Hailing from Ottawa, A Tribe Called Red fuses hip hop, reggae, and dance music with elements of Indigenous music.
Hitting mainstream recognition when it became the first Indigenous group to win the Breakthrough Group of the Year award at the Junos, the DJ collective has gone on to play at a slew of big festivals—think Coachella, Bonnaroo, Osheaga and New Orleans Jazz Fest.
A Tribe Called Red’s live shows often feature traditional dancers (though there’s no word yet as to if that’ll be part of the Grand Parade experience), while the music is a modern resurgence of Indigenous culture, sampling vocal chanting and drumming.
Kicking things off at 10pm is the EDM-bumping hometown hero Neon Dreams, meaning arriving early is a must.
If all that wasn’t enough, there’s also fireworks, which the city says are the largest light show in the province.
Get hyped with my personal favourite a Tribe Called Red Song, “Sisters”:
This article appears in Dec 14-20, 2017.