Friday, October 5
Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre, Port Hawkesbury

Saturday, October 6
St. Matthew's United Church, Inverness
Joan Harriss Cruise Pavilion, Sydney
Boularderie School, Boularderie
Wagmatcook Culture and Heritage Centre, Wagmatcook
Royal Canadian Legion Branch 12, Sydney

Sunday, October 7
Gaelic College, St. Ann's
Fortress of Louisbourg Chapel, Louisbourg
Boisdale Volunteer Fire Department, Boisdale
Marion Bridge Recreation Centre, Marion Bridge
Whycocomagh Education Centre, Whycocomagh
Membertou Trade and Convention Centre, Membertou

Monday, October 8
Christmas Island Fire Hall, Christmas Island
Judique Community Centre, Judique
North River Community Hall, North River
St. Matthew-Wesley United Church, North Sydney
D'Escousse Civic Improvement Hall, D'Escousse
Membertou Trade and Convention Centre, Membertou

Tuesday, October 9
Strathspey Place, Mabou
La Place des arts Pére Anselme-Chiasson, Cheticamp
Riverdale Community Center, Lower River Inhabitants
Our Lady of Fatima Church, Sydney River
Orangedale United Church, Orangedale
Port Morien Legion / Community Center, Port Morien

Wednesday, October 10
Strathspey Place, Mabou
North Highlands Elementary, Aspy Bay
Glendale Parish Hall (St. Mary's), Glendale
Louisbourg Playhouse, Louisbourg
St. Peter's Lions Club, St. Peter's
St. Andrew's United Church, Sydney

Thursday, October 11
Highland Village Church, Iona
St. Peter's Parish Church, Ingonish
Greenwood United Church, Baddeck
Cape Breton Highlands Academy, Belle Cote
Judique Community Centre, Judique
United Protestant Church of Sydney River, Sydney River

Friday, October 12
Inverness Education Centre / Academy, Inverness
St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Sydney Mines
Big Pond Community Fire Hall, Big Pond
L'Ardoise Community Centre, L'Ardoise
Savoy Theatre, Glace Bay
Baddeck Volunteer Fire Department Community Centre, Baddeck

Saturday, October 13
Gaelic College, St. Ann's
Strathspey Place, Mabou
La Place des arts Pére Anselme-Chiasson, Cheticamp
Centre 200, Sydney

Read more about our 2012 venues at Celtic Colours 2012 Venues Announced

The Celtic Colours International Festival won’t start for another six months, and the list of artists hasn’t even been released yet (or finalized for that matter), but requests for information are already pouring in from around the world.

“We receive regular requests for information about the festival throughout the year,” says Mary Pat Mombourquette, Celtic Colours’ Business Director. “But around this time of year, the volume really picks up. As soon as the venues and communities are announced, people start planning their vacations.”

You’d expect that after fifteen years or so, some things would become routine. But that is definitely not the case with the Celtic Colours International Festival, which has been named a Signature Experience event by the Canadian Tourism Commission. Going into its 16th season, the Cape Breton Island-wide event seems to start fresh every year.

And the first step in putting it all together is figuring out just where the concerts and community events will take place. This process starts in January with a call for expressions of interest. All applications are evaluated for suitability according to set criteria, and although some venues are selected year after year, all applications are evaluated each year.

This year, the festival opens Friday, October 5 at the Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre and wraps up the following Saturday, October 13, with a performance at Centre 200 in Sydney. Forty-six concerts will take place in 33 communities around Cape Breton Island including Aspy Bay, Baddeck, Belle Cote, Big Pond, Boisdale, Boularderie, Cheticamp, Christmas Island, D’Escousse, Glace Bay, Glendale, Ingonish, Inverness, Iona, Judique, L’Ardoise, Louisbourg, Lower River Inhabitants, Mabou, Marion Bridge, Membertou, North River, North Sydney, Orangedale, Port Hawkesbury, Port Morien, St. Ann’s, St. Peter’s, Sydney, Sydney Mines, Sydney River, Wagmatcook, and Whycocomagh.

“We’re really pleased with the lineup of venues this year,” says Joella Foulds, Artistic Director of the festival. “For the first time there will be two concerts on the Northside—at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Sydney Mines and at St. Matthew-Wesley United Church in North Sydney. And, of course, we’re all very excited to be returning to Centre 200 for the closing concert.” Foulds says she “…can’t let the cat out of the bag…” about the closing show just yet, but that it was an opportunity that Celtic Colours couldn’t pass up.

The full 2012 lineup and schedule will be announced June 25. Tickets go on sale July 9.

See the full list of 2012 venues and communities at Celtic Colours International Festival: Venues and Communities 2012

By all accounts, 2011 was a banner year for the Celtic Colours International Festival. In addition to celebrating its 15th year, the Festival's ongoing success was evident both in the numbers it generated and in the recognition it received locally and nationally.

The Cape Breton Island-wide event partnered with 130 non-profit organizations and venues to present more than 300 performers in 45 concerts and 298 Community Cultural Experience events. The Celtic Colours in the Schools program was presented to 4,302 students in 22 schools throughout Cape Breton and more than 2,000 volunteers contributed almost 27,000 hours toward making the event a success.

Held in 76 communities throughout all four counties, the Festival attracted visitors from 50 US states, all Canadian provinces and territories, and 19 other countries. A total of 18,323 tickets were sold, and more than 12,000 people attended Community Cultural Experience events. An additional 6,649 people from all over the world tuned in to the Festival as nine concerts were streamed live online—one each day. With the increase in ticket sales and about half of the audience coming from off-island (55%), audience expenditure increased from $6.2 million in 2010 to $8.1 million in 2011 with more than $7 million directly attributable to Celtic Colours.

(Sydney, NS) - The Tourism Industry Association of Canada announced last night the winners for the 2011 Canadian Tourism Awards. Forty-three finalists were nominated in 14 award categories. Among the finalists were individuals and organizations from all ten provinces as well as Canada's North.

Celtic Colours International Festival was named the winner of the National Cultural Tourism Award. This is only the second year that Cultural Tourism has been added to the TIAC awards and Celtic Colours was a finalist in both 2010 and 2011. Celtic Colours received the TIAC award for Event of the Year in 2007.

"It is a great honour to be recognized on a national level," said Artistic Director Joella Foulds. "It is a testament to the attraction people have to our unique culture. Our focus has always been to present an authentic cultural experience within a world-class framework."

In the midst of its fifteenth successful annual event, the Celtic Colours International Festival received honours from two national sources.

Since its 1997 debut, Celtic Colours has established itself as one of Canada's premiere musical events, and a cultural highlight of Nova Scotia's tourism season, with a reputation for excellence that is known around the world. The combination of top-notch talent—both local and international—with spectacular scenery is a winning one. Through Celtic Colours, Cape Breton during October has become more than just a destination, it's a tourism experience waiting to happen.