Meet 10 performers ahead of Folk on the Rocks 2025

This year’s Folk on the Rocks festival promises a weekend of fun with performances by dozens of artists and activities for people of all ages.

Every third weekend in July, thousands of people flock to the sandy shores of Yellowknife’s Long Lake to enjoy music from local and visiting musicians at the city’s biggest summer festival.

Cabin Radio will broadcast up to 30 hours of live coverage from Folk on the Rocks, starting with Warm the Rocks on Friday night. Get the new app to listen live wherever you are, including on your smart speaker or in your car.

Cabin Radio’s Elke Sorensen has been sitting down with some of the artists set to take the stage at this year’s event to learn more about what to expect when they perform.

Here are highlights from interviews with 10 of the musical acts performing at Folk on the Rocks 2025. For more interviews throughout the summer, listen to Evenings with Elke, 7-9pm Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays and 8-10pm Tuesdays on Cabin Radio.

Meridian

NWT supergroup Meridian is made up of Rochelle and Corinne Smith from The Smith Sisters alongside Duncan Stewart and Joe Curran of Refrijerater, which won last year’s Main Stage Showdown.

Corinne and Rochelle spoke with Sorensen about playing music from a young age and “joining forces” with members of Refrijerater.

“We played with them for the first time and it was just an automatic match,” Corinne said.

“We’re all very different people who would not regularly become friends, but I think we all get along super well and ended up working together super well in the band and just like as friends. It’s great.”

Meridian is set to play Warm the Rocks at Somba K’e Civic Plaza from 5pm on Friday, then take the Aurora Stage at Folk on the Rocks on Saturday from 12:30-1:15pm.

Arielle Soucy

Sorensen spoke with Arielle Soucy, a singer-songwriter from Montreal whose debut album, Il n’y a rien que je ne suis pas, features multi-layered vocals floating upon acoustic guitar and grand piano.

“Usually in my set, I love to be interactive with the public,” she said.

Soucy will perform at Somba K’e Civic Plaza on Friday from 12:15-1pm then join Cabin Radio at the Lakefront Stage on Saturday at 3:45pm.

Caylie G

Sorensen described Edmonton-based artist Caylie G as a “queer, sad, cowboy pop, sparkly, shimmery, pink-haired baddie.”

Caylie G said this year’s Folk on the Rocks will be her first time visiting the NWT.

“I’m so excited,” she said. “I’ve truly heard only the most wonderful things and everyone I’ve told that I’m coming is like, ‘Wow, you’re going to have the best time.'”

Caylie G shared that her signature pink hair is thanks to Good Dye Young, a hair colour brand created by Hayley Willaims, the lead singer of Paramore.

She also spoke with Sorensen about her latest EP Softhearted Cowboy, touring, and her band.

“I’m truly living my dream right now. I’m going all over the country with some of my best friends in the whole world.”

Caylie G will play the Beer Garden Stage on Saturday from 6-6:45pm then the Cabin Radio Lakefront Stage on Sunday from 1:30-2:15pm.

Empress Nyiringango

Empress Nyiringango is an Ottawa-based singer and songwriter who showcases the self-coined “Jablur” sound, a blend of jazz, blues and Rwandan music.

Empress Nyiringango told Sorensen she is inspired by the history of Rwanda and the genocide that occurred in her home country in 1994.

“My soul, my heart was searching for some ways to comfort the people around me and it was music that I chose, or that chose me,” she said.

She said she likes to convey a message of faith, resilience and healing through her music.

Empress Nyiringango will play Warm the Rocks at Somba K’e Civic Plaza on Friday from 6-6:45pm then the Folk on the Rocks Main Stage from 5:45-6:30pm on Saturday.

Merv xx Gotti

Merv xx Gotti, a Saskatchewan and Toronto-based indie pop artist, told Sorensen he’s “pretty stoked” to play at Folk on the Rocks.

“If you’re performing, it’s not just about you. Like, it is about you, but the whole purpose of you being you is so everyone else there can have a good time, or feel what your music is supposed to make them feel,” he said.

Merv xx Gotti is set to play the Aurora Stage on Saturday from 4:30-5:15pm.

The Johnnys

Veronica Johnny told Sorensen The Johnnys have been “rocking out” for more than 20 years and have released five albums.

“It’s exciting to come to Folk, I’m so happy,” she said.

Johnny said her band’s sound has been compared to “Joan Jett singing with the Ramones.”

The Johnnys are set to play Warm the Rocks on Friday at Long Lake from 6:45pm-7:30pm then take to the Cabin Radio Lakefront Stage on Sunday from 2:30-3:15pm.

Moonbean

Moonbean, made up of Valentina Morelli and Colin Harrington, is a psychedelic, electric punk duo from Ontario.

“We make hardware electronic dance music. It’s high energy, it’s heavy with bass and drums,” Morelli told Sorensen.

After performing their first show at a Halloween costume party in Toronto, “ridiculous outfits” have become a regular part of Moonbean’s brand.

“We just decided to stick with keeping the absolutely like whimsical, out-of-this-world kind-of costumes as part of our thing,” Morelli said.

Moonbean is set to play Warm the Rocks at Long Lake from 1:45-2:30am on Saturday then take the Beer Garden stage at Folk on the Rocks from 11-11:45pm the next night.

Jeremie Albino

Toronto-based soul musician Jeremie Albino spoke to Sorensen about his musical journey, vintage sound and third album Our Time in the Sun.

“I end up writing songs that I want to write, and some of them are simpler and hit that throwback sound,” he said.

“But it’s just natural that they’ll be relevant. Music is just music. And you can dial it into older sounds, but it’ll always be connected to where we are.”

Albino is set to play the Folk on the Rocks Main Stage on Sunday from 10-10:45pm.

Dumai Dunai

Natalia Telentso and Eli Camilo are the lead singers of Dumai Dunai, a dub-punk Slavic band from Montreal.

They sing and write lyrics in several languages including English, Ukranian, Serbian, Polish, Spanish and Romanes.

Camilo described Dumai Dunai as an “energetic party band” that is influenced by Eastern European folk music.

“I secretly collected my favourite people and I put them in a band together,” he said.

This will be Telentso’s first time visiting Yellowknife. She told Sorensen she’s excited to share Ukrainian folk music with the community.

Camilo has previously performed at Folk on the Rocks with Lemon Bucket Orkestra and Orkestar Kriminal.

“It’s one of my favourites as far as Canadian festivals go,” he said.

“I was very happy to be invited to play with my own music this time.”

Dumai Dunai is set to play Warm the Rocks at the Somba K’e Civic Plaza on Friday from 7-7:45pm then at the Folk on the Rocks Beer Garden Stage on Sunday from 3:15-4pm.

Major Funk

Major Funk is bringing its unique brand of “Yukon funk” to this year’s Folk on the Rocks festival.

Bassist Etienne Girard described Major Funk as “a longstanding funk, disco, pop band.”

Vocalist and trumpet player Adrian Burrill said the makeup of the band has changed since it formed in Whitehorse 10 years ago. He said the current six members have played together for the past five years and two albums.

“This group’s been solid and we’ve done lots of touring and recording together,” he told Sorensen.

Major Funk is set to play Warm the Rocks at Long Lake on Friday from 9:45-10:30pm then take the Folk on the Rocks Main Stage on Saturday from 4:45-5:30pm.

You can find the full lineup and schedule for Folk on the Rocks, and purchase tickets, on the festival’s website.

Correction: July 18, 2025 – 8:20 MT. This article initially named one of Dumai Dunai’s members as Ali Camilo. The correct name is Eli.