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Summer in Toronto means more then sunshine and patios. It means the streets are teaming with art vendors, food stands, not to mention an incredible amount of musical talent. Torontonians have the pleasure of experiencing music from every genre they can think of each year, and this summer is no different. You may have missed Field Trip’s wicked lineup this past weekend, but here is a list of all the incredible music festivals that will be held throughout the rest of the summer that you definitely won’t want to miss.
JUNE
Luminato Festival: June 6-15 @ Various Locations
Luminato kicked off their eighth year of festivities this past weekend and promised ten days of music, art, and theatre shows ranging from dance performances to film screenings. Luminato has something for everyone, so make sure you catch a few shows before it wraps up.
Price: A ton of Luminato events are absolutely free, but many of the events seem to be hovering around the $35 range.
NXNE: June 13-22 @ Various Locations
Music festivals in Toronto are never just a music festival, and NXNE is a perfect example of this. Over its ten day run, NXNE is jam packed with music, films, art exhibitions, and comedy shows throughout the city. Not like you needed more assurance that buying a ticket was worth it, but when else will you get the opportunity to see Danny Brown,Sleigh Bells, and Mac Demarco at the same festival. Not to mention the fact that Juicy J, Ryan Hemsworth, and DOOMSQUAD will be performing as well.
Image courtesy of www.nxne.com
Price: You’ve got a bunch of options when it comes to NXNE with prices ranging from $50 – $600, including the option to buy a NXNE/TURF wristband bundle to save yourself some cash.
TD Toronto Jazz Festival: June 19-28 @ Various Locations
Much like Toronto’s diverse population, so too are its music festivals, and later this month you can get your jazz fix at the Toronto Jazz festival which will feature over 1,500 musicians and 350 performances, at 40 locations around Toronto.
Price: For a festival this size, tickets to each event are being sold separately so you can choose exactly which performances you’d like to go to.
Digital Dreams: June 28-29 @ Molson Amphitheatre
If EDM is your thing, Digital Dreams is definitely a festival you want to hit up this summer. Whether you’re into house, trance, or dubstep, this lineup is bound to pique your interest. Acts will include headliners like Tiesto and Justice as well as Luciano, Art Department, and the newly re-banded DJ duo, Deep Dish.
Price: General Admission tickets start at $99 for a one day pass, and rise to $159 for the full ten-day experience.
JULY
Edgefest Summer Concert Series: July 1, July 18, and August 16 @ Echo Beach
Image courtesy of www.nowtoronto.com
Edgefest has been apart of Toronto’s summer music scene for over 25 years. This year Live Nation and 102.1 the Edge will deliver three days of music with appearances from the Sheepdogs, USS, Our Lady Peace, Sloan, Said the Whale, the Zolas, and a ton of other acts that haven’t been announced yet. The exciting list of performers is generously spread out over the three-day series, leaving you with quite a difficult decision on your hands.
Price: Tickets for the individual concert dates are $55, $48, $66 respectively, or you can opt for a megaticket which will give you access to all three shows for 100 bucks.
Warped Tour: July 4 @ The Flats at Molson Amphitheatre
Warped Tour only stops in Toronto for one day, but you would never know it from looking at its lineup. Whether you’re going to see all the bands you listened to in high school, or see performances from your favourite newcomers, you can expect to get loud for bands like Every Time I Die, Cute Is What We Aim For, Less Than Jake, The Devil Wears Prada, and many, many more.
Price: $64
TURF: July 4-6 @ Fort York & Garrison Common
Toronto Urban Roots Festival is aiming to please this year with their three-day festival that boasts of acts like Beirut, Born Ruffians, Man Man, the Strumbellas, July Talk, and Sam Roberts Band to name a few (though it’s hard to stop there). In addition to the usual festival, the Horseshoe and Lee’s Palace will be host to a handful of these bands for bonus performances from July 2-7.
Image courtesy of www.unnomdeguerre.com
Price: General admission tickets are $68 per day or $150 for the whole weekend. If you aren’t planning on picking up a VIP wristband, you’ll need to buy separate tickets for all the Horseshoe or Lee’s performances you have your eyes on, but tickets are being sold at an incredibly reasonable price ranging from $17 to $25.
TIME Festival: July 19 @ Fort York & Garrison Common
We haven’t seen TIME festival since 2010, but it’s back with a vengeance this year. Don’t miss the chance to see Grimes, Charli XCX, Death Grips, St. Lucia, and Haerts.
Price: Early Bird tickets are going for $25, and general admission is only $35.
Mayhem Festival: July 25 @ Molson Amphitheatre
Mayhem Fest, as you could’ve probably guessed from it’s title, is a festival for metal fans. This years lineup includes heavy hitters Korn and Avenged Sevenfold, along with Trivium, Suicide Silence, and Body Count featuring Ice-T.
Price: $25-200
AUGUST
VELD: August 2-3 @ Downsview Park
By August, Digital Dreams will be well in your rearview mirror, and you can get ready for VELD, another one of Toronto’s weekend long electronic music festivals. This year, VELD welcomes Calvin Harris to the stage along with Armin Van Buren, Knife Party, Martin Garrix, and Ingrosso.
Price: There are no one-day passes available, but you can pick up a two-day pass for $225.
OVO: August 3-4 @ Molson Amphitheatre
Image courtesy of www.highbrowhiphop.com
The lack of information available on this year’s OVO fest actually speaks volumes about its popularity. Of course we know we can expect to see Drake this year, and Outkast has been announced as August 3rd’s headliner, but what everyone is really looking forward to is all the special guests that will be making an appearance. Last year’s OVO saw the Weeknd, Big Sean, J.Cole, TLC, Kanye West, A$AP Rocky, and Lil’ Wayne hit the stage. It’s hard not to let your imagination run wild just thinking about what you can expect this year.
Price: Tickets start at $60 but you can expect to pay up to and exceeding $200.
Mad Decent Block Party: August 15 @ Fort York & Garrison Common
The Mad Decent Block Party is the last Electronic/Dance music festival for the summer put on by Mad Decent, Diplo’s Los Angeles record label. You will not only get a chance to see Diplo, but you will also be able to set your sights on Zeds Dead, Chance the Rapper, Flosstradamus, Grandtheft, and more that are still TBA.
Price: Tickets are selling fro $45 for general admission or $75 for VIP
September
Riot Fest: September 6-7 @ Downsview Park
In 2005 Riot Fest was born, and this summer it’s back with another amazing lineup. Finish off the summer right, and prepare yourself for the Cure, City and Colour, Metric, the Flaming Lips, Death Cab For Cutie, Brand New, Stars, Die Antwoord, Taking Back Sunday, the New Pornographers, Buzzcocks, Bring Me the Horizon, New Found Glory, and Circa Survie, but the list is far from over.
Price: Tickets are on sale now for $180, and you even have the option to get tickets on layaway if you’re feeling short on cash.
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What festivals will you be heading to this summer? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!
