Broken Social Scene Announced As Headliners of the Peterborough Folk Festival 2023

The Peterborough Folk Festival have announced the band Broken Social Scene as the headliners of this year’s festival August 19.

photo courtesy of the peterborough folk festival, facebook.

Throughout their two-decade run, Broken Social Scene have achieved all the markers of modern indie success—rave reviews from Pitchfork, invites to play Coachella and Lollapalooza, multiple Juno Awards and Letterman appearances, and name-drops in Lorde songs. And their victories have ultimately been Toronto’s as well – through the establishment of a record label (Arts & Crafts) and a music festival (Field Trip) that became rallying points for the local scene and nurtured the next generation of indie upstarts.

Broken Social Scene is described as living proof that underdogs are most effective when travelling in a pack, that mass audiences can be led into uncharted waters through collective enthusiasm, and that the better world we all dream of begins with community.

“Inclusivity, belonging and community are at the heart of Peterborough Folk Festival,” says artistic director Ryan Kemp. “I can barely express how thrilled we are to have this iconic Canadian band take the main stage as the PFF 2023 headliner on August 19th.”

This will be Broken Social Scene’s first-ever performance in Peterborough. Earlier this month, Kemp shared that internationally-acclaimed Celtic singer/songwriter Loreena McKennitt will headline the main stage of the 34th annual Peterborough Folk Festival on Sunday, August 20.

"We’ve been building momentum with our festival partners, sponsors and volunteer-run board to create a memorable event for everyone in Peterborough and across the region to enjoy. It’s incredible to have this come together with the announcement of these fantastic performers,” he continued.

The 2023 Peterborough Folk Festival kicks off with ticketed concerts on Thursday, August 17 at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre and Friday, August 18 at the Gordon Best Theatre, followed by a free weekend of music, food and performance on Saturday, August 19 and Sunday, August 20 at Nicholls Oval Park. Organizers will be making additional announcements during June, including the complete line-up of performers and PFF’s Emerging Artist of the Year.

For more information about PFF 2023, including how to get involved as a sponsor, volunteer, or vendor, visit the website.

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