Festivals in PEI - Let the Music Guide You

Prince Edward Island may well be Anne country 12 months of the year, but when the weather warms in the summer, tourists also flock to hear the myriad of musical sounds and festivals that can be found throughout the province.

Throughout the East Coast, Celtic music dominates, and PEI isn’t any different. Grab your Prince Edward Island map and head to the historic village of Orwell Corner to tap into a Wednesday night ceilidh. The community is considered central to the thriving traditional music scene in the province, and its popularity has soared in recent years. Other traditional music celebrations include the Fiddle Field in Rollo Bay and the Benevolent Irish Society Hall in Charlottetown.

But it isn’t just traditional Celtic music that attracts tourists and locals throughout the summer. The Indian River Music Festival has been celebrating the best in classical music since 1996. With concerts in St. Mary’s Church, the festival attracts patrons from all over the world.

“We had season tickets to the Indian River Music Festival and had such a wonderful time,” says Stephen from Nova Scotia. “We made many friends on the island and miss them and our time on the island."

The concerts have also been well-received in the press, garnering raves from the likes of the Globe and Mail and CBC radio.

“St Mary's Church in Indian River, PEI is quite simply the best place to hear live classical music performed in Atlantic Canada,” says Adrian Hoffman, CBC producer and host.

Of course, contemporary acts play throughout the province all summer. One of the most notable recurring musical events is the free Peake’s Wharf Summer Concert series that takes place in Charlottetown’s historic downtown waterfront seven nights a week.

The series includes a wide variety of musical acts, from PEI’s male vocalist of the year, Eddie Quinn, to the Shelia MacKenzie and Gord Belsher.