Get your ya-ya’s out at 10 showstopper music fests
Can you hear that?
It’s been more than two years, but yes, live music festivals are back in Ontario. Here’s Ontario’s Music Festival Guide for 2022 and below it, our top 10 showstopper festivals for the year:
Orangeville Blues and Jazz Festival Orangeville:
June 3 to 5 Alexandra Park (11 2nd Ave., Orangeville) and various venues Visit orangevillebluesandjazz.ca. The OBJF is Orangeville’s largest music festival, drawing in more than 75 acts to the downtown core, performing across four main stages and at various restaurants.
Who’s onstage Larry Kurtz and the Lawbreakers, Heather Bambrick, Harrison Kennedy, Miss Emily
What’s offstage Performer workshops, street performances, classic car show, and vendor market
Sound of Music Festival Burlington
June 12 to 19 Spencer Smith Park (1400 Lakeshore Rd., Burlington)
Learn more at soundofmusic.ca. The Sound of Music is one of the country’s biggest free music festivals. Drawing close to 300,000 attendees every year, the festival features some of the biggest names in live music. The weeklong event includes a street parade, vendors and a Ninja Warrior course.
What’s onstage Finger Eleven, Bif Naked, the Trews, Emily Reid, Three Days Grace and more
What’s offstage Street festival, parade, vendors
Mariposa Folk Festival Orillia
July 8 to 10 Tudhope Park (450 Atherley Rd., Orillia)
Check out mariposafolk.com. Mariposa Folk Festival is a threeday, exciting, vibrant and storied musical experience. It takes place in Orillia’s Tudhope Park on the shores of Lake Couchiching. The festival features more than 100 performances on 11 stages, storytelling, interactive workshops, activities fo kids, food trucks, an artisans’ village.
Getting hot? Jump in the lake. What’s onstage Blue Rodeo, Mavis Staples, Serena Ryder, the Strumbellas, Lennon Stella, JP Saxe, Kathleen Edwards, Allison Russell, Blackie & the Rodeo Kings
What’s offstage Interactive workshops, storytelling, great food trucks, artisans’ village, community village, camping, and Folk Play kids’ area with activities, music and fun
Kemptville Live Music Festival Kemptville
July 21 to 24
On the grounds of Kemptville College (830 Prescott St., Kemptville)
Visit kemptvillelivemusicfestival.com.
The Kemptville Live Music Festival is one of eastern Ontario’s largest music festivals, bringing some of the biggest classic rock names to the grounds of the historic Kemptville Campus over four days. It spans all genres — country, rock, rhythm and blues, folk and roots — and has attracted upwards of 25,000 visitors.
What’s onstage Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings, Tom Cochrane, Glass Tiger, Johnny Reid
What’s offstage Camping, artisan market, food vendors, and more
Hillside Festival Guelph
July 22 to 24 Guelph Lake Conservation Area (7743 Conservation Rd. RR4, Guelph)
Visit hillsidefestival.ca.
The Hillside Festival lineup boasts a wide variety of acts, from those hailing from the Royal City to performers from across Canada, the U.S. and many more distant countries.
What’s onstage Performances by Juno and Grammy nominee Allison Russell, Juno winner Dan Mangan, London, Ont.-based rock quartet Texas King, and Ukrainian band DakhaBrakha
What’s offstage Food, Indigenous circle, workshops, artisan market
Vibrant Brampton Brampton
July 22 and 23 Garden Square (12 Main St. N., Brampton)
Visit vibrantbrampton.ca. Vibrant Brampton will showcase acts from around the globe July 22 and 23 in Brampton’s downtown Garden Square. Among more than 150 local and international acts, the headliners include Punjabi Canadian heartthrob Geeta Zaildar.
What’s on stage Geeta Zaildar, Aastha Gill and Jaz Dhami
What’s offstage Dancing, workshops and more
Hagersville Rocks Music Festival Hagersville
July 23 Heaslip Ford Amphitheatre at Grant Kett Memorial Park (38 Sherring St. N., Hagersville) Visit hagersvillerocks.com. Hagersville Rocks Music Festival is the biggest music event of the year in Haldimand County.
What’s onstage Aaron Pritchett, Dan Davidson, Emily Reid, Fiddlestix, Kalsey Kulyk, Nicole Rayy
What’s offstage Food vendors, beer tent
Festival of Friends Hamilton
July 29 to 31
Gage Park (1000 Main St. E., Hamilton)
Visit festivalofriends.ca Festival of Friends, one of the largest events of its kind in Canada, has been running since 1976 and is known for its outdoor music, arts, crafts vendors and more. The festival was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic, but returned last September for one day of music, which was headlined by Big Wreck and Danko Jones.
What’s onstage:To be announced
What’s offstage Crafts, food, rides and more
Boots and Hearts Music Festival Oro-Medonte Aug. 4 to 7
Burl’s Creek Event Grounds (240 8 Line S., Oro Station)
Visit bootsandhearts.com. The annual festival has been dubbed as the country’s largest camping ground music festival.
What’s on stage Shania Twain, Florida Georgia Line, Sam Hunt, and Walker Hayes
What’s offstage Camping with tent and RV spots, food trucks, shop vendors, games and activities
Rolling Loud Toronto
Sept. 9 to 11 Ontario Place (955 Lake Shore Blvd. W., Toronto)
Learn more at rollingloud.com/ toronto.
Rolling Loud is a three-day hip hop music festival that features headlining acts like Future and Dave and more than 100 artists.
What’s onstage Future, Dave, Wizkid, Migos, Lil Uzi Vert, Roddy Rich, Belly and Haviah Mighty
What’s offstage Elevated deck and dedicated couches and tables for loud club members, models and celebrity guest appearances