If you’ve never heard of a house concert, let us explain. House concerts are complete concert performances by professional, often independent artists, held in the biggest room of your house, or outdoors when the weather is nice.
Eastern Manitoba is home to many yearly independent music festivals, our residents and visitors flock to the grounds to hear the best independent artists from around the globe. There is a spark and a sense of magic when you attend these festivals, if you’ve been to one, you know what we’re talking about. Now take that feeling and amplify it tenfold, and that is the reality of a house concert.

The small gathering of your friends and community lends to an unforgettable, intimate night of music and friendship, stories and songs, good food and beverages.

Eastern Manitoba’s music scene is intense with artists offering amazing sounds in genres that extend from roots country to death metal. You don’t have to look very far to find an artist to feature in your home. Hosting a house concert is relatively easy, start by searching for your favorite independent band, or connect with local festival organizers. It’s that simple.

If you’re not inclined to host your own House Concert, you can attend other’s, the tricky bit is, they can be hard to track down. Here are some great resources to follow so that you can stay up-to-date on house concerts coming to your hometown.

Home Routes

Home Routes is a non-profit organization that was incorporated in 2007 right here in Manitoba. The founders of the Winnipeg Folk Festival and the West End Cultural Centre initiated this Canada wide resource to help pair artists to homeowners. Whether you want to host a house concert or attend one, Home Routes is a good place to start. Their website is loaded with information on artists, schedules, concert dates, and locations, as well as helpful tips to get you started hosting house concerts.

South Moon Studio

South Moon Studio, located in East Braintree is a hot spot destination for house concerts.  Imagine a place where you enter and a sense of peace washes over you.  An earthy wood smell roots you into the present.  You are joined by friends you haven’t met yet, or perhaps you have, as the soulful sounds of the artists’ instruments and song reach into your heart and fill you with peace. That is the effect of attending a South Moon Studio House Concert. Past performers include Romi Mayes, Robert Allan Wrigley Band, Annie Sumi, Scott Nolan, and many more.

Moon Gate Guest House

Located in Whitemouth, Moon Gate Guest House is the perfect destination for a truly intimate setting with friends and music lovers alike. From the moment you reach the property’s perimeter, you will begin to feel the good vibes that owner’s Jenny and Michel have rooted into the grounds. Enjoy some of Manitoba’s and Canada’s best-known independent musicians such as Dana Cooper, Cat Jahnke, Brock Zeman, Mary Murphy, Sarah Jane Scouten, Matt Epp, and many more perform against the tranquil backdrop of the Whitemouth River.

Eastern Manitoba Concert Association

While not a House Concert, the Eastern Manitoba Concert Association (EMCA) is well known in the Eastern region for featuring talented, well known Canadian artists and they are certainly worth knowing about. For over 45 years, EMCA has been providing a venue for rural residents and visitors to get up close and personal with more than 25 Juno Award Winners, numerous Prairie and East Coast Music Award winners and even Grammy and Oscar winners have performed on the EMCA stage. Examples are Buffy Sainte-Marie, Leona Boyd, Ian Tyson, The Borodin String Quartet, Finjan, Stan Rogers, Lois Marshall, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and Natalie McMaster.