Fredericton’s mid-winter music festival plans to move ahead in 2021 with virtual events and reduced capacity concerts.
Shivering Songs was one of the last New Brunswick festivals to operate as planned in 2020. The event, held January 29-February 2, preceded the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown by more than a month with a 10th anniversary celebration that focused largely on New Brunswick’s rich musical culture. As uncertainty continues to loom over many events planned for the coming year, Shivering Songs’ festival organizers have announced plans for 2021 with a mix of virtual concerts and limited capacity in-person performances.
“We were one of the last festivals to operate in 2020, and we hope to be one of the first in 2021,” said festival co-organizer, Zach Atkinson. “Shivering Songs has always been known as ‘a cure for the winter blues’ in Fredericton. Our community has been a wonderful source of support over the years, and we need to make Shivering Songs 2021 the best it can be for them. With their help, we can focus our efforts to support local artists and small businesses downtown, as we’ve always done.”
Organizers are working with both existing venues and new spaces, to create socially distanced concert experiences that ensure a safe, comfortable environment for all artists, patrons, volunteers, and support staff. In recognition of the potential for subsequent waves of COVID-19, and in the interests of festival accessibility, organizers are also prepared to present Shivering Songs 2021 online-only, should the region (Zone 3) move out of Yellow Phase, or should Public Health otherwise deem that a necessity.
In addition to the now traditional five day event, planned to take place between January 20-24, 2021, the festival also hopes to offer a range of virtual events to entertain audiences throughout the winter months.
A more detailed line-up and schedule announcement will be made following a safety assessment on January 1, 2021.
