The two weekends in mid-July will be like no other this summer on Avenue Mont-Royal. From Thursday to Sunday, the Parc des Compagnons de Saint-Laurent will host the RU festival in its plurality: music, visual arts, theater, slam and dance.
Not to be confused with the bestselling novel by author Kim Thúy, the RU festival offers some 35 shows for young and old over eight days.
The charming eastern park of Plateau-Mont-Royal, at the height of Cartier Street, will host the festival’s opening concert on Thursday, July 11, with singer-songwriter Noé Lira. Also an actress, activist, dancer and accordionist, the Quebec-Mexican artist was crowned Radio-Canada Revelation 2022-2023. She has one album to her credit, beating the earth. His performance as part of RU will be trilingual and performed in quartet.
The closing concert will honor Marsö, winner of the Grand Competition of the Granby International Song Festival in 2021. He has since released his first album, Sadness and confetticritically acclaimed.
* Photo by Anne-Marie Boucher.
In addition to the musical portion of RU, there is also the Slam Marathon, in which 16 slammers will participate over two evenings, July 18 and 20. The competitions will be hosted by the poet Ivy.
Dance, theater and other entertainment
On July 14, the urban folklore collective Zeugma Danse will present Wanderingsdescribed as a “contemporary jig and percussive dance show.” The whole thing will be carried by eight performers. The audience will be positioned all around the dancers for a 360-degree proximity performance.
There is something rottentheater of objects notably inspired by the monument Hamlet, will be released on Friday July 19 and Sunday July 21. We are promised a “hybrid exploration between theater, object, sound and puppetry”.
Several events and workshops for children will satisfy the youngest during the two weekends in RU. Comedy and improvisation shows (the show In my bag by Sixtrum) as well as visual art exhibitions are also on the program. For all the details on this urban and multidisciplinary festival, go here.
