Jade Music Fest shines this weekend in Taipei

本週末台北楓糖愛玉共演音樂節（Jade Music Fest）精彩登場

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The third annual Jade Music Fest will take place in Taipei this weekend, bringing together artists from across Asia and Canada in a celebration of cross-cultural music and exchanges.

Held at Huashan 1914 Creative Park, the festival aims to connect Taiwan and Canada through music, language, and shared cultural heritage. Organizers say the event continues to grow as a platform for artists to tell their stories while reconnecting diaspora communities with their roots, per a press release.

Guided by the theme “Hear Canada, Feel Taiwan,” the festival introduces Taiwanese audiences to Canadian musicians. The event also builds interest in a counterpart event in Vancouver, held annually at Granville Island.

This year’s lineup features performers from Taiwan, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore, and the United States. Artists include Jacq Teh, Tennyson King, Violet Grace, and Kristin Fung, alongside Taiwanese acts such as Zixuan & Slow Train, P!SCO, Mango Jump, and Night Keepers.

A highlight of the program is an Indigenous opening performance, featuring Canadian artist Sebastian Gaskin of the Tataskweyak Cree Nation. He will share the stage with Taiwan’s Nanwang Sisters of the Pinuyumayan tribe and Giyu Tjuljaviya, a Golden Melody Award-winning lyricist. The collaboration underscores a broader effort to amplify Indigenous voices through international exchange.

Beyond live performances, the festival will host workshops and creative sessions introducing visiting artists to Taiwanese cultural traditions, including puppetry, Taiwanese opera, Hakka Eight-Tone music, and manga art.

Organizers say these activities are designed to inspire future collaborations between artists from different backgrounds. The event also coincides with the 40th anniversary of the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei, highlighting longstanding ties between Taiwan and Canada, per a press release.

Canadian and Taiwanese flavors, featuring desserts inspired by maple syrup and aiyu jelly. Alleycats will also be offering pizza with local flavors such as three-cup chicken and turnip cake. Organizers say the offerings are designed to extend the festival’s theme of cultural exchanges beyond music.

All events are free to attend. Organizers believe this arrangement will make the festival accessible to a wide audience.

“Jade Music Fest is first and foremost a music festival — but one that connects people through language, heritage, and shared stories,” said Charlie Wu, general manager of the Society of We Are Canadians Too, which founded the event.

“Through music, we are building a bridge between Canada and Taiwan that audiences can hear, feel, and experience,” said Wu. For more information, visit the website.