
Free Music in Moncton, Riverview, Dieppe this summer
PLEASE NOTE: This post was for summer 2017. Check here for up-to-date information on community events in the Greater Moncton Area!
One of my favourite things about summer here is the incredible line up of free music in Moncton, Riverview, Dieppe, and surrounding communities! Here’s a quick look at the annual ongoing concert series; pair these with the performances that come with local festivals, and there’s generally at least 75 free concerts to choose from each summer, and free live music just about every day of the week all summer long!
Dieppe has been hosting free concerts on Wednesday nights since 1987. Head to Place 1604 at 6:30pm for a family-friendly atmosphere and a mix of local and international talent. The City also welcomes emerging artists to Tempo Break, which are free concerts (also at City Hall) on Fridays from noon to 1pm. Watch the City’s website for details to be announced on who is playing when!
Wednesdays are also the night for free music in Riverview, with the town’s concert series in Caseley Park (behind Town Hall) taking place from 7pm until 8:30pm. (In case of rain, concerts are moved to 145A Lakeside Drive.) I’m always amazed at the mix of local, regional, and international talent that the Town brings together each summer. We’ve already added the Rosie & The Riveters and The Paul McKenna Band free concerts to our must-do list for 2017!
The City of Moncton produces a series of outdoor concerts under the banner Acousitca. This summer the concerts take place on Tuesday evenings in Victoria Park (7pm start) and on Saturday mornings (11am until noon) at the Moncton Market. Thanks to the Capitol Theatre and Downtown Moncton Centre-Ville we can also enjoy free noontime performances at Oak Lane (downtown) on Wednesdays and Fridays from noon until 1pm. The series kicks off for 2017 on June 30. There will be additional free concerts as part of various festivals and events, including Atlanticade, Rotary Ribfest, Whoa Canada, Atlantic Nationals, Festival Inspire, Mosaiq Multicultural Festival (we are super excited for The Jerry Cans!), Mud City Meltdown, and Acadie Rock.
Shediac generally hosts free, outdoor concerts each Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening at Pascal Poirier Park. There’s also live entertainment at the Farmer’s Market on Sundays. Thursday nights are filled with music in Sackville. Concerts are held at the Bill Johnstone Memorial Park in July and August.
A special mention on this list must go to POPS NB, which this year is holding an incredible event as part of the Canada 150 celebrations. On Sunday, July 2, the Sistema NB Children’s Orchestra, Moncton Youth Orchestra, New Brunswick Youth Orchestra, and Tutta Musica will join to perform the world premiere of a piece of music composed by Howard Shore and featuring Measha Brueggergosman. This is a free concert at Riverfront Park in Moncton. The show begins at 6pm.
So, whatever your musical tastes and family dynamic, there’s sure to be at least one free concert you can all enjoy this summer! If you’re feeling a little hesitant about bringing the kids to a concert, check out our post on the topic – and remember that free, outdoor summer concerts are an ideal way to bridge the gap between little bodies that need to move and parents’ need to be financially responsible.
Pro Tip: Invest in a pair of child-size ear defenders; concerts tend to be loud! It’s not just about protecting your child’s hearing; our kids enjoy themselves much more when they can pull these on and dull some of the loudness. We’ve avoided tears at concerts and movies (and when we vacuum!) with these!
NOTE: This is a chronological list of most, but not all, of the concerts mentioned above. We will attempt to update as more line-ups are announced and finalized. For details on each, check the links above. All of these are FREE events!
July 1 Bois Joli, The Glorious Sons, Coeur de pirate, & Alan Doyle, Riverfront Park, 4pm
July 2 POPS NB, Riverfront Park, 6pm
July 4 TBA, Victoria Park, 7pm
July 5 TBA, Oak Lane, 12pm
July 5 Chris LeDrew, Riverview, 7pm
July 5 Revolution & Reveil, Dieppe, 6:30pm
July 7 TBA, Oak Lane, 12pm
July 8 TBA, Moncton Market, 11am
July 11 TBA, Victoria Park, 7pm
July 12 TBA, Oak Lane, 12pm
July 12 Three Finger Shot, Riverview, 7pm
July 12 Maggie Savoie & Seconde Nation, Dieppe, 6:30pm
July 14 TBA, Oak Lane, 12pm
July 15 TBA, Moncton Market, 11am
July 18 TBA, Victoria Park, 7pm
July 19 TBA, Oak Lane, 12pm
July 19 Ivan Daigle and Band, Riverview, 7pm
July 19 Melissa Hunt & Paul Hebert, Dieppe, 6:30pm
July 21 TBA, Oak Lane, 12pm
July 22 TBA, Moncton Market, 11am
July 25 TBA, Victoria Park (Mud City Meltdown), 7pm
July 26 Amateur Trahan, Oak Lane (Mud City Meltdown), 12pm
July 26 Furlong & Smith, Riverview, 7pm
July 26 Chloe Breault Duo, Dieppe, 6:30pm
July 28 Billy Knowles, Oak Lane (Mud City Meltdown), 12pm
July 29 Stephen Lewis, Scotty & the Stars, Moncton Market (Mud City Meltdown), 11am
August 1 TBA, Victoria Park, 7pm
August 2 TBA, Oak Lane, 12pm
August 2 Erin Costello, Riverview, 7pm
August 2 Nobie Jones Band & Three Bob Night, Dieppe, 6:30pm
August 4 TBA, Oak Lane, 12pm
August 5 TBA, Moncton Market, 11am
August 8 TBA, Victoria Park, 7pm
August 9 TBA, Oak Lane, 12pm
August 9 Rosie & the Riveters, Riverview, 7pm
August 9 Marianne & Shaun & Tiber, Dieppe, 6:30pm
August 11 TBA, Oak Lane, 12pm
August 12 TBA, Moncton Market, 11am
August 15 TBA, Victoria Park, 7pm
August 16 TBA, Oak Lane, 12pm
August 16 The Paul McKenna Band, Riverview, 7pm
August 16 Altitude & Amelie Hall, Dieppe, 6:30pm
August 18 TBA, Oak Lane, 12pm
August 19 TBA, Moncton Market, 11am
August 22 TBA, Victoria Park, 7pm
August 23 TBA, Oak Lane, 12pm
August 23 Eddie Chase & Graffiti 4, Riverview, 7pm
August 23 Kenneth Saulnier & Roland Gauvin, Dieppe, 6:30pm
August 25 TBA, Oak Lane, 12pm