Great Big Sea headlines Canada Day celebrations

Newfoundland Celtic rockers Great Big Sea will be the headline performers on Canada Day in Ottawa next month, as the nation's capital plays host to Prince William and Kate Middleton, the newly married Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Quebec singer Pierre Lapointe and Montreal's Sam Roberts Band will be among the other acts performing at the free concert on July 1 on Parliament Hill, said Minister of Canadian Heritage James Moore and representatives from the National Capital Commission in an announcement on Thursday.

Winnipeg's Maria Aragon, the 10-year-old who gained international attention after a video of her performing a Lady Gaga song went viral on YouTube earlier this year, is also slated to perform.

The young royals, making their first international visit since their marriage on April 29, are among the expected attendees for the festivities marking Canada's 144th birthday. Prime Minister Stephen Harper is also expected to attend.

Moore said the festivities will celebrate citizenship, the Canadian Forces and Canada's national parks system, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

The Duke and Duchess are visiting the Ottawa region from June 30 to July 2, before continuing a tour of Canada with stops in Montreal, Quebec City, Charlottetown and Summerside, P.E.I., Yellowknife and Calgary.

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, William's grandparents, took part in last year's Canada Day celebrations in Ottawa.