Joel Plaskett to headline Folk on the Rocks 2022

Folk on the Rocks revealed Joel Plaskett will be a 2022 headliner as the Yellowknife music festival made its first of three lineup announcements.

Plaskett’s 2016 Folk on the Rocks appearance is considered a highlight of the festival’s past decade. He had been due to return for Folk’s 40th anniversary in 2020 before Covid-19 cancelled the event.

Also announced on Friday were Zoon (Hamilton-based musician Daniel Monkman), Mo Kenney, Monowhales, Ghostkeeper, Shauna Seeteenak, and Mise en Scene.

The first lineup announcement is completed by Nara, Alex & Ana, Glam on the Rocks, Peekaboo Kazoo, and the Yellowknives Dene Drummers, who traditionally open and close each festival.

Two more waves of acts remain to be announced. The festival takes place from July 15 to July 17 and early-bird tickets are on sale.

In Friday’s news release, festival organizers also said anyone older than five must be fully vaccinated to attend.

Cabin Radio will again broadcast full, live coverage of Folk on the Rocks 2022 with 30 hours of live music from three stages across the weekend. Meanwhile, the Cabin Stage will host some of the festival’s most exciting acts in an intimate lakeside environment.

This year’s lineup marks a return to a Canada-wide selection of artists after Folk on the Rocks relied mostly upon northern artists during the pandemic-related travel restrictions of 2021.

Organizers said on Friday that 2022’s festival would be “bigger and better than ever.”