Internationally acclaimed singer Gwen Stefani surprised many when she took the stage at the YQM Country Fest in Dieppe, New Brunswick, on Saturday night.

To the screams of the crowd, she sang the famous song by the American rock band No Doubt Don’t Speak, which was named song of the year at the 1998 Grammy Awards.

The crowd went over. I think there were suspicions throughout the week,” says YQM Country Fest promoter Samuel Bourgeois. We just got the confirmation a few hours before the show last night and we were extremely happy to have Gwen Stefani with us.

Gwen Stefani then sang the songs “Happy Anywhere” and “Nobody but You” with her husband, country singer Blake Shelton, one of the headliners of the event.

A positive outcome for the first YQM Country Fest

The YQM Country Fest brought more than 20,000 country music fans to MusiquART on August 26 and 27.

Samuel Bourgeois says he is satisfied with the way the first year of the festival went.

We had excellent feedback from the people who were with us this weekend,” he says. We’re really excited to see this project [come to fruition].

The developer, who has a three-year agreement with the City of Dieppe, points out that while country music was in the spotlight this year, other musical styles could be on the agenda in 2023.

Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani perform at the YQM Country Fest in Dieppe, August 27, 2022

The more than cheerful reception of the audience to the pop sound of Gwen Stefani on Saturday proved that there is a desire to see other types of artists on stage, he believes.

We know that there is a demand for something other than country, so it’s something we’re going to explore,” confirms Samuel Bourgeois. We certainly don’t close the door to another festival, to a mix of pop rock,EDM, rap, anything.

In addition, Saturday’s show did not include French-speaking artists, but the organizers plan to rectify the situation next year.

It’s something we’ll definitely look at as a team for the future,” says Samuel Bourgeois.