NEW 2-DAY FESTIVAL TAKES PLACE IN YARMOUTH, NS JUNE 20-21
Ultramarine: Music & Arts Festival – a new two-day festival in Yarmouth, NS – unveils Postdata, Nico Paulo, Loviet, Cheval, Customer Service, All Mother, DSkill Smithy, Harry Thurston, and Céleste Godin as the slate of artists performing during its inaugural edition. Festival passes and tickets for individual shows are on sale now at https://ultramarinefest.com/tickets.
Taking place June 20-21, 2025 in the heart of downtown Yarmouth, Ultramarine is a multidisciplinary arts festival focused on showcasing emerging talent alongside more established artists from Southwestern Nova Scotia and beyond through live music, readings, and a visual arts display. The festival is built on the idea of shining a light on the community’s creative legacy and fostering a celebration of the town’s deep cultural history all while curating an eclectic lineup of innovative art and artists from across the Atlantic region.
Ultramarine’s debut show is a prime example of this concept. On Friday, June 20, the festival kicks off with a special show at Holy Trinity Church headlined by Postdata – the solo project of Yarmouth’s Paul Murphy (Wintersleep). Murphy will celebrate the 15th anniversary of his debut solo record by performing it in its entirety, along with other selections from his expansive catalogue. The evening opens with a performance from Cheval, the alt-folk moniker of Wedgeport musician AA Wallace (Sluice, Sleepless Nights) and a very special reading by poet and author Harry Thurston, whose poem and poetry collection, Ultramarine, inspired the festival’s name.
The following evening, on Saturday, June 21 at Holy Trinity, Ultramarine welcomes Newfoundland-via-Portugal songwriter Nico Paulo for her first ever performance in Yarmouth. Named “your favourite new vocalist” by MTV, Paulo has established herself as a spellbinding live performer on stages around the world. The show opens with a set from Yarmouth-based folk trio All Mother and a reading by Acadian poet, author, and multidisciplinary artist Céleste Godin.
Later that evening, Ultramarine wraps up with a show on the Yarmouth waterfront. Hosted at the Rudder’s Seafood Restaurant & Brew Pub outdoor tent, the event features some of Nova Scotia’s most exciting rising stars. Anchored by Loviet, the Toronto-via-Shelburne powerhouse of radiant pop who has performed at Lollapalooza (US), Festival d’été de Québec, and the Great Escape (UK), the finale show also welcomes Halifax emo-rock revivalists Customer Service, who recently signed with the Toronto-based record label Royal Mountain, and Yarmouth rapper DSkill Smithy.
During the week leading up to the event and throughout the festival weekend, Ultramarine also includes a special multi-media exhibit hosted by the Waterfront Gallery on Main Street. The free exhibit will feature photographs of Yarmouth musicians through the years, posters from past shows, and other work.
To learn more about the Ultramarine: Music & Arts Festival and to buy tickets, visit: www.ultramarinefest.com.
