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Vancouver Island MusicFest lands international superstar Sarah McLachlan

McLachlan to headline Friday July 14 lineup
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Sarah McLachlan will take to the main stage at Vancouver Island MusicFest on Friday, July 14. Photo supplied

International superstar Sarah McLachlan will perform at Vancouver Island MusicFest 2023.

McLachlan will headline the Friday night (July 14) lineup.

McLachlan is one of the most celebrated singer-songwriters in entertainment with over 40 million albums sold worldwide. She has received three Grammy Awards and 12 Juno Awards over her career and has been inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

Landing McLachlan is an achievement decades in the making for MusicFest artistic director, Doug Cox.

“I’ve been trying (to book her) for a long time - probably 20 years… probably ever since we started doing the festival,” he said. “One of the things I noticed is all of my daughters immediately knew who she was, which is unusual for all them to know any single artist. But my daughters, all the volunteers, even my mom knew who she was.”

McLachlan’s music embodies the art of songwriting on its most personal level and her indelible vocals resonate with people everywhere.

Her songs have had a profound influence; Angel, Building A Mystery, Fallen, I Will Remember You, Adia, Sweet Surrender, World On Fire, Possession, and countless others are an inspiration to music lovers around the globe.

In addition to her personal artistic efforts, McLachlan founded the Lilith Fair tour, which showcased female musicians and brought over two million people together during its three-year run. Lilith Fair raised more than $7 million for local and national charities and was the top-grossing festival at that time, launching the careers of numerous female performers.

Following Lilith Fair, McLachlan was awarded the Elizabeth Cady Stanton Visionary Award for furthering the careers of women in music. She is an Officer of the Order of Canada, was appointed to the Order of British Columbia, and is the recipient of the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards for Lifetime Achievement.

In 2002 she founded the non-profit Sarah McLachlan School of Music. The school provides high-quality music education and mentorship free to children and youth facing various barriers to access. From an early age, music provided McLachlan with the tools she needed to navigate the challenges she faced in her life, so she recognizes how important it is for every child to have those same opportunities.

McLachlan will take the stage at 8:30 p.m. Friday. Other Friday night acts include Nikki D & the Sisters of Thunder, AV & The Inner City, and STORRY, “which are all really powerful female artists,” said Cox. “The female contingent this year is huge. The last time we had this strong of a female lineup is the year we had k.d. Lang, Emmylou Harris, Laura Anderson and Buffy Sainte-Marie all in the same year (2012). So I am thrilled about it.”

For tickets, camping or to volunteer for VI MusicFest 2023 July 14 – 16, go to www.islandmusicfest.com