How North2North Turned a Music Competition into a Canadian/Swedish Family at Lilla By Festivalen 2026

Long before the first note rang out across the fields of Rinkaby, Sweden something remarkable was already taking shape.

Artists from across Canada arrived on different flights, converging by train in Kristianstad before being warmly welcomed by Lilla By Festivalen co-founder Jonas Tancred. From there, they travelled together to the picturesque Baltic Sea cabins in Åhus, where the Canadian delegation would make its home for the next four unforgettable days.

For many, it was their first visit to Sweden, some even Europe. For others, it was a welcome return. Yet within hours, any sense of being strangers had quietly disappeared.

One of the week's most memorable evenings took place before the festival had officially begun, when Jonas Tancred and Malin Östh welcomed the Canadian delegation to a traditional Swedish Midsummer celebration in the common room of the Åhus cabins. Joined by North2North Executive Producer Sandy Graham, they greeted every artist not as visitors, but as honoured guests.

The room quickly filled with music as guitars and fiddles were passed from one musician to another. Songs flowed effortlessly between English and Swedish, and before long everyone was singing together as though they had known one another for years.

Adding to the magic of the evening were the festival's beloved emcees, Allgott & Villgott, whose humour and infectious energy have delighted Swedish audiences for more than four decades. With broad smiles and playful encouragement, they introduced the Canadians to the traditional Midsummer favourite Små grodorna ("The Little Frogs"), inviting everyone to dance around an imaginary maypole. (we used a banquet table for the switch out)

It was impossible not to laugh.

Artists, volunteers, families and festival organizers—Canadians and Swedes alike—hopped and sang together beneath the Scandinavian summer sky, discovering that joy, like music, needs no translation.

In that wonderfully spontaneous moment, North2North became more than a cultural exchange.

It became the beginning of a family and a lifetime of memories.

The following morning, anticipation filled the festival grounds. The outdoor stages stood ready as sound engineers completed their final checks beneath threatening skies that never dampened the excitement. Musicians tuned instruments, volunteers hurried between venues, and audiences began arriving from across the region.

I was honoured once again to open the festival by singing O Canada on the main stage, while Bara Jonson Free performed the Swedish national anthem. As the final notes echoed across the countryside, Lilla By Festivalen 2026 was officially underway.

Just a short walk away, another celebration was preparing to begin.

Fresh coffee was brewing in the Kanadaladan - affectionately known as the Canada Barn for our welcome meet and greet – The Maple Mingle Fika. Tim Horton’s coffee shared the table with Swedish fika, maple cookies sat beside homemade pastries, and instruments leaned casually against weathered wooden walls as artists from opposite sides of the Atlantic greeted one another with hugs instead of handshakes.

Our Canadian ‘green room’ was a small shed filled with a picnic table, coffee machine, snacks and water and affectionately named the Newfoundland Barn. All small touches, but so sentimental and thoughtful.

Conversations drifted effortlessly between English and Swedish, punctuated by laughter, curiosity and the universal language of music.

The inaugural Maple Mingle Fika had begun.

Hosted by Sandy Graham, Vance McKenzie and myself and the competition winning artists, the Maple Mingle Fika showcased Tim Horton’s coffee, a staple in Canada and Maple Cookies paired with Swedish favourites. Conceived during the earliest conversations between Canadian and Swedish organizers in 2025 and brought to life in 2026, it is a welcoming heart of Canada's presence at Lilla By Festivalen.

Visitors wandered in for coffee and stayed for the conversations.

A bagpiper did the official march on with Scotland the Brave and Skye Boat Song, featuring Irish Millie playing on the fiddle. Another Canadian tradition brought to Sweden.

The celebration officially welcomed festival guests with a stirring rendition of O Canada by Fresh Breath's Katie Pascoe, followed by Donita Large's heartfelt acknowledgement of the Sámi people, recognizing the Indigenous heritage of Sweden's north while honouring the shared importance of Indigenous cultures in both countries. In a deeply moving gesture, Donita presented Malin Östh and Jonas Tancred with a Cree Treaty flag, symbolizing friendship, respect and reconciliation across two northern nations.

Sandy Graham presented Malin and Jonas an official flag that was created to have both Canada and Sweden on it and invited them to be honourary Canadians from that moment on.

Irish Millie with Murray Shadgett then filled the barn with spirited fiddle tunes that had smiles spreading throughout the room before the opening celebration had even concluded.

The Canada Barn had become far more than a performance venue.

It had become Canada's home away from home.

Months earlier, Cashbox Canada and EMG Collectives had launched the inaugural North2North Competition with an ambitious vision: to create a direct pathway for Canadian independent artists to perform in Sweden while strengthening a musical relationship that has quietly flourished between the two countries for nearly a decade.

That vision came vividly to life June 12 & 13.

The inaugural North2North Competition selected three exceptional artists to represent the remarkable diversity of Canadian independent music. First Place Winners Fresh Breath brought infectious harmonies and their uplifting message of "Peace, Love & Fresh Breath." Irish Millie carried Celtic traditions back across the Atlantic, returning music with European roots to the continent that first inspired it. Donita Large travelled from Western Canada with powerful Indigenous storytelling and songs that honoured both the land beneath her feet and the people who have cared for it for generations.

Each artist represented a different voice.

Together, they represented Canada.

Yet it quickly became clear that North2North was never simply about winning a competition.

It was about building lifelong relationships.

Music Without Borders

Over the course of the weekend, audiences quickly discovered that North2North had brought three remarkably different Canadian acts to Sweden, each offering a unique window into Canada's rich and diverse musical landscape.

From the uplifting harmonies of Fresh Breath to the Celtic-inspired storytelling of Irish Millie and the heartfelt Indigenous perspective of Donita Large, the breadth of Canadian independent music was on full display. Although each artist arrived with a unique musical voice, they all shared something remarkably similar by the festival's end.

They arrived as performers.

They left feeling like family.

First Place Winners Fresh Breath, whose message of "Peace, Love & Fresh Breath" has become their signature, the warm response from Swedish audiences confirmed that optimism and heartfelt songwriting transcend language and borders. Whether performing on the main stage or sharing songs in the Canada Barn, they found themselves embraced by audiences eager to discover Canadian music.

Second Place Winner & Breakout Artist Irish Millie's performances carried an extra layer of meaning. The Celtic traditions that travelled across the Atlantic generations ago returned to Europe through the hands of a young Canadian artist whose fiddle playing and songwriting beautifully honoured both heritage and innovation. Her music became a reminder that traditions are never static—they continue to evolve while remaining deeply connected to their roots.

Third Place Winner Donita Large, the journey became an opportunity to build cultural understanding through her music and stories. There were barn swallows in the beams of the barn, and when Donita sang, the birds did as well. It was a magical moment, and when she came into the artist’s green room after her performance, once they heard her speaking to us, they sang again. An incredible singer/songwriter and artist, Donita surrounded herself with a band that truly had the whole barn paying attention to her performance.

North2North adjudicator Vance McKenzie surprised us all when he took to the stage, gathering up the musicians from Canada to create a dynamic 30-minute set that had the barn filled to standing room only, doing classic retro songs and improvised Motown moves by the ‘band’. Vance gathered up ‘the guys’ to join him on stage so he had a super power band that never played with him before – kudos to Canadians John Huff, Ken Ross, Anthony King and Alan Tymofichuk.

Another magical moment that just ‘happened’ in the Canada Barn.

One of the quiet strengths of Lilla By Festivalen is that artists are never separated from their audiences. There are no barriers between performers and listeners. Between concerts, musicians wander the festival grounds, share meals, exchange stories and discover one another's music. Conversations begun over coffee continue around picnic tables late into the Scandinavian evening.

It is here, away from the stage lights, that collaborations begin.

Songwriters compare ideas. Musicians borrow instruments. Industry professionals exchange contacts. Children meet artists they have only just discovered. Audiences become friends, and friendships often become future creative partnerships.

This is where North2North truly comes to life.

Because while competitions may identify outstanding artists, relationships build lasting careers.

For North2North adjudicator/co-producer Canadian Eric Alper of That Eric Alper PR, the experience perfectly captured why initiatives like this matter.

"Every so often you stumble into something that reminds you why you got into music in the first place," he reflected. "For me, that something is a festival in a small corner of Sweden."

Having helped create opportunities for Canadian artists to perform internationally, Alper has witnessed first-hand the extraordinary connections that emerge when musicians from different cultures come together.

"There's a particular kind of magic that happens when people who've never met, who speak different languages and come from different traditions, discover they share the exact same language the moment the music starts."

His observations echoed what so many artists experienced throughout the weekend.

"What makes this festival matter goes beyond the performances," Alper explained. "It's the way everyone is treated like they belong. Nobody is a stranger for long."

Those words became the unofficial theme of Lilla By Festivalen 2026.

Everywhere you looked, conversations began. Canadian artists were introducing Swedish audiences to their music while Swedish performers eagerly shared their own traditions. Volunteers worked tirelessly behind the scenes, ensuring every guest felt welcome, while festival founders Malin Östh and Jonas Tancred seemed to know everyone by name.

Even Louise, the gracious new owner of the Åhus cabins, welcomed every guest with such warmth that many of us felt less like visitors and more like members of an extended family. It was a simple gesture, yet one that reflected the spirit of the entire festival.

What had begun as an international showcase had quietly become something much more profound. A reminder that music has the remarkable ability not simply to entertain, but to connect, to inspire and to build friendships that continue long after the amplifiers have been switched off.

The Heart Behind the Bridge

As the final performances ended and musicians slowly began packing guitars, fiddles and memories for the journey home, one thing had become abundantly clear.

North2North had become far more than a music competition.

It had become a community.

The artists themselves told the story best.

Fresh Breath spoke of lifelong friendships formed through music and of an experience they would never forget.

Irish Millie reflected on sharing the stage with extraordinary artists while bringing a lifetime of musical heritage back across the Atlantic with her father and brother beside her.

Anthony King described a weekend filled with outstanding music, remarkable hospitality and lasting memories.

Alan Tymofichuk, making his first journey to Sweden and the furthest trip of his life, summed up the experience in a single sentence:

"I went with my mind and heart open... and what we found was joy."

Perhaps no reflection captured the spirit of the festival more beautifully than Donita Large's.

Following a week filled with unforgettable performances, new friendships and moments of profound cultural exchange, she shared a teaching given to her by one of her Elders.

"When you travel somewhere you should call your spirit home with you. I haven't done this yet. I think my spirit is still playing under the double rainbow that greeted us the night we arrived."

It is difficult to imagine a more moving description of what Lilla By Festivalen has quietly become.

A place where music leaves footprints on the heart.

Looking back over the weekend, I found myself reflecting on my own experience.

Being part of the North2North team, EMG Collectives and Lilla By Festivalen reaffirmed my belief that there are no borders in music. We celebrate our differences while discovering just how much we have in common. Every visit has introduced me to new friends, new collaborators and new opportunities that continue long after I have returned home.

One of those friendships came full circle this year.

While performing my own set in the Kanaladen, I glanced into the audience and saw my Swedish songwriting partner, Jonas Gideon, quietly listening. We first met at Lilla By Festivalen in 2023, and what began as a chance introduction has since grown into an ongoing songwriting collaboration. After my performance, Jonas introduced me to the gracious woman standing beside him.

"This is my mother, Magdalena. "She had driven more than 200 kilometres to attend the festival—and to meet me.

Music creates connections.

For Canadian independent artists, opportunities like North2North are invaluable. Performing on an international stage opens professional doors, introduces new audiences and creates possibilities that simply cannot be replicated at home.

But as Eric Alper observed, the greatest rewards often have little to do with careers.

"A stage on another continent, in front of new ears, can change the trajectory of a career," he said. "But even setting the professional side aside, the human side is what stays with you. People come home changed, carrying memories and connections they'll hold onto for the rest of their lives."

By the close of the festival, it was difficult to disagree.

Perhaps no one understands that better than Sandy Graham.

For years, Sandy Graham has quietly built relationships between Canada and Sweden through tenacity, trust and an unwavering belief in independent artists. Long before North2North became a competition, she was creating opportunities, introducing musicians, encouraging collaborations and proving that meaningful cultural exchange begins with people willing to believe in one another. Crossing borders has been her inspiration for close to a decade and it sure to continue for years to come.

The Canada Barn, the Maple Mingle Fika, the artist exchanges, the friendships, and now the North2North Competition are all branches of the same tree Sandy planted years ago.

Too often the work of building those bridges happens behind the scenes.

This weekend reminded all of us that someone has to imagine the bridge before anyone else can cross it.

As artists prepared to leave Sweden, there were hugs that lasted longer than expected, promises to write together again, invitations to visit Canada, and quiet conversations already looking toward the future.

Then, almost as if to remind us of what the festival has always been about, the beloved Swedish duo Allgott & Villgott gathered everyone together one last time.

Canadians and Swedes.

Professional musicians and first-time visitors.

Children, volunteers and festival organizers.

Laughing together.

Dancing around an imaginary maypole.

Singing Små grodorna with complete enthusiasm and varying degrees of accuracy.

Looking around the circle, it became impossible to tell who had travelled the furthest.

We had all arrived from different places.

We all left with the same feeling.

Somewhere between the songs, the shared meals, the Maple Mingle Fika, the conversations in the Canada Barn, the kindness of Malin Östh and Jonas Tancred, the hospitality of Louise in Åhus, and the extraordinary generosity of everyone who calls Lilla By Festivalen home...

North had truly met North.

And thanks to the vision of music industry icon Sandy Graham, the dedication of the North2North and EMG Collectives team, the generosity of the Lilla By Festivalen family, and the courage of the artists who said "yes" to the journey, that bridge continues to grow stronger with every song that crosses the Atlantic.

“A chance meeting at another festival in Burin Peninsula, Newfoundland was where I first met Bara Jonson and Free. Close to a decade later, their hard work at creating Lilla By Festivalen and our deep pride of being Canadians has created a magical experience for artists that goes far beyond just the stage performances. This year was no exception and the Canadians that came went home with the magic and memories I have felt every time I get to go ‘home’ to Rinkaby, Sweden.”

Some festivals give us memories.

Lilla By Festivalen gives us family.

And that may be the most beautiful encore of all.

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