Festival des traditions du monde a success despite the rain
The 22nd edition of the Festival des traditions du monde de Sherbrooke (FTMS), Sherbrooke’s annual celebration of cultures from all over the world, ended on Sunday evening, August 11, after 5 days of festivities. From August 7 to 11, the event featured a program of nearly 150 shows, workshops, presentations and other activities.
With four out of the five days of the festival having take place under intermittent rain, the organization is pleased to say that the seven indoor stages meant that the party was in full swing from Wednesday to Sunday. Some artists even chose to offer their outdoor shows despite the option to cancel. In response, the crowds showed up even in the unstable weather and the site was overflowing with enthusiasm, creating a particularly warm atmosphere and intense
moments of sharing between artists and festival-goers.
The festival was bookended by busy days, with the kick-off of the celebrations drawing a hall-filling crowd of more than 1,600 people for Zachary Richard's show and the site being similarly crowded on Sunday. Although this edition had fewer busy periods than usual in the past during afternoons from Thursday to Saturday, the festivalgoers filled the tents and presentation spaces in the evening times. The thematic pavilions (Irish Pub, Shack of America, Palais de l'orient) were also full of festivalgoers almost throughout the festivities. Official traffic will be known in the next few days.
"The rainy days certainly had an impact on this edition, but we feel privileged to see that despite the weather, the public is coming in droves to enjoy the event, “said FTMS Executive Director Malika Bajjaje. “The quality of the programming and the reputation of the FTMS are there for sure, without forgetting the deep affection of our faithful festival-goers whom we wish to thank warmly.”
The dates for the 23rd edition will be announced this coming fall.