The Exchange announces 10 performers as part of new folk fest, downtown programming launched

The Exchange Folk Festival announced upcoming performers for its summer folk festival on Saturday. the Regina Downtown Business Improvement District also launched their summer in the square programming. (Damian Smith / CTV News)

After the Regina Folk Festival (RFF) announced its departure after 55 years in the Regina music scene last spring, a new festival will be situated this summer.

The Exchange Folk Festival 2026 will make its first impression at Victoria Park on Aug. 8. On Saturday, 10 performers were announced to play in the festival, which will be free to attend.

The Besnard Lakes, The North Sound, Black Tea, Indigo Joseph, Andino Suns, Tiny & the Hard Feelings, Ron Loos Band, Black Thunder, and Zoe James and the Wistful Daydreamers are set to play in the festival, with more names to be announced in July.

Executive Director John Kennedy said that it’s been a 14-month process, ever since it was announced last spring that the RFF would be cancelled.

“The Regina Folk Festival was a long-standing festival,” he said. “I remember going to it when I was in university in the 80’s, and it was a really big part of the community. I think a lot of us who appreciate live music were heartbroken when it closed. We really felt like there was a gap in Regina summers because of it, so we’ve decided to try to fill that gap,” he explained.

With over five decades of folk music, Kennedy said they’re not looking to directly replace the RFF but are starting something new.

“The thing about folk festivals across the country is they’ve evolved and it’s just not folk music. What we’re trying to do is build a community festival. We want a strong folk component, but we want a strong local community component as well,” he said.

“Calling it a folk festival I think puts it in that tradition of the really popular folk festivals across the country. But they’ve also evolved to the point where it’s far more than just folk.”

The Exchange is run by a board of directors, who are doing the research and asking the community what they want out of a festival.

“We’re going to evolve this thing with our partners, with the community after asking a bunch of questions and hopefully we can give them a festival that they want,” Kennedy said.

Ron Loos of the Ron Loos Band, one of the 10 announced performers, says the disappearance of the RFF was heartbreaking.

“The RFF has just been for my entire life, a staple for the Regina community, you sort of take it for granted at some point.” he said. “You’d just be seeing bands that you wouldn’t normally see as well and so many others right over the years. To see that disappear was heartbreaking, honestly,” he said.

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The former RFF hadn’t taken place for a few years, despite being announced to be finished in 2025. Loos is looking to perform some songs from his new album, ‘Ordinary Shine’ which was released in September.

“What’s remarkable is how many young people and people are out here making music,” he said. “Back in the day, there was a limited number of people who were making music and I’m not sure why that is. Today, I think maybe it’s just the internet and the availability of tools to learn instruments or to listen to other music so readily. I’ve been coming out to different festivals and hearing all ages playing amazing music.”

Saturday was also the official kick off to the Regina Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) summer season. The Regina Downtown BID announced the return of Summer in the Square programming, YQR Food Truck Wars (June 26-27), the Regina Farmers’ Market, and new initiatives.

“Community led events just bring people down here. I think once you get here, you might get hungry, go across the street, grab a bite from a restaurant, or you want to grab something from the mall, or just check out any of the many shops that we have here. That slowly creates that vibrancy because people just see so much that there is to do here,” said Regina city councillor Victoria Flores.

“And perhaps even changed their mind and what they thought downtown was like. And when you get here, you have a completely different experience, and it’s a good experience. So that’s my hope, and that’s what I’m seeing and what I hope that we continue to see.”