Big Fun in the big city against a backdrop of winter

“It’s going to be great to have something rad to go out and do at the end of January, rather than staying home and being sad and lonely and cold.”

—Tim Hoover, a.k.a. DJ Co-op

Five young Winnipeg musicians and artists were trying to think of a way to turn up the fun factor in the middle of Winnipeg winter. What did they come up with?  The first annual Big Fun Music Festival!

The people behind it are Stefan Braun, Lauren Swan, David Schellenberg, Eryn Maloney and Aaron Johnston and they were inspired by music events Pop Montreal and NXNE in Toronto. For them, this time of year is the perfect backdrop to show off the city's wealth of talent in visual art and music.

It's an indie music festival with concerts taking place in and around the Exchange district in Winnipeg. Instead of the usual clubs and bars, Big Fun is set in lofts, art galleries and warehouse spaces to help shake up and expand the music experience. It begins Thursday, January 26 and runs until Sunday, January 29.

Some of the bands and artists appearing include The Lytics, Tim Hoover, The Mystics and Pip Skid.

Here are a couple of videos from a few of the bands appearing at Big Fun. First up is Ultra Mega.

Untitled from Aaron Johnston

Mahogany Frog are appearing opening night, Thursday, Jan. 26