Beloved Cape Breton performers Bette MacDonald and Maynard Morrison are hosting a big old East Coast party at Centre 200 to celebrate 30 years of Celtic Colours International Festival. Thirty years is quite a milestone, for sure, but it pales in comparison to the Men of the Deeps. The local coal mining chorus has travelled far and wide singing the story of the Cape Breton miner for 60 years, and they’re still going strong! Matt Andersen may not be from Cape Breton, but he sure does seem like a Cape Bretoner. Matt brings a lifetime of music to every stage he steps on, and from dusty clubs and dimly lit bars to grand theatres all over the world, every person in the room feels it. Coming from the rugged shores of Newfoundland, The Irish Descendants are one of Canada’s most celebrated folk groups. For more than 35 years, this multi-award-winning ensemble has captivated audiences across North America and beyond, performing thousands of live shows and earning a reputation for musical excellence and cultural storytelling. Both Matt Andersen and the Irish Descendants will be making their Celtic Colours debut in this concert and we are very happy to have them at the party. And we’re also excited to welcome Cape Breton trad supergroup Còig back to the Celtic Colours stage. Còig burst onto the international folk and trad scene with driving tunes, haunting songs, and an infectious energy. They toured and recorded for more than ten years, winning numerous awards and garnering critical acclaim for their five records. With original members Rachel Davis and Chrissy Crowley on fiddle, Jason Roach on piano, and Darren McMullen on a variety of stringed instruments reuniting for this year’s closing show, we’ll relive the heyday of one of the East Coast’s most exciting traditional groups. Get your tickets now, it’s going to be a lively one!

And if you’re looking for somewhere to eat before the concert, check out the Howie Centre Roast Beef Dinner, a fifteen minute drive from Centre 200, or the Cape Breton Kitchen Fishcake Supper, five minutes away at the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 128 in Whitney Pier.