Up Here Festival is Doubling Down on Canadian Talent
From SadBoi to Sook-Yin Lee, murals, installations and late-night discoveries, the Sudbury music festival is set to transform the city once again.
by Glenn Alderson
- Published on
For more than a decade, Up Here has been proving that some of Canada’s most exciting cultural moments happen far away from the country’s biggest cities.
Returning August 14 to 16 for its twelfth edition, the Sudbury festival once again transforms the city’s downtown core into an open-air gallery, concert venue and creative laboratory, where emerging musicians, internationally recognized muralists and immersive installations coexist across a walkable weekend that feels unlike anything else on the Canadian festival calendar.
We’ve been covering Up Here for the past three years, and each year has reinforced the same idea: this isn’t simply a music festival with public art attached to it. The city itself becomes part of the experience. Murals rise over downtown streets, unexpected performances spill into unconventional spaces, and every walk between venues feels like another opportunity to discover something you weren’t looking for.
That spirit of discovery is front and centre in 2026. This year’s lineup shines a spotlight exclusively on Canadian artists, bringing together an impressive cross-section of musicians pushing boundaries across genres. Toronto’s SadBoi brings her signature dancehall-infused pop and undeniable charisma, while Weird Nightmare serves up noisy, hook-filled indie rock from the other end of the spectrum.
Former MuchMusic VJ, filmmaker and recent RANGE cover star Sook-Yin Lee arrives with her new conceptual musical project, while acclaimed Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg writer, musician and scholar Leanne Betasamosake Simpson continues the festival’s tradition of programming artists whose work extends well beyond music.
Elsewhere on the bill, Montreal’s Boutique Feelings blend psychedelic textures with alternative hip-hop, Quinton Barnes delivers emotionally charged rap, Hologramme pushes electronic music into dystopian dancefloor territory, and viral Haitian-Canadian pop artist Tedy makes their Up Here debut following the success of breakout single “Can I.”
Returning favourites help round out the weekend as well. Calgary duo Miesha & The Spanks bring the garage rock flavour while Status/Non-Status returns after leaving a lasting impression during the festival’s 2022 edition with their unmistakable fusion of Anishinaabe storytelling, sludge and grunge.
As always, the music is only part of the equation. Four new large-scale murals will permanently reshape Sudbury’s streetscape this summer. June brings vibrant colour to the Copy Copy Printing wall, Colombian-born artist La Pupila explores femininity, vulnerability and hope through monumental imagery, Anishinaabe artist Miskopwagan Asin (Josh Morley) reflects ancestral relationships to land, while local artist Cat Hexes fills downtown with monsters, magic and imagination.
Up Here has never been about chasing the biggest names or recreating the same touring package found elsewhere. Instead, it has built its identity around curiosity—introducing audiences to artists before the rest of the country catches up while inviting visitors to experience Sudbury through a completely different lens.
It’s a reminder that some of Canada’s most forward-thinking festivals aren’t found in Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver. They’re happening in Northern Ontario, where music, public art and community continue to reshape a city/
Up Here Festival runs August 14 to 16 in Sudbury, Ontario. Passes are available now at uphere.com
Listen to the 2026 Up Here playlist here!
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