About us
Founded in April 1963 as a “boîte à chanson” by the Centre des jeunes de Sudbury and named by none other than legendary poet and songwriter Gilles Vigneault, La Slague hosted artists such as Félix Leclerc and Jean-Pierre Ferland and witnessed the birth of great careers such as those of CANO and Robert Paquette in the 1970s. Given second life in 2006 by a committee of volunteers from the Carrefour francophone, La Slague offers eclectic programming that appeals to teenagers and adults looking for new discoveries, as well as those looking for more traditional entertainment.
La Slague recently celebrated their 60th anniversary.
Photo : Isak Vaillancourt
La Slague is committed to supporting emerging Franco-Ontarian artists, and doesn’t shy away from sponsoring new projects.
Today, la Slague is in its 20th season of programming.
All this would not be possible without our partners! Thank you.
Photo : Joël Ducharme
La Slague in a Nutshell
- Over 300 shows since its relaunch
- 20 seasons
- 2 to 3 festivals per year
- 15 to 20 shows per season
- 4 music series
Photo : Isak Vaillancourt
Awards and Distinctions
- 2017 – Trille Or Bâtisseur Finalist from the Association des professionnels de la chanson et de la musique (APCM) : recognizes the contribution of la Slague to the francophone song and music industry
- 2018 – Centre de santé communautaire du Grand Sudbury Excellence in Health Equity Award : recognizes the contribution of the Carrefour francophone’s children’s services to early childhood health equity.
- 2019 – Réseau Ontario’s Vision-Innovation Award
- 2020 – Vision-Innovation Award for overall cultural and artistic programming at the 39th edition of Contact Ontarois
- 2021 – Réseau Ontario’s Vision-Innovation Award, in partnership with the Théâtre du Nouvel-Ontario for “Le Shack à patates”
- 2022 – Finalist at the Bell Business Awards in the “Best Place to Work” category
Behind the Name : La Slague
Slag is the waste product of the metal mining process. It’s only natural that so much of it is found in Sudbury, the nickel capital. The efficiency of modern metallurgical techniques has made it a rarer commodity today, but in the 1980s and 1990s, families and friends would pack a picnic and come from near and far to witness the lava-like slag being dumped.
Slag is the red rock that lights up the night, the blood that boils in Sudbury’s veins, an emblematic element in the eyes of many.
So is La Slague, in many ways.
It’s Les Trois Accords at the Farmers’ Market.
It’s Les Cowboys Fringants at Collège Boréal.
It’s Les Vulgaires Machins at the old Incinerator.
It’s Lisa Leblanc at Little Montreal, Pierre Lapointe at Fraser Auditorium, Yann Perreau at the Grand, the Hay Babies and Les Soeurs Boulay at the Moose Lodge, Stef Paquette with the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra at Place des Arts.
It’s La Nuit Émergente, where new artists await you at every turn.
It’s a warm welcome, legendary green rooms, memorable encounters.
It’s nights where you know you were at the right place at the right time.
Programming
La Slague offers something for everyone. You like big stars, the ones that grace your TV screens? La Slague has that. Prefer emerging, undiscovered, solo artists? La Slague has that too. You like to laugh till it hurts with well-known and up-and-coming comedians? So does La Slague. No matter what you come to see, you will walk away with a head full of memories and a new appreciation for francophone arts and artists.
Festivals
Le French Fest
French Fest is a big celebration of the Canadian “francophonie” in all its forms, without pretension, but with a lot of fun! It’s an invitation to celebrate in your own way, with open arms, a sea of white and green!
La Nuit émergente
A dozen artists playing musical hide-and-seek all over the building. At every turn, you just might find the next big thing, or your new favourite band. A free-form festival where you choose your own adventure, and where there are no bad choices. Wherever you end up is exactly where you’re meant to be. La Nuit Émergente has been creating memorable musical encounters in unconventional spaces for nearly over 10 years now. With Place des Arts as its new playground, who knows what awaits unsuspecting music lovers?
Photo : Le Petit Russe
After holding shows in countless spaces throughout Sudbury and surrounding areas…
After dreaming of its own artistic creation and presentation centre for over fifty years…
After years of imagining, calculating, negotiating, meeting, toiling and starting over…
La Slague is now at Place des Arts de Sudbury!
Our offices are now at 27 Larch St.
Place des Arts is a cultural gathering place for Francophones and for the entire community.
Place des Arts is a project of the Regroupement des organismes culturels de Sudbury (ROCS). Founded in 2007, the ROCS is a coalition of francophone professional arts, culture and heritage organizations in Greater Sudbury.
Photo : Le Petit Russe
Facilities
La Grande Salle
A 299-seat performance hall with specialized equipment and related production spaces (stage management, dressing rooms, technical storage, loading dock). This space can host a wide variety of events and audiences: music concerts, theatre, dance and comedy shows, literary evenings, conferences and more.
Le Studio Desjardins
Both a rehearsal room and a performance space, this versatile space can accommodate many types of events and disciplines, from cabaret shows to conferences to contemporary art installations. The Studio Desjardins can quickly be transformed to accommodate specific arrangements for each performance.
The Big List of Shows
After weeks of research in the archives of the Carrefour francophone, the TNO, the GNO, and in the back issues of Le Voyageur, we were able to compile this big list of Slague shows throughout the years. This list is far from complete. We need the community’s help to revise and complete it, so please take a look and drop us a line. Which shows did you attend?
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2025
- 2025
- 2024
- 2023
- 2022
- 2021
- 2020
- 2019
- 2018
- View all
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November 18, 2025 at 6:00pm
Au bistro des découvertes ! #3 Louis Simão presents Suzi Silva
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November 15, 2025 at 2:30pm
Le Téton Tardif
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November 14, 2025 at 7:30pm
Le Téton Tardif
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November 13, 2025 at 7:30pm
Le Téton Tardif
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November 1, 2025 at 5:00pm
Second mid-season launch for 2025-2026
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October 17, 2025 at 7:30pm
Caroline Savoie and Étienne Fletcher
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October 14, 2025 at 6:00pm
Au bistro des découvertes ! #2 Matt Foy présents Drones over Dufferin
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October 3, 2025 at 8:00pm
Édith Butler presents Le Tour du Grand Bois
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September 23, 2025 at 6:00pm
Au bistro des découvertes ! #1 Patricia Cano presents Luisito
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September 20, 2025 at 11:00am
French Fest 2025
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July 4, 2025 at 7:00pm
Northern Lights Festival Boréal
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June 21, 2025 at 8:00pm
Katherine Levac presents L’homme de ma vie
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June 21, 2025 at 5:00pm
Mid-Season 2025-2026 Kickoff
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June 15, 2025 at 2:30pm
Quand Les Troubadours chantent !
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June 13, 2025 at 7:30pm
Pré-concert Les Troubadours dans la Vallée
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May 17, 2025 at 8:00pm
McLean presents Picaroon
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May 17, 2025 at 6:00pm
La Nuit émergente – Saturday : In the belly of the beast
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May 16, 2025 at 6:00pm
La Nuit émergente – Friday : In the jaws of the beast
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May 11, 2025 at 8:00pm
Fred Pellerin, La descente aux affaires
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May 11, 2025 at 3:00pm
Fred Pellerin, La descente aux affaires
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April 29, 2025 at 5:30pm
Au bistro des découvertes !#8 Robert Paquette presents Willows
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April 16, 2025 at 7:00pm
The artistic residency final
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April 3, 2025 at 8:00pm
Dominic Paquet presents Laisse-moi partir
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March 18, 2025 at 5:30pm
Au bistro des découvertes !#7 Dan Bedard presents Martin Alex Aucoin
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March 1, 2025 at 8:00pm
RVF Comedy Tour
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February 18, 2025 at 5:30pm
Au bistro des découvertes ! Patricia Cano presents Louis Simao and Jessica Lloyd
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February 9, 2025 at 7:00pm
Harry Paper et la parodie en carton
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January 28, 2025 at 5:30pm
Au bistro des découvertes ! Emilio Portal presents Ensh
Jonathan Okoua at La Slague’s artist residencies
Published on 9 December, 2025 by Jasmine MorinLa Slague is proud to present Jonathan Okoua, one of the artists selected for the 2025-2026 artist residencies. A talented young creator, passionate and brimming with ideas, Jonathan transports us int...
View Blog PostDarlene Ya at La Slague’s artist residencies
Published on 3 December, 2025 by Jasmine MorinLa Slague is proud to present Darlene Ya, one of the artists selected for the 2025-2026 artist residencies. Darlene is a close collaborator of La Slague, a regular audience member, an active member of...
View Blog PostLa Slague’s ventures at Up Here 11 festival!
Published on 18 August, 2025 by Jasmine MorinLast Saturday and Sunday, the Slague team embarked on an adventure to explore the Up Here festival as part of our partnership! Find out what happened downtown over the weekend. Who knows, maybe we had...
View Blog PostLa Totale 25-26 subscription launched!
Published on 21 June, 2025 by Aline FabletLa Totale subscription – For true show fans! All shows of the season, with 20% direct discount. Hurry: only 50 subscriptions available, until our next show or sold out! Your season subscription ...
View Blog PostThe 11th edition of La Nuit émergente!
Published on 14 May, 2025 by landrianinaFriends of La Nuit émergente, you love the imagery of its famous posters, populated with scenes of apocalypse, invading aliens, dark monsters and ferocious beasts. You know that all this means that o...
View Blog Post