• Grade A Festivals,  Nova Scotia

    Stan Rogers Folk Festival

    Now in its 22nd year Stan Rogers Folk Festival (Canso, NS) July 23-26, has won many accolades and awards, and is considered one of Nova Scotia’s signature music festivals. Imagine Woodstock, but “East Coast Style” with world-class production, indoor and outdoor stages, wholesome food vendors, a diverse crafter village and endless jamming onsite and throughout the community, and showers – yes, hot showers! – in the campground. There are 800 campsites on the festival grounds and hundreds more nearby. Their definition of folk is almost limitless, it is “Music for Folks”. Stanfest received an ‘A’ grade on the Canadian Festival Report Card in 2019. Visit their website for tickets and…

  • Grade A Festivals,  Ontario

    River & Sky Music Festival

    River & Sky Music Festival​ (Fisher’s Paradise, ON) July 22-26, brings you simple good times, with the best Canadian Indie and Northern Ontario camping, along the Sturgeon River. Since their inception in 2009, R&S strives to support regional emerging artists in Northeastern Ontario and to showcase their talents alongside amazing artists from across Canada and beyond. While River & Sky is not a folk festival, it does have a folky feel. You won’t find expensive bouncy things for kids or a beer tent. Bring your own lawn chair and a cold canned beverage and relax. Friend and family friendly, it’s a simple festival that is all about the music, the…

  • British Columbia,  Grade A Festivals

    Vancouver Folk Music Festival

    The Vancouver Folk Music Festival (Vancouver, BC) July 17-19, is a Canadian cultural institution; a unique community-based celebration internationally renowned for presenting the finest traditional and contemporary folk and roots music from around the world. Each year, the Festival draws more than 40,000 enthusiastic attendees to beautiful Jericho Beach Park. Two and even three generations of families join friends and fellow community members to experience the music and culture of more than 40 international, national, and local artists. They come together to dance and to enjoy food and children’s activities – and the magical ambience of the Festival. The Vancouver Folk Music Festival has received an ‘A’ grade on the…

  • Grade A Festivals,  New Brunswick

    Tay Creek Folk Festival

    Started in 2008 by Jenifer Jobbins, the Tay Creek Folk Festival (Tay Creek, NB) July 17 – 19, is an annual opportunity for New Brunswick musicians to gather & perform in a beautiful country setting. Tay Creek Folk Festival has received and ‘A’ on the Canadian Festival Report Card for the past two years. Visit their website for tickets and lineup info! http://taycreekfestival.ca/

  • Grade A Festivals

    Dawson City Music Festival

    The first Dawson City Music Festival (July 17-19, 2020, Dawson City, Yukon) took place in 1979. It was an intimate, two-day affair among friends, comprising a jam session on a West Dawson farm and a dance at Diamond Tooth Gertie’s. Quickly realizing that the Festival was too good a secret to keep, an enterprising band of local volunteers incorporated the Dawson City Music Festival Association in 1980, and received charitable status in 1986. Since then, the event Vancouver’s Georgia Straight dubbed as “Canada’s tiny, perfect Festival” has developed a reputation as one of the nation’s premiere musical events, but its strengths have remained the same: unparalleled intimacy, grassroots spirit, fabulous Klondike hospitality,…

  • Grade A Festivals,  Saskatchewan

    Ness Creek Festival

    Ness Creek Cultural and Recreational Society presents the Ness Creek Festival (Saskatoon, SK) July 16-19, is reputed as “The best time you can have in one weekend!” Four Magical Days celebrating Music, Arts, Community and Ecology in the breathtaking setting of the Boreal Forest. Over 30 Main Stage performances, Workshop stage, Eco-Village, Artisan Market, Community Kitchen, Children’s Area, Drum and Dance Circle, Community Sharing Circle, After Hours Tent, and more. Immerse yourself in the Magic of Ness while staying in our rustic campgrounds. The best part is that camping is free with a weekend pass! Feel the sunshine on your face, dance to the beat of live music, breathe the fresh…

  • Grade A Festivals,  Newfoundland & Labrador

    Newfoundland & Labrador Folk Festival

    The Newfoundland & Labrador Folk Arts Society Festival (St. John’s, NL) July 10-12, is an incredible weekend of entertainment for the whole family. Spread out over three exciting days, the Festival is the coming together of community and culture. Come and enjoy a weekend of celebrating Newfoundland & Labrador’s unique culture with great traditional music, interactive workshops, local art work and craft and plenty to eat, drink, see and do. This is a friendly festival that attracts people from all over the world, and it is heralded as one of the province’s premiere cultural events. The Newfoundland & Labrador Folk Festival has received an ‘A’ grade on the Canadian Festival…

  • Events,  Ontario

    Workshop: What Bookers Want – Band Promo 101 ONLINE

    BAND PROMO 101 – A workshop to help you stop pissing off bookers and promoters and get more gigs. Sunday, April 4, 12:30pm – 4:30pm Sadleir House Lecture Hall, 751 George Street North

  • 2019 Canadian Festival Report Card
    Canadian Festival Report Card

    2019 Canadian Festival Report Card

    The 2019 Canadian Festival Report Card is here! Canadian Festival Report Card: 2019 Highlights 54 festivals were graded at an ‘A,’ down from 57 in 2018 (booooo) 116 festivals were graded Every province and territory in Canada is represented in this report card, for the third year in a row. However, many of the provinces/territories only have a few festivals listed, and we need to work in future to increase the numbers of festivals graded. As a group, these 116 festivals get an ‘A’ grade, booking 46% women-identifying or non-binary artists (up from 43% women-identifying or non-binary artists in 2018) This is a heartening result, as it means that overall,…

  • Articles,  Big Ideas,  Canadian Festival Report Card

    The Big Count 2018 – Canadian Festival Report Card

    We need your help with The Big Count 2018 -for the Canadian Festival Report Card! La traduction française suit ci-dessous (nos excuses pour le mauvais français!) As we’ve done for the past few years (2016, 2017), we’re collecting data on festivals and music series to find out how many women-identifying, transgendered, and non-gender-binary people are being presented at festivals and concert series across Canada. What we need from you is to choose a festival that doesn’t appear on the list below and give us a link to their lineup online and a count of the number of women-fronted, men-fronted, transgendered-fronted and non-gender-binary-fronted people are included. It can be a festival that…