Big Music Fest looking to diversify line-up

Big names will be gracing the stage at Kitchener’s McLennan Park this summer.

On Tuesday morning Big Music Fest organizers held a press conference at Kitchener City Hall to announce the lineup for this year’s festival.

Joining them were Kitchener mayor Barry Vrbanovic and Member of Provincial Parliament Daiene Vernile to welcome the festival to the city for the second time.

Big Music Fest president Mark Higgins announced that Rod Stewart will be headlining the weekend-long event on it’s final night.

Joining him will be Blondie and Mark Ballas of Dancing With the Stars.

Higgins stressed they wanted to diversify the acts from last year, which were criticized by some for being strictly classic rock. In an attempt to get away from those classic rock roots, he announced several harder-sounding bands to play the festival.

Grandfathers of grunge, Soundgarden, along with Jane’s Addiction, Buckcherry and Monster Truck will take the stage on the Saturday night of the event.

Canada’s own Monster Truck, hailing from Hamilton, Ontario, won a Juno Award for Breakthrough Group of the Year in 2013 and was recently on tour with Alice in Chains.

Extreme, known for their hit “More Than Words,” will also play Saturday.

The festival was brought to Kitchener last summer, when around 60,000 people gathered at McLennan park to hear Aerosmith, Bryan Adams, Slash, Collective Soul and Kim Mitchell, among others.

It had previously been held in Belleville, Wiarton, Owen Sound and Bobcaygeon.

More acts will be announced as the festival — which is set for July 10-12 — grows closer. Tickets go on sale Feb. 13.