By José Gonzalez
Summer is the time for music festivals, and this city has more than its share to keep Torontonians moving and grooving throughout the season. A lot of these festivals draw in some of the top talent from across the world across several different genres, so there's a bit of something for everyone happening in the city this year. Check out NXNE, Field Trip, Electric Island and more great music festivals in Toronto this summer. [Photo credit: courtesy of Field Trip]
Electric Island
Plug into Centre Island for a few dates during the summer as electronic music artists turn the island into an outdoor dance club. This year you can listen to DJs from around the world, including Chris Liebing, Greg Gow, My Favorite Robot, and Nitin. Check the lineups before heading out to make sure your favourites are playing, and make sure you've got some cash for the island ferry.
Lulaworld Festival
Celebrating its fifteenth anniversary, this festival welcomes music from Cuba, Brazil, Jamaica, Mexico, and other voices from around the world. In addition to the music you can also get in on some dance lessons, enjoy panels on Latin music around the world, and attend two special concerts celebrating CD releases for Tibetan artist Dorjee Tsering and Toronto's Sean Bellaviti & Conjunto Lacalu. Concerts are preceded by dinner, for anyone hoping to enjoy some food before the music.
Field Trip Fest
Celebrating its fifth year, this music and arts festival has grown considerably since 2013, when it was headlined by Toronto's own Feist, who will be returning this year. Joining her are Broken Social Scene, Phoenix, A Tribe Called Red, Portugal, the Man, Badbabdnotgood and sixteen other artists and bands. In addition to the music there will be art exhibits on site, stand-up comedy and vendors selling unique crafts.
NXNE
Always a massive draw, this long weekend of music draws in some of the hottest talent to the Port Lands. This year's headliners are Post Malone, Tyler the Creator, and Passion Pit. Also part of this year's festival are Game Land, a competition between pro-gamers at Dundas Square, and Club Land, a series of one-off concerts at clubs around the city.
Irie Music Festival
Celebrating the best in African-Canadian music, this festival is split between a series of concerts at Mississauga Celebration Square and a cruise along Lake Ontario. The free concerts include performances by Da’Ville, Aaron “Voice” St. Louis, Blessed, and Moses Revoltuion, and the cruise includes music by DJ Carl Allen, D’Enforcas, and DJ Blacks.
Toronto Jazz Festival
Nearly a century since it took the world by storm, Jazz is still going strong, and this festival brings some of the best of the genre to venues around the city. This year features music Aretha Franklin at the Sony Centre, still performing at the age of 75. Other stars around the city in town for the Jazz Festival include Joss Stone, Gregory Porter, and Mavis Staples.
Dreams Music Festival
This massive beach party with some great music will have you dancing in the sand this summer. Above & Beyond, Dillstradamus, Dvbbs and Steve Angelo headline this weekend of music along with 30 other artists on three stages. You can find the playlists for the headliners on the festival website.
Toronto Summer Music Festival
A classic name for a festival of classical music, this year’s event is held to celebrate Canada's 150th birthday. To mark the occasion, performers include Canadian violinist James Ehnes, soprano Soile Isokoski, and a tribute to Canadian pianist Anton Kuerti.
VELD
Future, Major Lazer, Tiësto and Zedd are headlining this year's VELD, a two-day music festival in the north end of the city. The concert always draws a huge crowd, and this year is likely no exception with a lineup of more than 40 acts performing.
Camp Wavelength
Catch the ferry to this Toronto concert series which returns to Gibraltar Point this season with its summer lineup of 20 artists. This year’s artists include Deerhoof, Duchess Says, Un Blonde and Ice Cream. Since it’s partly a beach vacation as well as a concert, camp sites and a few private cabins are available. In case you can't get spot, and want to stay late to enjoy the music, special late night ferries leave at 1:30 am and 2:30 am on Friday and Saturday night.
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