{"id":824390,"date":"2026-07-25T02:50:27","date_gmt":"2026-07-25T02:50:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/824390\/"},"modified":"2026-07-25T02:50:27","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T02:50:27","slug":"neon-skies-festival-wants-to-make-its-mark-in-edmonton","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/824390\/","title":{"rendered":"Neon Skies Festival wants to make its mark in Edmonton"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Edmonton is no stranger to festivals. Known as \u201cCanada\u2019s festival city,\u201d Edmonton bears witness to more than 60 festivals<\/a> every year. So it was no surprise when a brand new music festival, Neon Skies<\/a>, was announced earlier this year. In an unconventional move for Edmonton, the festival didn\u2019t feature any Canadian artists on the main stage, but instead chose to bring in big American names such as Conan Gray<\/a> and Kesha<\/a>. Before the festival kicked off, I spoke to Adam Oppenheim about his vision and goals for the event.<\/p>\n

Oppenheim started his music industry career \u201csome time ago\u201d when he lived in Lister Hall at the University of Alberta, \u201cputting bands into the Windsor Bar and Grill across the street.\u201d Now, he is the senior vice-president of live entertainment for the Oilers Entertainment Group<\/a>. He was the \u201ccurator and organizer\u201d of the Neon Skies Festival.<\/p>\n

\u201cNeon Skies is intended to bring \u2026 pop sensibility to the venues,\u201d he said. One of Oppenheim\u2019s main goals for Neon Skies was to bring people together from all over, and to give them a space to connect over pop music. \u201cA third of our purchasers are coming from southern Alberta, from eastern Canada, and even a decent chunk out of the States,\u201d he commented. \u201cWe\u2019re excited to have welcomed \u2026 people from all over.\u201d<\/p>\n

He emphasized this goal of reaching a broader audience when addressing the choice to feature international artists. \u201cOf course, [we] want to [bring in] the brightest lights and stars that there are in music,\u201d said Oppenheim. But he pointed out that Neon Skies is a combination of international and local talent. <\/p>\n

Between sets, a number of local DJs, such as Post Meridian<\/a> and Maddy Nicks<\/a>, were set up on the grounds. \u201cWe want to make sure that we\u2019re always featuring and building up our local music community,\u201d he emphasized, \u201cmaking sure that we\u2019re a stepping stone for their growth in their career, so they can \u2026 keep building and keep extracting a wider audience [is important].\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think music festivals are first and foremost about being together,\u201d he says <\/p>\n

Oppenheim also discussed why he believes music festivals are so important in our modern age. \u201cI think people want a communal experience,\u201d he said, \u201cI think music festivals are first and foremost about being together \u2026 especially in a time where \u2026 we\u2019re all on our devices and \u2026 don\u2019t necessarily have the same sort of camaraderie that we would normally find in our day-to-day lives.\u201d <\/p>\n

He talked about the beauty of community, and the power music has to bring people together. He noted, \u201ca music festival is really an opportunity to get together with your fellow music lovers, with your neighbours, and really build community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite not featuring as much Canadian talent as Edmonton Folk Fest<\/a> or KDays<\/a>, Neon Skies is still a testament to the strong musical community in Edmonton and Central Alberta. The festival was \u201cborn inside of\u201d the Edmonton-based Oilers Entertainment Group with the goal of bringing Canadians together to enjoy a night of good music. Edmonton loves a good festival, and Neon Skies is no different.<\/p>\n