The Cloud 9 Electronic Music Festival is making its debut at No. 9 Gardens this Saturday featuring DJs from all over Canada.
The inaugural festival is being put on to help raise money awareness for the sustainability and reconciliation centre No. 9 Gardens, with proceeds going to the charity No. 9.
The festival is a youth led project with four co-founders between 21-25 and is open to anyone over the age of 19 while being geared towards youth and fans of electronic music.
With the ongoing Eco-Art Exhibition at No. 9 Gardens in Rideau Lakes, the Cloud 9 Music Festival has been curated not only to give up and coming DJs an opportunity to play and local electronic music fans a space to gather, but artists were chosen for having a sound that organizers felt could complement and enhance the natural space around them.
Festival Director Reily Morrison says the festival acts as an extension of No.9’s mission to promote environmental awareness through art.
“No. 9 Gardens is really centered around sustainable art and design and using art to address environmental issues and inspire people to use creativity,” Morrison said.
“We are kind of extending that, this young group of people, with Cloud 9 into the power of both music and art.”
Morrison said as a whole, Kingston’s electronic music scene is lacking and fans often need to go to Toronto or Montreal for any kind of show opportunities.
She hopes having an electronic festival of this nature will help promote the local scene as a whole, and that future years will feature more local talent.
“I think through this we can connect with more people who are interested,” Morrison said.
“But also like show this to people who may not have been aware of this type of music before.”
Morrison added that while the organizing team wasn’t very connected with any local electronic scene in the planning process, local DJs have already reached out expressing interest in performing next year.
Cloud 9 will feature a handful of local food and drink vendors on site, and a limited number of shuttle bus seats to and from Kingston can be reserved through the purchase of a ticket.
No. 9 Gardens Executive Director Andrew Davies says the festival is a big deal for himself and his team, and he’s hopeful to see it become an annual tradition.
“We really think it could be a special annual event that is geared towards getting people back to the land,” Davies said.
“And having young people enjoy being out in nature, listening to music and seeing creative things and being inspired.”
Music will be live from 11 AM Saturday until 1 AM Sunday, and No. 9’s Eco-Art Exhibition will continue to be open to the public on weekends through September 25.
