Folk on the Rocks 2020, if it happens, will star Tegan and Sara

Tegan and Sara will return to Folk on the Rocks for the first time in 16 years if the Yellowknife festival is able to keep its place in a coronavirus-hit 2020 calendar.

While many NWT events scheduled for the next few months have already been cancelled, Folk on the Rocks – planned for July 17-19 – is still taking place as things stand.

“At this time, Folk on the Rocks is optimistic that we will be able to move ahead for our 40th-anniversary festival,” organizers said on Thursday. “At the time of writing, the risk of Covid-19 is low in our community, and we are confident that the current social-distancing precautions being taken will have alleviated in time for Folk on the Rocks this July.”

Organizers acknowledge a lot may change in the coming weeks. All tickets would be refunded in the event of a cancellation related to coronavirus.

If the festival goes ahead, Tegan and Sara will return to help celebrate Folk’s 40th anniversary.

More: Listen to Tegan and Sara at Folk on the Rocks 2004

The whole three-day event is themed on returning acts from the past. Shred Kelly, Fred Penner, and Joel Plaskett – all Folk alumni – were announced in the first lineup reveal earlier in March.

The second lineup reveal, aired live by Cabin Radio on Thursday morning, also included Juno-winning folk and country artist Donovan Woods and the Opposition; Nova Scotia singer-songwriter Mo Kenney, whose music has been produced by Plaskett; and world music group Delhi 2 Dublin, who played Folk in 2014.

The NWT’s own Digawolf and PIQSIQ were also confirmed on Thursday.

Rounding out the second reveal are Jay Gilday, Ellen Froese, Northcote, Joey O’Neil, Miranda Currie, Kelly McLeod, the Rainbow Coalition of Yellowknife, and Ponteix – presented by the Association Franco-Culturelle de Yellowknife.

A third and final lineup reveal will take place in early April.

Cabin Radio will once again broadcast 30 hours of live music from this summer’s festival – if it goes ahead – including two days of performances from the intimate, lakeside Cabin Stage.