Sappyfest 18

Sappyfest is an annual three-day festival held on the New Brunswick Day long weekend in the heart of downtown Sackville, featuring a broad program of music, art, poetry, and performance from regional, national, and international artists. Known across the country for cutting-edge programming and exciting lineups of emerging and celebrated artists from all genres, Sappyfest is a must-see for music and art fans looking to enjoy the region. 

Located on Bridge Street, the main festival grounds occupy a central spot in Sackville's downtown district. The main site features a performance tent, a beer garden with regional craft alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, a merchandise market, vendor grounds, and an open space with picnic tables. Off-site venues, which vary annually, may include Struts Gallery, the Royal Canadian Legion, Vogue Cinema, Mount Allison Chapel, Owens Art Gallery, Bruntun Auditorium, Ducky's Pub, and St. Paul's Church, among others.

~EARLY BIRD WEEKEND PASSES FOR SAPPYFEST 18 ON SALE NOW~

The Early Bird Weekend Pass is the most affordable way to take in the entire festival, happening this summer from August 4th-6th, 2023 in downtown Sackville, NB. Limited quantities are available, so get yours soon!

Early Bird: $115 + tax and fees

Full Price: $135 + tax and fees

~LIMITED EDITION PRINT~

In addition to early bird tickets, we’re excited to launch the sale of a special limited edition Sappyfest print by Matt Horseman, which you can purchase on its own or as a ticket-add on. This photo was taken at the 2022 festival and is a beautiful reminder of memories made at Sappy. 

Prints are $56.52 + tax and fees. All prints will be packaged and shipped on July 4th, 2023. 

Matt Horseman is a photographer and writer based in Nova Scotia. His work explores devotion, human relationships, memory, and time. He released his first monograph, Two Rivers, in 2020, and was nominated for the National Gallery of Canada’s New Generation Photography Award in 2022. He hasn’t missed a Sappyfest since his first visit to Sackville in 2015.

We’re thankful for Matt’s generosity and support with this important fundraiser! Please check out his website and follow along on Instagram!

For a closer look at the image, visit www.matthorseman.com/sappy-forever#e-1

~ABOUT THE EVENT~

-All ages permitted at Bridge Street Tent ("the main festival grounds”). Children and youth 18 and under are admitted free of charge but must be accompanied by a legal parent/guardian who has purchased a pass. 

-For off-site venues, 19+ / ID required at select locations. 

-All shows are General Admission

-Admission is guaranteed at the Bridge Street Tent. Admission is on a first-come, first-served basis at all other venues due to legal capacity parameters. Arrive early to secure your spot!

-This event is rain or shine

~COVID-19 & ACCESSIBILITY~

-Covid-19 measures:  In the spirit of community care and to help protect touring artists, our team, and audiences, we highly recommend and strongly encourage wearing a mask. We will have kn95 masks on hand to distribute for free and we will have Corsi–Rosenthal air filtration boxes at all indoor venues.  Please practice good hand washing hygiene, cough or sneeze into your arm, practice consent when touching people or encroaching on personal space, and stay home if you are experiencing ANY Covid-19, cold, or flu symptoms.  Sappy-goers who begin experiencing symptoms during the festival must leave immediately. If this happens to you, please contact director@sappyfest.com to facilitate a refund. 

-Accessibility Pass: Ticket-buyers requiring a support person may reserve one free ticket with the purchase of their own. Please contact us at director@sappyfest.com after making your purchase to reserve your free accessibility pass.

-Venue Accessibility:  We are in the process of updating our venue accessibility information for the 2023 festival. As soon as this information is complete, we will update our website. In the interim, reach out to us with any questions or inquiries at director@sappyfest.com. We’re also happy to provide you with 2022’s accessibility info, as there will be some overlap in venues. 

-Financial Accessibility: Sappyfest is committed to programming several free events each festival including musical performances, artist talks, workshops and art, and there are many opportunities to take in the festival in exchange for volunteer time. If cost is a barrier, please keep an eye on our website for free events and volunteer opportunities. 

~REFUNDS~

No refunds except in the situation of full event cancellation by Sappyfest or if you begin showing Covid-19, cold or flu symptoms during the festival, in which case you must leave immediately. If something comes up and you can’t make it, please contact director@sappyfest.com and we’ll transfer your pass to another year of your choosing. You can also transfer your pass to another person. 



~SAFETY~

We prioritize care, safety, respect, and a welcoming environment for everyone regardless of  age, disability, ethnicity, gender, language, nationality, race, religion, size, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, or otherwise. As a result, we have zero tolerance for abusive, discriminatory, and violent behaviour that makes others feel unsafe. This includes but is not limited to ableism, ageism, cultural appropriation, fatphobia, homophobia, physical or sexual assault, queerphobia, racism, sexism, transphobia, unsolicited touching or attention, and violence. Further examples include offensive, derogatory, threatening, aggressive, or silencing comments, violence, intimidation, stalking or unwanted following of a person, persistent micro-aggressions in the form of comments, jokes, or otherwise, inappropriate physical contact without consent, unwelcome sexual attention, theft, disorderly conduct, and advocating or encouraging any of the above behaviour. Participation in this behaviour is grounds for removal. If staff and/or Board are made aware of incidents, the person(s) perpetuating harm will be asked to leave. By purchasing tickets to Sappyfest, you agree to adhere to the above. If you are made to feel unsafe or have something to bring to our attention during the festival, please seek out a member of our volunteer safety team who will be roaming the festival in bright pink shirts. If you would like to get in touch before or after the festival, please contact our Creative Director at director@sappyfest.com.

Follow along with Sappy:

https://www.sappyfest.com/

https://www.instagram.com/sappyfest/

https://www.facebook.com/sappyfest

https://twitter.com/SappyFest