The Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest is going Hollywood with its theme and the release of its lineup for this summer's festival.
Bluesfest, which organizers boast is ranked by Billboard Magazine as one of the top 10 festivals in the world, will run July 6-11 and July 13-18.
The festival will feature more than 2,000 blues, R&B, soul, gospel, pop, rock and world musicians. Headliners include Arcade Fire, Iron Maiden, Keith Urban, Matthew Good, Santana, RUSH and Weezer.
"We've always got some big names, but there's a number of acts this year that we've been trying to get, that sort of just fell into place. Arcade Fire is one of them – an act that's never done a formal show in Ottawa," said Mark Monahan, the festival's executive director.
"There's literally hundreds of acts . . . It's a pretty long list."
Metric, who recently won a Juno for Alternative Album of the Year for the band's ‘Fantasies' album, will also take the stage.
The festival, which will take place at LeBreton Flats, will feature six venues: five outdoor stages and one indoor 250-seat theatre.
"The event has grown so big that it's really hard to compare year over year," said Monahan.
"At the end of the day, really, the fan kind of is the one who really is the indicator of whether it's a great lineup or not. We've got such a loyal fan base here in Ottawa and a great community involvement with over 4,000 volunteers."
Bluesfest originated in 1994 when Clarence Clemons played for a crowd at Majors Hill Park. Five thousand people attended the three-day festival.
Now, Bluesfest has become a 12-day event that not only attracts some of the biggest names in music, but also supports emerging artists.
Although organizers announced their lineup Wednesday, more groups will be announced at a later date. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. April 24.
