VIVID is an annual celebration of the thriving arts and culture scene in Bawaating Sault Ste. Marie, ON. The festival brings together local and global talent to create and develop accessible, sustainable, multi-disciplinary public art, culture, and heritage. By fostering cross-cultural relationships and enhancing community pride, VIVID strengthens the region’s tourism, economy, and arts sector while creating a welcoming environment for all. VIVID Art Fest is intended to promote and foster a sense of pride, place, ownership, and inclusion in the community for everyone.
Music
Celebrate VIVID Art Fest, sponsored by Tenaris, at the Roberta Bondar Pavilion! This is a free concert open to everyone. Music, sponsored by OLG, begins at 7 p.m. with Silent Nin9, Goodnight Sunrise, and headliner Fefe Dobson!
Fefe Dobson is a multi-platinum Canadian pop/rock artist who first made her mark in the early 2000s with her edgy sound and powerful voice. Her self-titled debut album produced several Top 10 singles and helped establish her as one of the standout artists of her generation. She went on to achieve further success with hits including “Ghost,” “Stuttering” and “Can’t Breathe,” while also writing songs for artists such as Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez and Jordin Sparks. Known for blending rock influences with pop melodies, Fefe has continued to evolve her sound throughout her nearly two-decade career. Her latest album, Emotion Sickness, brings together the energy and attitude that made her a lasting name in Canadian pop and rock.
Led by the dual male-female vocal alchemy of keytarist Vanessa Vakharia and guitarist David Kochberg, Toronto rock band Goodnight Sunrise blends the heartfelt and confessional lyricism of pop punk with the raw power and showmanship of classic rock. Hopeful and defiantly optimistic, Goodnight Sunrise reminds us that rock isn’t a genre – it’s a community.
Murals
Explore downtown through art on a guided walking tour showcasing vibrant murals and public art throughout the city centre. Discover the stories, artists, and inspiration behind each piece while experiencing downtown from a creative perspective. Enjoy a relaxed walk celebrating local culture, artistic expression, and the colourful spaces that shape our community.
This year, VIVID is honoured to welcome muralist DRIFT.
DRIFT embodies gradual, meaningful change—using the power of public art to celebrate the unique identities of communities around the world. Co-founding members Anaϊs Labrèque and Dominic Laporte continually strive to use public art projects as a tool to build a more accessible and prosperous future. Together, driven by their shared passion for community-based, accessible art, they implement a variety of mural projects in communities worldwide, celebrating each one’s unique identity through the power of public art.
These large-scale murals become permanent additions to the City’s public art collection, adding to the City’s evolving downtown landscape.
Market and Performances
Cultural Market & Performances – Downtown Plaza
Celebrate the cultures, traditions, and communities of Sault Ste. Marie at a free Cultural Market and Performances presented by the Local Immigration Partnership (LIP) on September 19 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Downtown Plaza. Visitors can connect with local groups and learn community stories and traditions throughout the market experience.
Throughout the event, the Downtown Plaza will come alive with individual cultural performances showcasing music, dance, and other forms of cultural expression. These performances will provide an opportunity for community members to share their heritage while inviting audiences to experience and celebrate cultures from around the world.
Whether you stop by for a performance, explore the market, or spend the morning discovering something new, this free community event offers an opportunity to connect, learn, and celebrate the diversity that helps make Sault Ste. Marie a welcoming and inclusive community.
Event Lineup
This three-day festival brings the heart of the City to life with a vibrant lineup of live performances, interactive workshops, exhibits, markets, film screenings, and public art installations.
September 17
Great Lakes Artist Series
St. Luke’s Cathedral
7 – 9 p.m.
Mural Walking Tour
Outspoken to Rusty Halo
Start and end points TBC.
September 18
VIVID Artfest Concert at Roberta Bondar Pavilion
September 18, 2026
7 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Silent Nin9
Goodnight Sunrise
Fefe Dobson
Mural Walking Tour
Outspoken to Rusty Halo
Start and end points TBC.
September 19
The Sault Indie Theatre Collective proudly presents an evening of one act plays – “Between Heartbeats” by Emma L.R. Hogg and “La Nonna e Qui” by Skye Smith.
These performances will be followed by a Q&A period.
Location: Sault Museum Durham Gallery
Time: Doors open at 7 p.m.
Grafiti Art Workshop
Location: Sault Downtown Plaza
Time: 2 – 4 p.m.
LIP Peformance & Market
Location: Sault Downtown Plaza
Performance 10 – 1 p.m.
Market 8 – 2 p.m.
Mural Walking Tour
Outspoken to Rusty Halo
Start and end points TBC.
September 20
DYLAN ON FILM presented by Tenaris and The Reel Film Forum
Location: Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre – Ranger Theatre
Doors open: 4:30 p.m.
No Direction Home: Bob Dylan — 5:00 p.m.
Inside Llewyn Davis — 9:00 p.m.
Price: Tickets are $15 each or $25 for the double feature
Tickets: www.tinyurl.com/dylanssm
More exciting events and details to come.