd, great performances, but thoroughly lost because somebody forgot to turn the amps on.' And a third tweeted: 'No sound?!' A fourth said: 'Guessing you do know the speakers on Pyramid aren't working tonight for the opening ceremony? Real shame, so much potential for an awesome night.' Other comments included 'Who forgot to turn the speakers on?'; 'This Glastonbury opening ceremony is embarrassing as F'; and 'Is there meant to be no sound at the Glastonbury 2025 opening ceremony? Local regs? Crowds a bit restless at the back.' But one person replied to defend the show, saying: 'It was always supposed to be crowd driven audio. Glasto explained this in an update earlier today.' In the update he referenced, Glastonbury had told festival-goers that it wanted to create a 'visceral, immersive acoustic musical soundscape and we need your voice' and encouraged everyone to 'participate in a living, breathing chorus of sound'. A 'Dreamweaver digital cyclist' appeared on the big screens, with attendees asked to 'tune in and hum along'. Organisers added: 'Pick any note and hold it as they cruise the road. Uphill? Take your pitch higher. Downhill? Glide your pitch lower. Need to breathe? Go for it – this is a marathon, not a sprint. 'Watch closely: If the Dreamweaver cyclist gets bigger, raise your voice. If they shrink in the distance, soften your sound. And don't worry about matching the person next to you – the more variety, the better. We want a beautiful chaos of sound that moves with the action.' Last night featured two opening ceremonies – one at the Pyramid Stage and the other at the Green Fields area, with both having a 10pm start time. They were followed by fireworks viewable from both areas at 10.45pm. The Pyramid Stage was hosting a theatre and circus show for the first time since 1990. Organisers described it as a 'breathtaking aerial odyssey, with acrobats and incredible circus performances' and an 'unforgettable shared experience of energy, emotion and spectacle'. It comes after the gates to Glastonbury opened at 8am yesterday, with organiser Emily Eavis and her father, co-founder Sir Michael Eavis, seen counting down and cheering as the festival began while a brass band played. More than 200,000 people are expected to descend on the fields of Pilton, with ticket-holders advised to prepare for mainly warm weather but with a chance of rain. This year's event will see headline performances from British rock/pop band The 1975, veteran singer Neil Young and his band the Chrome Hearts, and US pop star Olivia Rodrigo. Performing in the coveted Sunday tea-time legends slot this year is Sir Rod Stewart, who previously said he will be joined by his former Faces band member Ronnie Wood, as well as some other guests. One of the more controversial acts performing is Irish rap trio Kneecap, who have been in the headlines recently after one of their members was charged with a terror offence. Liam Og O hAnnaidh was charged for allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah at a gig in London in November last year. Last week, the 27-year-old, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was cheered by hundreds of supporters as he arrived with bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh at Westminster Magistrates' Court in 'Free Mo Chara' T-shirts. He was released on unconditional bail until his next hearing at the same court on August 20. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said the group's performance at the festival, taking place on the West Holts Stage at 4pm on Saturday, is not 'appropriate' and Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said she thought the BBC 'should not be showing' Kneecap's performance. Among the acts expected to draw large crowds this year is alternative pop star Charli XCX, who will perform songs from her genre-defining sixth studio album Brat. She is performing on Saturday night on the Other Stage, 15 minutes before the West Holts stage is graced by US rapper Doechii, another artist who has exploded in popularity in the last year. Other performers include Irish singer CMAT, Prada singer Raye, US musician Brandi Carlile, Nile Rodgers and Chic and hip-hop star Loyle Carner. Also involved are US pop star Gracie Abrams, indie outfit Wet Leg, Mercury Prize-winning jazz quintet Ezra Collective, US rapper Denzel Curry and rising star Lola Young. The line-up additionally features a number of acts listed as TBA, as well as a mysterious act called Patchwork, who will take to the Pyramid Stage on Saturday. This year, the BBC will provide live-streams of the five main stages - Pyramid, Other, West Holts, Woodsies and The Park.
CTV News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Tattoo tradition returns with global acts and local stars
The Scotiabank Centre in Halifax was full of energy and excitement Wednesday, as hundreds of students and fans got an early look at this year's Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo. 'It's a family show,' said managing director Scott Long in an interview with CTV Atlantic's Katie Kelly. 'People were brought up around this show, whether their parents took them, or their grandparents took them, and that carries on through generations. We even have volunteers whose parents volunteer and their parents volunteer and so on. It's a family tradition; it's a Nova Scotian tradition.' The 2025 edition features nearly 700 performers from Germany, the U.K., the Netherlands, Norway, and across Canada. But this year, organizers say there's also a strong spotlight on local talent. 'The Tattoo is a local event,' said Long. 'We want to support our community and make sure our artists have a chance to perform in front of a big audience on a big stage.' Among them is Emma Stevens, a singer-songwriter from Eskasoni First Nation, N.S. Stevens is performing an original song honouring Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. 'Music is a good way to bring everybody together and understand what's going on,' said Stevens. 'It's amazing and I'm very grateful to be here and to be doing this.' Also making her Tattoo debut is Paula Braiden, a six-time world champion drum major from Northern Ireland, who leads The Force, a high-impact precision display team. This is her first time in Canada. 'We have travelled quite a lot and performed in many tattoos, but this one was quite special,' said Braiden. Returning to the Tattoo after nearly two decades is the Band of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee - the military police band for the Netherlands- who are celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands. 'It's a beautiful tattoo with nice music and a great atmosphere,' Captain Ido Kempenaar said. 'We're very pleased to be here.' The theme of this year's Tattoo is 'Flourish.' 'Which is all about when we're protected and we feel safe, we have better communities in the role that our armed forces and first responders and police play in that,' said Long. The Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo officially opens Friday night and runs through to Canada Day. 'Tickets are on sale, there's good seats available, kids are free with the purchase of any adult receiving a ticket,' said Long.
