Canada's Largest Outdoor Music Event, FESTIVAL D'ETE DE QUEBEC, Kicks Off 2014 Edition Today

The 47th Festival d'été de Québec-Canada's largest outdoor music event and one of North America's most important summer celebrations-will present some 1,000 artists from today, July 3 to 13 in historically picturesque Québec City. The Festival will offer more than 300 performances in 10 unique indoor and outdoor venues over the course of 11 days, from intimate blues to after-hours electro shows to rock and pop superstars on North America's biggest outdoor stage-the Bell stage, on the Plains of Abraham.

The world-class 2014 roster will showcase a wide range of artists that includes A$AP Rocky, Cypress Hill, The Kills, Local Natives, Young the Giant, Tegan and Sara, The Bloody Beetroots, Gogol Bordello, Gary Clark Jr., Daniel Lanois, Phantogram, Jake Bugg, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, The Pretty Reckless, The Crystal Method, Vintage Trouble, Serena Ryder, John Mayall and hundreds of others from around the globe.

A city-wide event, the Festival also features free access to many concerts, street performers, acrobats, jugglers, stilt walkers, and activities designed for the whole family. In 2013, Festival d'été de Québec attracted nearly 300,000 concert attendees for a total of more than 1 million visitors overall at the Festival.

"Festival d'été de Québec 2014 is a truly exciting season that we're all very proud of," said FEQ General Manager Daniel Gélinas. "From music fans with a thirst for new discoveries to trend followers, nostalgia buffs, the young and the not-so-young-there'll be something for everyone at this non-stop, 11-day music event."

"We remain dedicated to one all-important goal each year, and that is to make sure all Festival goers, regardless of their musical tastes, are happy from the first day to the last," added Program Director Louis Bellavance.

OUTDOOR PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS

The Plains of Abraham (Bell Stage)
None other than pop icon Lady Gaga will open the first weekend on the Plains of Abraham (July 4), the Festival's main outdoor stage set in a historic battlefield overlooking the St. Lawrence River. The show, entitled Lady Gaga's artRAVE: the ARTPOP Ball, is part of her world tour launched only days ago in New York.

On July 11, the sounds of legendary pop singer Blondie will fill the air, followed by American superstar Billy Joel, who will give his first-ever performance in Québec City and his only Canadian show scheduled for the summer.

Five more big headliners are slated to flood the Bell Stage: the pure rock of The Killers (July 8), guitarist Josh Homme's Queens of the Stone Age and its very modern garage rock (July 10), a foray into classic rock with Journey and Steve Miller Band (July 6), the punk and heavy metal of Soundgarden (July 12), and wrapping up the Festival with a ton of hits, the award-winning husky vocals of Canada's biggest rock star, Bryan Adams (July 13). Additionally, the main stage will feature indie rock from Young the Giant (July 8) and The Kills (July 10), and the hard rock sounds of New York City from The Pretty Reckless (July 12).

The Bell stage will also follow the footsteps of last year's hugely successful hip-hop event with a visit from legendary rapper Snoop Dogg, New York rappers Bas and Joey Bada$$, and the BET Award-winning Harlem native A$AP Rocky (July 5).

In the category of French music, Louis-Jean Cormier will take up the challenge on the Plains this year (July 7). A longtime darling among critics and music-lovers alike, he's become a revelation for the Québec public in recent months. After Vincent Vallières in 2012 and the Trois Accords in 2013, it's Cormier's turn to have carte blanche with his own show in 2014. And to kick off the Festival, a concept tribute show to Félix Leclerc will bring together numerous artists from Québec and the French-speaking world.

Parc de la Francophonie (Loto-Québec Stage)
The Parc de la Francophonie is a venue known for its magical encounters between artists and audiences. This year, the must-see folk/rock evening will be the show featuring Daniel Lanois and Jake Bugg (July 9)-a sensation in England, where he's regarded as the new Bob Dylan. Other musical genres are also on the docket: Local Natives (July 3) will open the Festival with an indie rock/new fangled folk night; hip-hop fans have a not-to-be-missed date with the Latino-American and multi-platinum disc group Cypress Hill (July 10); and the British rock band Marillion will play the music that generated sales of 15 million albums (July 12).

Place d'Youville (Hydro-Québec Stage) Free Concerts
More than 30 artists and a lively program of world beat, blues, and French music will have spectators up and dancing at Place d'Youville, where it's all free all the time. The names to watch for this year include afrobeat groundbreaker Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 (July 11), Gogol Bordello with its eclectic Eastern European-sounding music (July 9), and Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue in an evening infused with Louisiana rhythms (July 7). For blues enthusiasts, there's Vintage Trouble and its retro blues rock sound (July 4) and the sultry voice of Texan guitarist Gary Clark Jr. (July 6). French pop music will also have pride of place with Émilie Simon (July 12), among many others, plus there will be world music from the Nigerian group Bombino and Ivory Coast reggae from Tiken Jah Fakoly (July 10).

ELECTROFEQ
ElectroFEQ returns with shows in four different venues for devotees of electronic music and a lineup that bears witness to the diversity of electronic dance music. A string of renowned DJs (to be announced shortly) will take turns behind the decks on the Bell Stage (July 9), while the Loto-Québec will be host to Italian masked masters of electro punk The Bloody Beetroots, GTA, and The Crystal Method (July 8). At the Impérial, fans can hear the music of Canadian duo Electronic Youth and the rhythm of Phantogram's electro rock (July 7).

INDOOR PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS
The Festival d'été's indoor shows offer a wide diversity of styles and performers, the chance to discover new talent, and an opportunity to hear established artists in a more intimate setting.

At the Impérial de Québec, highlights include the pop sounds of San Fermin and indie rock vocalist St. Vincent (July 4); fans can also experience the wildly innovative palette of British electronic music pioneer Bonobo (July 5); a jazz show from the renowned John Pizzarelli Quartet (July 6); an evening with the elder statesman of British blues, singer/songwriter John Mayall (July 8); and Father John Misty's folk music in a solo performance (July 10).

The Petit Impérial will focus on blues and folk in 2014, offering some 20 artists from Canada, France, and the United States. The stage at Le Cercle will open with music from Canada's rockin' July Talk (July 3), and include concerts by American singer/songwriter Noah Gunderson (July 4), Ellis Ludwig-Leone's Baroque pop band San Fermin and hip-hop from Washington D.C. native rapper Oddisee (July 5), followed by folk music from the instrument-swapping Texas band Seryn on July 7.

TICKETS AND INFORMATION

Festival passes go on sale on April 12 at 12pm EST and can be purchased online or by phone. The first 60,000 passes will be sold at a special price of $68 CAN. All subsequent passes are $78 CAN (taxes and service fees included, plus shipping), with a limit of four passes per transaction.

The Festival Pass comes in two parts: a blinking pin and a wristband containing an RFID chip allowing buyers to attend all shows throughout the Festival. Children up to 11 years old accompanied by an adult don't need a pass. Passes are available for purchase online at www.infofestival.com, and by phone at 1-855-800-3347 (toll-free). Day passes for concerts taking place at the Bell stage will be available for purchase online and by phone at a price of $50 CAN once the Festival passes are sold-out. They will also be sold at the box office during the Festival, upon availability.

Additional information can be found in the 2014 Pass Q&A document available online, by calling the phone number above, or by sending an email to infofestival@infofestival.com.

Free Access at All Times
D'Youville Square
Family Place
Street performers on St-Jean Street and at Esplanade Park

Hotel Packages - For participating Québec City area hotels offering packages that include lodging and Festival passes, visit www.infofestival.com/Tickets/Hotel-Packages/.

About Festival d'été de Québec: Festival d'été de Québec, Canada's most important outdoor music festival, is set in the modern, yet historic and picturesque Québec City. Visited by more than one million festival goers each summer, the entire Festival celebrates music for 11 days in July. With 10 indoor and outdoor venues, it is the perfect setting to discover up-and-coming artists and enjoy world-renowned stars. In the past few years, the Festival presented Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Skrillex, Lionel Richie, The Offspring, Metallica, Elton John, The Black Eyed Peas, Rammstein, Iron Maiden, Plácido Domingo, Sting, Charles Aznavour, and KISS. Every year, more than 1,000 artists and close to 300 shows, from rock, to French song, hip-hop, electro, jazz, and world music greats are showcased. The Festival is easily accessible and affordable for American and international travelers.

About Québec City: Set in the heart of the province of Québec and founded in 1608, Québec City's European appeal and North American lifestyle, combined with a storied and rich history, thriving arts scene, and vibrant French-speaking culture, make it truly one of a kind. The only fortified city north of Mexico and Old Québec and a UNESCO world heritage treasure, the city is famous for its well-preserved architectural treasures. The Old City offers visitors 400 years of history in the cradle of French civilization in North America. The city is also a busy cultural destination with numerous festivals all year round. Parks, wildlife reserves, and scenic attractions are minutes away, with a host of outdoor activities available.

Often called the gourmet capital of North America, eating well in Québec City is part of the lifestyle. With hundreds of restaurants, the cuisine is one of the best reasons to visit Old Québec. Offering 17,250 rooms in a variety of hotel categories, the city's hotel and service network enjoys an enviable reputation internationally. Québec City can easily be reached by car over a network of expressways and national highways. Train and plane travel connections are also very convenient, with numerous national and international flights daily to and from Aéroport International Jean-Lesage (YQB), a short 10 miles from downtown.

For more information and detailed programming, visit www.infofestival.com.

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