Just like Alice Cooper sang (or Puck on Glee), “school’s out for summer”! So what to do with your new-found free time? Or more realistically, the time that’s left after slaving away at your summer job and getting ahead with summer classes? Why not check out some summer music festivals! Whether you’re in Toronto, Ottawa or Montreal, we’ve picked out the best festivals that any music buff should check out.
1. Ottawa Bluesfest
Ottawa, ON
July 4 – 15
With a rockin’ lineup including headliners Lauryn Hill, the Weeknd, and LMFAO, Bluesfest will surely not disappoint. This year’s theme is “electro-fied” with electronic artists like Tiesto, AWOLNATION and DJ A-Trak rounding out the list of heavy hitters. The festival got bad press last year for a freak windstorm that wiped out a stage (and almost Cheap Trick), but they’re back with a new company and promise to be better than ever.
2. NXNE
Toronto, ON
June 11 – 17
North by Northeast is not just a music festival, it’s an epic gathering for music, film and digital media gurus to talk shop and enjoy some of the newest and greatest on the indie art scene. This year, the music festival is featuring acts like Kid Cudi, Devo, and Broken Social Scene. Also, at NXNE, you can enjoy acts at the big concert space at Yonge and Dundas Square and in smaller bars and venues around the city.
3. Ottawa International Jazz Festival
Ottawa, ON
June 21 – July 1
Running for over thirty years, the Ottawa Jazz Festival has played host to some of jazz’s greatest players, including Herbie Hancock and Diana Krall. This year, the festival will be held in Confederation Park, right in the heart of downtown Ottawa and the lineup will include Steve Martin, Janelle Monáe and Grammy-Award winner Esperanza Spalding.
4. Osheaga
Montreal, QC
August 3 – 5
One of the newer festivals on the scene, Osheaga has quickly become the go-to summer music event in Canada. Osheaga, a name used by the some of the first European settlers for the region that is now Montreal, the festival is welcoming the biggest names on the indie scene right now, including the Black Keys, Metric, and Classified, as well as a host of lesser-known bands. Held in Montreal’s Parc Jean-Drapeau, this event is definitely worth the bus ride and if you’re lucky, crashing a friend’s couch for a couple days.
5. Capital Hoedown Country Music Festival
Ottawa, ON
August 10 – 12
Country music fans rejoice! Capital Hoedown is back for its third year and tickets are selling out fast! The star-studded line-up includes T-Swizzle, Reba, Brad Paisley and The Band Perry. Did we mention that it is Taylor Swift’s only scheduled North American performance in 2012? It’s all going down in Walter Baker Park in Kanata, just outside of Ottawa. This is a can’t-miss event!