Mika and Simple Plan at the International Balloon Festival of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu

SAINT-JEAN-SUR-RICHELIEU, QC, May 3, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - The International Balloon Festival is proud to announce the first internationally acclaimed artists who will play the Loto-Québec stage for its 29^th edition. No less than the winner of the 2012 NRJ Music Awards International Male Artist of the Year award, Mika will charm festival goers August 15. Then, three years after their electrifying concert in 2009, Simple Plan will make a triumphant return August 16.

Mika
With his French language mega-hit «Elle me dit», viewed 21.2 million times on YouTube, Mika will be back in Quebec after enchanting the audience during a spectacular gala performance on the Star Académie finale earlier this spring. There will be no resisting his dance-beat pop music sound that will sweep through the International Balloon Festival!

Rocketing to the top of the international music scene through his huge hits "Relax, Take it easy" and "Grace Kelly" Mika, whose real name is Michael Holbrook Penniman, is a Lebanese singer-songwriter, born in Beirut on August 18, 1983. He was raised in Europe since childhood, first in Paris then London.

Having sold over 7 million albums worldwide to date, Mika is poised to continue his reign as a pop music superstar with the upcoming release of his third album The Origin Of Love partially recorded in Montreal.

Simple Plan
Originally from Montreal, the pop-punk band has achieved world-wide success. They will perform songs from their latest album, Get Your Heart On! including Jet Lag, This Song Saved My Life and Summer Paradise, a song well on the way to being the biggest hit of the summer with more than 2.5 million views on YouTube. Despite resounding global success, including their 7.5 million albums sold since 2002, we expect a great homecoming from their Quebec fans!

The five members of Simple Plan, singer Pierre Bouvier, Chuck Comeau (drums), David Desrosiers (bass), Sebastien Lefebvre (guitar) and Jeff Stinco (guitar) no longer need any introduction. For ten years, their greatest hits (Welcome To My Life, Worst Day Ever, I'm Just a Kid, etc.) have been heavily played on the radio.

The International Balloon Festival of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, presented by Laurentian Bank in collaboration with Loto-Quebec, returns in full force with its 29th edition which will be held from August 11th  to 19th, 2012. The programming will be revealed on June 13th. It is a date. Until then, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Contact: International Balloon Festival of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu

Guillaume Poirier, Communications Coordinator, [email protected], [phone], ext. 237