From the hyper-local to big rock and roll bands, there’s a festival for everyone
The festival market is becoming more and more saturated with many new festivals popping up every year.
The plethora of festivals makes it easier to find one that best suits what you’re looking for. Whether it’s a festival of primarily rock artists or a smaller local festival that celebrates indie music, there’s always something out there.
Here are some festivals that are worth checking out right at your doorstep or just a short drive away.
Canadian Music Week
April 18 to 23
Canadian Music Week (CMW) is similar to Austin’s South by Southwest (SXSW). CMW offers shows across many venues in Toronto. Bands from across Canada along with international artists travel to Toronto for one week to play their music to eager crowds.
The festival also has annual shows like the iHeart Radio Fest and the Indie Awards. Along with a conference that attracts music industry moguls, there’s always something to do in Toronto the week of CMW.
Field Trip Festival
June 2 to 4
Field Trip, a festival put on by independent Toronto record label Arts & Crafts, is now celebrating its fifth year in Toronto. The festival recently announced its lineup, bringing back Feist and Broken Social Scene to celebrate the milestone. The lineup also grabbed Phoenix; Portugal, The Man; and James Vincent McMorrow.
Each year, Field Trip promises to stay hyper-local, and this year really highlighted their promise with Canadian acts such as BADBADNOTGOOD, Thundercat, Timber Timbre, and Hannah Georgas.
The Laugh Barracks offers a stage for local comedians to perform, and a day camp that allows families to watch kid-friendly shows and provides a space to have fun.
Field Trip constantly delivers the best experience for Toronto, attracting attentive crowds that are just as passionate about the music as Arts & Crafts.
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Hillside Festival
July 14 to 16
Located right at the Guelph Lake Conservation Area, Hillside Festival takes place just a short drive from downtown Guelph. The festival focuses on celebrating local food, family-friendly activities, Aboriginal history, and best of all, local home-grown talent.
Hillside announced its 2017 lineup earlier than usual this year—and with good reason. Folk-rock band The Barr Brothers, Toronto R&B singer Charlotte Day Wilson, and Coeur de Pirate have been announced along with local acts such as HIGHPARK and Chastity. With a lineup that is dominated by Canadian favourites, this year’s Hillside is not one to miss.
Hillside Inside, which was held in early February, gave a sneak peek into the summer’s lineup. This year’s Hillside Inside featured DJ Shub, BROS, and Terra Lightfoot.
Past summer lineups have included PUP, Arkells, BADBADNOTGOOD, Constantines, and many other local acts.
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WayHome Music & Arts Festival
July 28 to 30
Now in its third year, WayHome is still establishing its roots in the Ontario festival scene. Past headliners include Kendrick Lamar, Arcade Fire, LCD Soundsystem, and Sam Smith. This year’s headliners are Imagine Dragons, Frank Ocean, and Flume. Along with the headliners, the festival grabbed The Constantines, as well as other Canadian locals such as PUP, Darcys, and The Dirty Nil.
WayHome offers camping on the venue’s grounds, adding a unique experience for music fans, something that many festivals in the greater Toronto area cannot offer. The festival’s creative director Ryan Howes indicated in a Reddit AMA that the festival would face some changes in the coming year, including “three all new stages that are re-configured to allow for a more immersive experience” and “more programmed hours per stage in 2017 than the previous two years.”
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Riverfest Elora
August 18 to 20
Like Hillside, Riverfest Elora is just a short road trip from Guelph. The festival is unique in the way that it attracts local residents of all ages to Bissell Park for three days.
Last year, the lineup was 99.9 per cent Canadian, including The Sheepdogs, Chromeo, Wintersleep, and Bry Webb. In the past, the festival has tried to be as sustainable as possible, only offering drinks in reusable cups.
Last year, Riverfest used its sustainable ideas and bottled water-free environment to protest Nestlé’s Aberfoyle water-taking permit. They also featured an artisan alley all weekend long, showcasing local vendors from Elora.
The 2017 lineup is coming out April 28, so keep your eyes peeled.
Big Feastival
August 18 to 20
2017 marks the first year Big Feastival will arrive in Canada. Imported from Jamie Oliver’s U.K. version of the festival, Big Feastival combines food, family activities, and music into one weekend. It will be held at Burl’s Creek Event Grounds in Oro-Medonte. The music lineup has already been announced, with Weezer, Ben Harper, OK Go, De La Soul, and The Strumbellas on the bill. Big Feastival brings celebrity chefs from across Canada to Burl’s Creek, including Chuck Hughes, Rob Gentile, and Amy Rosen. The festival will also deliver family fun, including family Olympics, workshops, and a farm park. Since this is the first year the adaptation has arrived in Canada, it will be interesting to see what the experience will be like.
Toronto Urban Roots Festival
September 15 to 17
Toronto Urban Roots Festival (TURF) originally took place in the summer, however, in 2015, they moved the festival to September as to not conflict with the Pan Am Games. Ever since then, they’ve established themselves in Toronto at the Fort York Historic Site in September.
TURF offers a “Club Series” where fans can see artists playing the weekend festival ahead of time in smaller Toronto venues. The lineup has yet to be announced, but you can expect headliners similar to Death Cab For Cutie, Ween, The Pixies, Beirut, and Neutral Milk Hotel.
Photo by Dana Bellamy/The Ontarion.