All the Summer Music Festivals Across Canada

Even though it doesn’t feel like summer just yet, it’s coming—we promise! And the highlight of those hot summer months has to be the music festivals, yes? But as much fun as festival-hopping is, planning your festival ‘fits, budgeting for all your plans and actually carving out time from your busy sched can feel a little overwhelming. So, to help you achieve your dreams of having the best festival-filled summer ever, we’re sharing every bit of info about every summer music festival across Canada here. Thank us later.

Summer Music Festivals in British Columbia

Rifflandia

If Alice ditched Wonderland and went to a music festival, she’d end up at Rifflandia, no question. Rifflandia takes place in Victoria and is jam packed with local and international artists. And to make things even better, each day of the festival revolves around a theme. This year, those theme days are Floral Friday, Cats in Space Saturday and Under the Sea Sunday. Fun!

Lineup: The 2018 lineup hasn’t been announced yet, but past performers have included A Tribe Called Red, Dear Rouge, Neon Dreams, Ralph and Beauty and the Bass; rifflandia.com
Location: Victoria
Date: September 13 – September 16
Price: Early Bird Super Pass: $125 + fees; Early Bird VIP Pass: $225 + fees

Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festival

Run by a non-profit charity called The Salmon Arm Folk Music Organization, the Roots & Blues festival promotes community building through culturally diverse music and artistry. According to the festival, their music ranges from “Blues to Bluegrass, Celtic to Cuban, and Americana to Afro-Beat.”

Lineup: Cindy Church, Martin Simpson, Michael Franti & Spearhead, The Paperboys, Rick Vito; rootsandblues.ca
Location: Salmon Arm
Date: August 16 – August 19
Price: Advance 3 Day Weekend Pass (through August 10): $69-$179; Advance Day Pass (through August 10): $40-$75; Evening Tickets (begins August 11): $40-$60; Camp Site: $109 – $139

Bass Coast Electronic Music and Arts Festival

Bass Coast Electronic Music and Arts Festival is a serious celebration of music *and* art that takes place in the middle of nature. While the crowd is hypnotized with a medley of dance-your-heart-out beats, they’re also encouraged to be present and at one with nature in the most picturesque of valleys, according to the festival’s website.

Lineup: This year’s lineup hasn’t been announced yet, but past performers have included A Tribe Called Red, Alix Perez, Fort Knox Five, Justin Martin, Project Pablo and Paul Woolford; basscoast.ca
Location: Merritt
Date: July 6 – July 9
Price: General Admission (Parking & Camping): $319. Tickets are currently sold out and the festival urges people not to support ticket resale at inflated prices. But never fear! The festival has set up a regulated Facebook page where people can buy and sell tickets.

SKOOKUM Festival

You’re going to want to be part of this inaugural celebration of music, food and art in Vancouver’s Stanley Park. The team behind the Squamish Valley Music Festival–with the support of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations–returns with an event that will allow music-lovers to embrace the outdoors while being just minutes from downtown. Buy tickets now, brag about it later.

Lineup: Florence + the Machine, The Killers, St. Vincent, Father John Misty, Metric; skookumfestival.com
Location: Vancouver’s Stanley Park
Date: September 7 – September 9
Price: Single Day Pass: $114-$199; Weekend Pass: $319

Summer Music Festivals in Alberta

Beaumont Blues & Roots Festival

The Beaumont Blues & Roots Festival prides itself on being 100 percent Canadian and a festival that comes from humble beginnings—what started as a simple grassroots fest is now a world class musical showcase.

Lineup: Sam Roberts Band, Serena Ryder, Rhodes, Misery Mountain Boys, Ben Sures; bbrf.ca
Location: Beaumont
Date: June 15 – June 17
Price: Early Bird Weekend Pass: $95; Day Pass $60; Full Weekend Cabana Tent: $2000

Virgin Mobile Calgary Stampede Concert Series

Who knew the Calgary Stampede was more than just a rodeo and brought in so many killer musical acts?! (Oh, everyone but us? OK then.) According to the Stampede’s website, their concert series acts are so powerful, they don’t even need introductions. Noted.

Lineup: Luke Bryan, Brad Paisley and more TBA; calgarystampede.com
Location: Calgary
Date:  July 13 & 14
Price:  Starting at $60

K-Days

Curious to know where you can find the best 10 days of summer? Look no further than K-Days, an family-friendly Edmonton street party full of exhibitions, rodeos, food and, of course, music.

Lineup: This year’s lineup hasn’t been announced yet, but past performers have included July Talk, The Glorious Sons, Scott Helman, Sam Roberts Band, Alessia Cara and Alx Veliz; k-days.com
Location: Edmonton
Date: July 20 – July 29
Price: Prices have not been announced yet, but in the past an Advanced 10-Day Pass would run ya $45.

Big Valley Jamboree

The biggest country jam in Western Canada is almost here and it comes tricked out with a marketplace trade show, autograph tent, songwriter’s workshops and a parade. Peep this year’s guest list for country’s best international acts.

Lineup: Thomas Rhett, Florida Georgia Line, Brett Eldridge, Dallas Smith, Billy Ray Cyrus, Luke Combs, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band; bigvalleyjamboree.com
Location: Camrose
Date: August 2 – August 5
Price: Camping Ticket: $175 – $405; Single Day Ticket: $100-$110; VIP: $550 – $850; 3 Day Pass: $215 – $585

Summer Music Festivals in Saskatchewan

Gateway Festival

By presenting a “pan-Canadian” roster of diverse artists, Gateway Festival strives to strengthen the Bengough community, rooted in rich pioneer history, through the arts. Gateway makes sure that local artists are given the opportunity to perform at the festival, and during the off-season, they develop educational outreach programs to benefit surrounding communities.

Lineup: Big Sugar, The Kentucky Headhunters, Kathleen Edwards, Yukon Blonde, Terra Lightfoot; gatewayfestival.com
Location: Bengough
Date: July 27 – July 29
Price: Single Day Pass: $80; Youth Weekend Pass: $55; Adult Weekend Pass: $95

Country Thunder Music Festival

After staging annual festivals in Arizona and Wisconsin for years, Country Thunder has finally made its way north and we couldn’t be happier! Thank you for including the prairies in your fab festival, Country Thunder.

Lineup: Dierks, Luke Bryan, Chris Young, Dean Brody, Midland, Chris Janson, Big & Rich; countrythunder.com
Location: Craven
Date: July 12 – July 15
Price: Single Day Pass: $75; 4 Day Pass; $185

Summer Music Festivals in Manitoba

Rockin’ The Fields of Minnedosa

This fest dubbed itself “Canada’s Premier Classic Rock Festival” after serving a killer lineup of live rock music every summer for 15 years running. Residents of and visitors to Manitoba party it up in the fields of the town Minnedosa, otherwise known as “Manitoba’s Valley Paradise.”

Lineup: Chilliwack, Burton Cummings, Three Days Grace, Kim Mitchell; rockinthefields.ca
Location: Lake Minnedosa
Date: August 3 – August 5
Price: Weekend Pass: $182; Deck Pass: $270; Camping Pass; $69

Summer Music Festivals in Ontario

Boots and Hearts Music Festival

Boots and Hearts is the summertime event for country-loving Ontarians. Every August, folks round up their best pals, their tents and their cowboy boots and head to Oro-Medonte for all the best tunes (and best Instagram content). Boots and Hearts is essentially the Coachella of country music festivals.

Lineup: Thomas Rhett, Florida Georgia Line, Meghan Patrick, Dallas Smith, Brett Young, Jason Blaine, Russell Dickerson, The Washboard Union; bootsandhearts.com
Location: Oro-Medonte
Date: August 9 – August 12
Price: General Admission: $270; VIP: $600

CBC Music Festival

CBC blends emerging and established talent for a night of music on the beach. This family-friendly event also features the best eats from the Food Truck Fair. Consider us sold!

Lineup: July Talk, A Tribe Called Red, Milk & Bone, Charlotte Day Wilson, Yukon Blonde; cbcmusic.ca/festival
Location: Toronto
Date: May 26
Price: General Admission: $40

Field Trip

Field Trip has become Toronto’s “unofficial kickoff to summer festival season,” with a lineup that highlights the city’s diverse musical talent, comedy performances and kid-friendly activities.

Lineup: Metric, Alvvays, Noname, Jacob Banks, Allan Rayman, Charlotte Cardin, Deer Tick, Japandroids, Bahamas; fieldtriplife.com
Location: Toronto
Date: June 2 & 3
Price: Weekend Pass: $125-$200 + fees; Single Day Pass: $80 – $130 + fees

Bud Light Dreams Festival

Bud Light Dreams Festival (previously known as Digital Dreams) brands itself as a luxury boutique festival for EDM fans. Located on the shore of Lake Ontario, this three-day festival at the beginning of the summer season is home to some of the most badass festival firework displays around.

Lineup: Armin Van Buuren, Kaskade, Galantis, Grimm; dreamsfestival.ca
Location: Toronto
Date: June 23 & 24
Price: General Admission: $159 + fees; VIP: $295 + fees

Veld

If you’ve still got some energy left after your Bud Light Dreams experience, then Veld is for you! Bring on the EDM, sprinkle in a bit of hip-hop and you’ve got yourself the perfect start to the last month of summer.

Lineup: DJ Snake, Marshmello, Martin Garrix, Migos, Alan Walker, Bonnie X Clyde, Nav; veldmusicfestival.com
Location: Toronto
Date: August 4 – August 5
Price: General Admission: $160-$180 + fees; VIP: $220-$240 + fees

Toronto Jazz Festival

This summer, approximately 500,000 jazz lovers will fill the streets of Toronto for 10 whole days. More than 1,500 musicians (with tons of Canadian acts!) come together every year to celebrate their craft and entertain every pocket of the city’s downtown core.

Lineup: Bettye LaVette, Joss Stone, Herbie Hancock, Weaves, Liona Boyd, KNOWER; torontojazz.com
Location: Toronto
Date: June 22 – July 1
Price: Ticket buying sources and prices vary based on performances and venue. Visit torontojazz.com/tickets for instructions on how to purchase your tix.

OVO Fest

He consistently references Toronto in his music, has his hand in downtown restaurants and is perhaps one of the most animated Raptors fans sitting courtside, but perhaps the greatest gift the 6God has given his hometown is OVO Fest. Every summer, Drake pays tribute to his city by headlining a must-see show filled with fellow local acts as well as the biggest names he’s recorded with.

Lineup: Frequent Drake collaborators (think Majid Jordan and PARTYNEXTDOOR) are always expected, but seeing surprise performers is part of OVO’s appeal. Past heavy-hitters have included The Weeknd, Kanye West and Rihanna.
Location: Toronto’s Air Canada Centre
Date: If Drake keeps this August long weekend tradition alive, our bet is on Aug. 6
Price: In past years, tickets have cost between $65-$225

Summer Music Festivals in Quebec

Osheaga Music and Arts Festival

Osheaga has it all: art installations, skate parks, rides, delicious dining that caters to every type of dietary restrictions, eco-friendly sustainability initiatives—and even haircuts! Not to mention a KILLER lineup of musical acts every damn year.

Lineup: Travis Scott, Arctic Monkeys, Florence & The Machine, James Bay, Portugal. The Man, ODESZA, Lights, LANY, Dua Lipa, Post Malone; osheaga.com
Location: Montreal
Date: August 3 – August 5
Price: General Admission: $320; Gold Passes $585; Platinum Passes; $1150

Festival d’été de Québec

Festival d’été de Québec attracts over *a million people* to Quebec City every summer. With more than 300 shows in 10 different venues spread over 11 days of music, this is one of Canada’s biggest and best music festivals, so you can understand why music lovers descend upon the historic city in droves.

Lineup: The Weeknd, Future, Neil Young, Brockhampton, Scott Helman, Passenger, Busta Rhymes; infofestival.com
Location: Montreal
Date: July 5 – July 15
Price: $94 + fees

Montreal International Jazz Festival

NBD or anything, but The Guinness Book of World Records ranked the Montreal International Jazz Festival as the world’s largest jazz festival! Sooooo,’nuff said.

Lineup: Leslie Odom Jr., Daniel Caesar, Max Richter, Tom Kennedy, Jean-Michel Blais, BEYRIES, Alela Diane, Robert Lepage, Ex Machina, Betty Bonifassi; montrealjazzfest.com
Location: Montreal
Date: June 28 – July 7
Price: Tickets vary by artist and the overall range is between $20 – 124 + fees.

Summer Music Festivals in the Maritimes

Paddlefest

Nestled in the resort town of St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Paddlefest is not only a music fest but a recreation festival too, where guests can—you guessed it—paddle! After you’ve swayed your way through a folk rock act, enjoy a serene kayak or canoe trip around the beautiful St. Andrews landscape.

Lineup: Land of Talk, Jenn Grant, The Sadies, The Brood; paddlefestnb.ca
Location: St. Andrews, New Brunswick
Date: May 17 – May 20
Price: Day Passes: $20 – $46; Main Stage Pass: $115; Ultimate RAPIDS Pass: $160

Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival

From a spicy Cajun party to an electric blues dance-fest, Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival will not disappoint and is the perfect way for an east coaster to wind down their summer!

Lineup: This year’s lineup hasn’t been announced yet, but past performers have included Colin James, Bruce Cockburn and Trey Anastasio Band, Earle & Coffin and Paper Lions; harvestjazzandblues.com
Location: Fredricton, New Brunswick
Date: September 11 – September 16
Price: Advance Saturday Night Passes: $89 + fees; Advance Friday Night Pass: $89 + fees; Advance Wednesday / Thursday Night Pass: $75 + fees; Advance Ultimate Pass: $250 (sold out)

Summer End Folk Festival

Question: What’s better than intimate outdoor performances situated on a small, beautiful island, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean? Answer: Nothing. Nothing is better than this scenario. (OK, maybe an ice-cold beer could make it *even* more perfect.)

Lineup: This year’s lineup hasn’t been announced yet, but past performers have included Joel Plaskett, Les Hay Babies, Jennifer Castle and Doug Paisley; summersendfolkfestival.tumblr.com
Location: Grand Manan, New Brunswick
Date: August 17 – August 18
Price: Kids under 12 are free. 2-Day Pass: $60; Friday Pass; $30, Saturday Pass; $40

Cavendish Beach Music Festival

More than 60,000 visitors venture annually to Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, for the largest multi-day outdoor music festival in Atlantic Canada. Some of the biggest names in music show up along with an incredible camping and dining experience. Might we remind you that this is on stunning PEI? Isn’t that enough of a reason to go?!

Lineup: Shawn Mendes, Brett Eldredge, Luke Bryan, Chase Rice, Meghan Patrick, Dallas Smith, Chris Young, Dan + Shay, James Barker Band; cavendishbeachmusic.com
Location: Cavendish, PEI
Date: July 6 – July 9
Price: General Admission 4-Day Pass: $120-$229; General Admission 3-Day Pass: $70-$179.50; Premium: $109-$678; Single-Day Pass: $30-$85; Sunroof Reserved Table; $2000-$6000

Halifax Pop Explosion

More than 150 artists, comedians and speakers will attend Halifax Pop Explosion in more than 15 venues across the city to showcase new and innovative talent from Canada and around the world. And if you’re a die-hard music lover who is hoping to turn your love into a career, check out the festival’s very own conference featuring music industry professionals.

Lineup: This year’s lineup hasn’t been announced yet, but past performers have included Milk & Bone, Yukon Blonde, Scott Helman, Ria Mae, Ralph, Tanika Charles, The Courtneys and Charlotte Day Wilson; halifaxpopexplosion.com
Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Date: October 17 – October 20
Price: Early Bird Wristbands: $55 + fees

Bud Light George Street Festival

The Bud Light George Street Festival attracts an audience from across North America when the streets of St. Johns come alive and boom with all things music!

Lineup: This year’s lineup hasn’t been announced yet, but past performers have included Sam Roberts Band, Blue Rodeo, Hey Rosetta! and Chilliwack; georgestreetlive.ca/george-street-festival
Location: St. Johns, Newfoundland
Date: July 26 – August 1
Price: TBA

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