40th edition of Festival Innu Nikamu | July 30th to August 4th, 2024

A HISTORIC EDITION

MANI-UTENAM, Quebec, Aug. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The 40^th edition of Festival Innu Nimaku in Mani-utenam attracted over 30,000 people, a record attendance since the Festival's inception. After six days of festivities, it's safe to say that the organization more than lived up to expectations, and that the event has now entered the big leagues.

Features of Festival
Festival Innu Nikamu, Canada's largest non-consumptive Aboriginal music festival, has been held annually for the past 40 years, in the Innu community of Mani-utenam, 15 kilometers east of Sept-Îles. The festivities on the main site take place on the grounds of a former Indigenous residential school. "Children are a big part of the Festival. We want to see them laugh, sing and dance freely, to give them hope for a better future," says event coordinator Normand Jr. Thirnish Pilot.

In fact, all 1,300 members of the Mani-utenam community vibrated to the sound of Festival Innu Nikamu over the six days. Residents decorated their homes, and some even offered visitors access to the territory, lodging, refreshments or objects from their culture.

Another objective of this gathering is to bring people together through music, regardless of age or origin. A large place in the programming is given to aboriginal artists from several communities, but also to emerging artists who feel privileged to be able to present their interpretations and compositions on a professional stage.

What’s New This Year?
Everything has been rethought for the 40^th edition. First, the Festival offered three stages. Two were located on the main site, while a third took place on the Innu Nikamuniss site, a free family celebration venue located in the center of the community. The main site was expanded to accommodate up to 20,000 festival-goers per day. Giant screens have also been added, and images of the performances are projected to allow proximity to the artists performing on stage.

More than 60 shows, most of them featuring Aboriginal artists, were presented this year. The program also featured international artists such as Flo Rida, Samantha Fox, Aqua and Bryan Adams. These stars are the driving force behind the event, bringing crowds together to discover aboriginal music and culture.

"The artists were impressed by the vibrancy of the crowds and left waving to the fans who welcomed them with passion. We're all very proud that all these artists have come to celebrate the 40th edition of Innu Nikamu with us," says Normand Jr. Thirnish Pilot.

The magnitude of this 40th edition brought its share of logistical challenges, which were brilliantly met. "We found solutions to facilitate the arrival of visitors from outside the community. For accommodation, we collaborated with a company offering all-inclusive tent rentals. To avoid the influx of cars, we set up a free shuttle system that allows people from neighboring towns to get to the site easily", also mentions Mr. Thirnish Pilot.

A Varied and Flamboyant Program
The 40^th edition of the Festival kicked off with an official ceremony honoring high school graduates from the nine Innu communities, in the company of chiefs and numerous dignitaries who witnessed the traditional launching of mortars carried by the graduates. This academic achievement, celebrated each year as part of the festivities, is always a moment of collective pride.

On the artistic front, the opening night saw the grand return to the stage of Kashtin (Florent Vollant and Claude McKenzie), the famous duo's last performance after several years' absence, attracting over 5,000 people and generating a great deal of emotion, both on stage and in the crowd, who applauded them warmly. Rapper K.Maro rounded off the first day of festivities.

On Wednesday, it was the turn of great artists Claude Dubois and Elisapie to delight us with their intensity and transcendent vocals. Another memorable evening that even the rain didn't dampen.

On Thursday, much to the surprise of fans, Sir Pathétik gave a demented performance at short notice, preceding Flo Rida's long-awaited performance on Innu soil. In a 90-minute show of pure intensity, the superstar electrified the crowd of over 7,000, performing his greatest hits, sometimes among festival-goers, sometimes inviting young people of all backgrounds to sing and dance with him, right on stage.

On Friday, festival-goers marveled at the spectacle of luminous drones that decorated the community's skies. Colorful images formed above Mani-utenam, to the rhythm of traditional sounds and music. Afterwards, Samantha Fox, one of the most beloved stars of the 1980s, performed on the main stage. She performed her hits, including the popular Touch me, as well as more recent pieces.

On Saturday, the skies once again came alive with the sounds and lights of the traditional grand pyromusical show, a Festival staple, while Aqua got thousands of spectators dancing to the rhythm of their greatest hits, including the famous Barbie girl.

On the closing night, renowned Canadian singer Bryan Adams drew a historic crowd of some 12,000 people of all generations to his show at Innu Nikamu. The artist performed his greatest hits, chosen especially for a festival audience. His warm presence lifted the crowd throughout his performance.

Innu Nikamuniss
Since the very beginning of the Festival, children have been a major focus. For the first time this year, youngsters enjoyed a family site, less than a kilometer from the main Festival site, where traditional activities, shows, lectures, tastings and various ways of experiencing Innu culture were offered free of charge.

Free musical performances were presented from the Mixbus stage, parked right in the heart of the community, and featured a variety of performances by local artists and personalities from here and elsewhere in Quebec. The site welcomed notable figures such as Guylaine Tanguay, Dr. Stanley Volant, Ministers Kateri Champagne-Jourdain and Ian Lafrenière, Philippe Fehmiu, along with many others. The organization is already looking ahead to next year, and promises festival-goers an event to match this year's experience.

About Festival Innu Nikamu
The mission of the Innu Nikamu Festival is to promote and enhance Innu culture through music, dance, song and the arts. The Festival aims to bring together the Innu communities of Quebec and Labrador, as well as other Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people, in a spirit of sharing and respect. The Festival takes place every August in Mani-utenam, on the North Shore. It is also recognized as one of the largest alcohol-free festivals in Canada.

For information (national & international medias): Philip Vanden Brande Vice-President & Associate Annexe media 438 402-7391 phil@annexe.media	For information (regional medias): Caroline Michaud Strategic Communication Specialist Boite à clés 418 409-5784 caroline@boiteacles.ca
Source: Normand Jr Thirnish-Pilot Coordinator Festival Innu Nikamu

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/16e75eca-fd99-46ff-9dd0-ea4ac37796fa