Details have been revealed about this summer’s Surrey Fusion Festival, the annual music and food gathering at Holland Park.
The 2023 event returns there for two days, July 22-23, with the theme “Dance Around the World” on eight stages.
This year’s headliners are Indigenous electronic artist DJ Shub on the Saturday evening, followed Sunday by Punjabi singer/actor Gurnam Bhullar. Also booked are performances by JESSIA, Ikky, Wesli, Don Amero and other musical artists, many of them Surrey-based.
The festival will run daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. with close to 50 pavilions representing cultures from around the world. Admission is free.
Last year’s Fusion Festival was the first held at Holland Park since 2019, due to the pandemic.
On May 31, a news release from city hall announced two awards for the 2022 festival, including Best Public Event by the International Live Events Association (ILEA, Vancouver Chapter) and Best Cultural Event by the Canadian Event Awards.
On the festival website (surreyfusionfestival.ca), DJ Shub is described as “The Godfather of PowWowStep,” who has spearheaded the rise of the electronic-music genre. He was born Dan General, a Mohawk, in Ontario, and is a founding member of Tribe Called Red.
Sunday headliner Bhullar is best known for his song “Diamond,” which boasts more than 645 million views on YouTube.
Among the other 2023 artists, JESSIA is a Ucluelet-raised indie pop artist known for her song “I’m Not Pretty”, while Ikky performs a fusion of hip-hop, R&B and Punjabi music. Wesli (Haitian-Canadian and JUNO award-winning artist) and Don Amero (country music) will also perform.
Other highlights at this year’s festival will include a Cultural Cooking Arena to showcase a Surrey youth cooking competition on Saturday, July 22, and cooking demonstrations by cultural pavilion organizers on Sunday, July 23. Holland Park will also be filled with amusement rides, a kid’s zone, dance battles, dance workshops, an Indigenous Village and marketplace.
The festival serves as “an exceptional opportunity for local, national, and international entertainers to perform to a large, multicultural audience,” Mayor Brenda Locke said in a news release.
“I’d also like to extend a special thank-you to our presenting sponsor Coast Capital for their unwavering support over the past 16 years,” Locke added.
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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