Portland music fans fill Old Port for Resurgam Festival

 Matilda Sargent, 15, left, of Portland, Roman Johnstone, 16, of Portland, and Lily Thibeault, 18, of Lewiston, right, of the band "House Arrest" prepare to take the stage at the Resurgam Music & Arts Festival. (Staff photo by Derek Davis/Staff Photographer) [](https://w2pcms.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/43650596_20260614_resurgamfest_4.jpg) Matilda Sargent, 15, left, of Portland, Roman Johnstone, 16, of Portland, and Lily Thibeault, 18, of Lewiston, right, of the band “House Arrest” prepare to take the stage at the Resurgam Music & Arts Festival. (Staff photo by Derek Davis/Staff Photographer) [Purchase this image](https://dev.mainetodaymedia.com/smugmug/upload.php?data=%7B%22src%22%3A%22https%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fwww.pressherald.com%5C%2Fwp-content%5C%2Fuploads%5C%2Fsites%5C%2F4%5C%2F2026%5C%2F06%5C%2F43650596_20260614_resurgamfest_4.jpg%22%2C%22caption%22%3A%22Matilda%20Sargent%2C%2015%2C%20left%2C%20of%20Portland%2C%20Roman%20Johnstone%2C%2016%2C%20of%20Portland%2C%20and%20Lily%20Thibeault%2C%2018%2C%20of%20Lewiston%2C%20right%2C%20of%20the%20band%20%5C%22House%20Arrest%5C%22%20prepare%20to%20take%20the%20stage%20at%20the%20Resurgam%20Music%20%26amp%3B%20Arts%20Festival.%20%28Staff%20photo%20by%20Derek%20Davis%5C%2FStaff%20Photographer%29%22%7D) Overlooking the docks on Portland’s Eastern Promenade Trail, bands are warming up for their sets at the fifth annual Resurgam musical festival. “I’m so nervous,” Safira Hamilton said looking at the Maine Academy of Music Stage. Hamilton, 12, and her band mates − 16-year-old Logan Silsby and 13-year-old Caden Devoe − drove from Washington County on Sunday morning to perform. Their band is called Corn, “with a C, not a K,” Silsby pointed out, though their name was inspired by the 90s nu metal band, Korn. “We’re not covering Korn, though,” Hamilton said, pointing to her Green Day t-shirt. “We’re playing Green Day and Olivia Rodrigo.” The event is organized every year by the Maine Academy of Modern Music, or MAMM, in partnersip with the city. It’s kept completely free for the community by local sponsors like Otto’s Pizza, Tandem Coffee Roasters and the State Theater, among many others. From Corn’s pop rock covers, to originals by youth screamo band House Arrest, and folk sets by artists on the main stage, Resurgam celebrates music of all types. Advertisement [](https://w2pcms.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/43650596_20260614_resurgamfest_6.jpg) A crowd cheers for bands at the Amethyst Park Stage during the Resurgam Music & Arts Festival on Sunday. (Staff photo by Derek Davis/Staff Photographer) [Purchase this image](https://dev.mainetodaymedia.com/smugmug/upload.php?data=%7B%22src%22%3A%22https%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fwww.pressherald.com%5C%2Fwp-content%5C%2Fuploads%5C%2Fsites%5C%2F4%5C%2F2026%5C%2F06%5C%2F43650596_20260614_resurgamfest_6.jpg%22%2C%22caption%22%3A%22A%20crowd%20cheers%20for%20bands%20at%20the%20Amethyst%20Park%20Stage%20during%20the%20Resurgam%20Music%20%26amp%3B%20Arts%20Festival%20on%20Sunday.%20%28Staff%20photo%20by%20Derek%20Davis%5C%2FStaff%20Photographer%29%22%7D) Jeff Shaw, director of MAMM said the festival started in 2022 after the popular Old Port Festival permanently ended in 2019 following the COVID pandemic. “We’re not trying to replicate the Old Port festival, but trying to bring a fun community event back to Portland,” Shaw said. The name, “Resurgam,” comes from the city’s motto and means “I shall rise again.” Organizers and attendees see it as a way to rebuild after losing the Old Port Festival. Doing it through the love of music and celebrating talented kids is what motivates them, Shaw said. “It’s a really good substitute to the previous festival,” Portland local Gretchen Halpert said of Resurgam. She and her husband, Ron Faris, have been coming for the last few years. Organizers make it easy to attend, and the music is great, Faris said. The festival takes over the Old Port from Saturday to Sunday, with dozens of food trucks, local artisans and events to get kids interested in music − like an instrument petting zoo with the Portland Symphony Orchestra. In addition to the youth bands, the festival also hosts musical groups from the community, and MAMM’s adult program on three different stages. Brandon Berg, a member of one of the academy’s adult bands and a volunteer at the festival, said he enjoys giving as much time as he can to MAMM. He grew up playing music, and said he got back into it after discovering the program when he moved to Portland. Advertisement “You have folks who work in software engineering, you have lawyers, you have doctors, social workers, and this is their outlet,” Berg said. Watching the kids perform is impressive, he added, pointing out an 11-year-old bassist who he described as being cooler than him. “It’s basically rock and roll little league,” Shaw said. “It’s amazing to watch these kids be empowered through the music they love. They guide the curriculum, they’re choosing the songs and we help teach them about the music they care about most.” MAMM has been running music programs in Portland since 2007, prioritizing private lessons for kids eight to 18. They also help create bands for children and adults alike, of which there are 30 to 40 total, said MAMM Development Coordinator Kerstin Gilg. “They’ve been practicing all season, and this is kind of their recital at the end of it,” Gilg said. This year was special for MAMM. Music students used to perform on Dana Street, but that stage disappeared with the Old Port Festival. Organizers were able to expand Resurgam this year, adding two stages on Dana Street for the weekend lineup. [](https://w2pcms.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/43650596_20260614_resurgamfest_3.jpg) Silas Shaw sings and plays guitar as the band “Sorry Not Sorry” performs at the Resurgam Music & Arts Festival in the Old Port on Sunday. (Staff photo by Derek Davis/Staff Photographer) [Purchase this image](https://dev.mainetodaymedia.com/smugmug/upload.php?data=%7B%22src%22%3A%22https%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fwww.pressherald.com%5C%2Fwp-content%5C%2Fuploads%5C%2Fsites%5C%2F4%5C%2F2026%5C%2F06%5C%2F43650596_20260614_resurgamfest_3.jpg%22%2C%22caption%22%3A%22Silas%20Shaw%20sings%20and%20plays%20guitar%20as%20the%20band%20%5C%22Sorry%20Not%20Sorry%5C%22%20performs%20at%20the%20Resurgam%20Music%20%26amp%3B%20Arts%20Festival%20in%20the%20Old%20Port%20on%20Sunday.%20%28Staff%20photo%20by%20Derek%20Davis%5C%2FStaff%20Photographer%29%22%7D) Shaw’s son, 11-year-old Silas Shaw, said he was pleased with how well his set with his band, Sorry, Not Sorry, went. He and his band mates Anthony, Oscar and Wolfgang performed “I’m Shipping Up to Boston,” by Dropkick Murphys. “We just thought it would be a pretty easy one, and then we could work on other songs that we wanna be able to do soon,” he said. Their next opus? “In Bloom” by Nirvana. Copy the Story Link Tagged: [music](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/music/), [old port](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/old-port/) [](https://www.pressherald.com/author/isabelle-oss) [Isabelle OssStaff Writer](https://www.pressherald.com/author/isabelle-oss) Isabelle Oss is a community reporter covering Kittery, Berwick, North Berwick, South Berwick, York and Ogunquit. Born and raised in Colorado, she moved to Maine in April 2026. Isabelle holds a master’s. [More by Isabelle Oss](https://www.pressherald.com/author/isabelle-oss)