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We’re halfway through summer, but festival season is nowhere near finished. August and September are bringing everything from massive electronic dance parties and reggae royalty to free waterfront concerts, jazz in historic villages and a brand new festival that will turn more than a dozen west end music venues into one giant circuit!
Here are 10 music festivals throughout Toronto and the GTA to put on your radar in the coming weeks.
Electric Island
Electronic music fans have two more weekends to squeeze out of Electric Island’s 14th season! The festival’s August edition runs Friday, Aug. 7 and Saturday, Aug. 8, at South River in the Port Lands. Friday’s three-stage lineup includes Boris Brejcha, Cassian, Kasablanca, AYYBO, Devault and Marta, while Saturday brings Eli Brown, KI/KI, MK, DJ Seinfeld, Robag Wruhme and more.
Then, Electric Island returns for its Labour Day weekend season closer on Sept. 5 and 6 at Fort York and The Bentway. Green Velvet, Layton Giordani, Murda Beatz, Joy Orbison and X CLUB are among Saturday’s acts, while PAWSA, Paco Osuna, Nico Moreno, Cloudy and Pegassi are scheduled for Sunday!
The festival is 19+ and offers general admission, VIP and other ticket options.
Wavelength Summer Thing
Wavelength returns to Trillium Park at Ontario Place on Sunday, Aug. 16, and this year’s edition is completely free!
It’s also bigger this year, with two performance spaces, a main stage and a lake stage. Canadian rapper Shad leads a lineup that includes Absolute Treat, Bells Larsen, CJ Wiley, Eliza Niemi, Janette King, Sister Ray, Tauro, Diar and Afro-Brazilian percussion ensemble Maracatu Mar Aberto. Food vendors and a licensed bar will add to the festival atmosphere!
The all-ages event runs from 5 to 11 p.m. at 955 Lake Shore Blvd. W.
Toronto Folk Festival
Really, who needs an excuse to head to the Toronto Islands? The Toronto Folk Festival takes over the WIA Pavilion on Ward’s Island from Aug. 21 to 23, offering three days of live music from artists like Abigail Lapell, Ahmed Moneka & Friends, Bobby Dove, Burs, Kobotown, Meredith Moon, Mia Kelly, The Young Novelists and more! Also keep an eye out for workshops, artists and vendors.
Friday’s programming runs from 4 to 9:30 p.m., while Saturday and Sunday programming run from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. The festival is all ages, and both weekend passes and single-day tickets are available.
Markham Jazz Festival
Unionville’s historic Main Street will turn into one huge outdoor music venue in August, and you won’t need a ticket to attend! The Markham Jazz Festival returns Aug. 22 and 23 with more than 30 free performances across three stages, as well as additional music at Jazz Hot Spots around Markham.
This year’s roster includes Montreal vocalist Ranee Lee, Latin-jazz singer and composer Amanda Martinez, blues and folk singer-songwriter Suzie Vinnick, Afro-Cuban and Latin-jazz group Joaquin Nuñez & Habana Safari and the 12-piece brass ensemble SHOUT! The Band.
The festival is offering free off-site parking at Unionville High School, with complimentary shuttle buses running continuously into the village from 11 a.m. each day.
Kaya Fest Toronto
Four members of the Marley family are coming to the GTA for one amazing day of reggae in August! Kaya Fest makes its Toronto-area debut at Markham Fairgrounds on Saturday, Aug. 22, from 2 to 11 p.m., bringing Stephen, Damian, Julian and Ky-Mani Marley together on the same bill. Shabba Ranks, Lila Iké and Jesse Royal are also performing, along with a third generation of the Marley family that includes YG Marley, Yohan Marley, Mystic Marley, DJ Shacia Päyne, Hymn Marley and Zion Marley.
Tier 2 general admission will set you back $99.99, with VIP Front of Stage tickets at $189.99 and the Kaya Experience at $309.99 (maybe get tickets sooner rather than later as prices are tiered and can increase as lower-priced allotments sell out).
Ashkenaz Festival
Ashkenaz Festival will spend an entire week moving throughout Toronto! The 15th biennial festival runs from Aug. 30 to Sept. 6 and celebrates global Jewish music, arts and culture with events stretching from Kensington Market to Queen West, Dundas West and North York. Even better, the majority of festival programming is free, and the event is family-friendly.
It starts during Pedestrian Sunday in Kensington Market on Aug. 30 with performances and artistic activations throughout the neighbourhood. The next evening brings Tsirk Dobranotch to The Great Hall, combining live klezmer with circus, dance, mime and aerial acrobatics. From Sept. 1 to 3, the festival moves to Lula Lounge for concerts, including a performance by Sweden’s Louisa Lyne featuring Leonard Cohen songs in Yiddish, as well as a set from Jewish-Moroccan artist Neta Elkayam, who blends North African traditions with jazz and contemporary influences!
Labour Day weekend brings some of the biggest free outdoor programming. The Klezmatics will mark their 40th anniversary with a free Sept. 5 performance at Earl Bales Park, while Sept. 6 wraps everything up at Honey and Barry Park with a full day of music, a market and family programming.
Southside Shuffle Blues & Jazz Festival
Port Credit Memorial Park will be filled with blues, rock and soul when the Southside Shuffle returns to Mississauga from Sept. 11 to 13!
The long-running event celebrates its 28th edition with a mix of ticketed headliners and completely free performances. Friday’s main stage is led by Canadian rocker Kim Mitchell, with Jack de Keyzer and the Jon Hines Band also performing. Saturday brings southern rock band Blackberry Smoke alongside Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar, the Suzie Vinnick Band and the Cameo Blues Band, while Sunday’s bill includes Slowhand: The Music of Eric Clapton.
The festival isn’t limited to its paid main stage. Head to The World Stage and Snug Cafe Acoustic Stage for free programming throughout the weekend! Main-stage general admission is $30 for Friday, $40 for Saturday and $30 for Sunday, while a weekend pass is $80.
World of Jazz Festival
Downtown Brampton is getting in on some jazz-salsa-calypso action this September! The 10th annual World of Jazz Festival is scheduled for Sept. 11 to 13, with more than 100 musicians. The weekend begins Friday night with free performances at restaurants and venues across the downtown core, including sets by the Mattaus Greitzinger Quartet, Matthew Leombruni, Glendon Smith and the World of Jazz Volunteer All-Star Band, as well as a (registration-required) Jazz & Paint Night at PAMA featuring the Duncan Wilson Trio.
The main event takes over Gage Park on Saturday, Sept. 12, with eight hours of free outdoor programming, food vendors, sponsor tents and a family fun zone! Performers include Carn Davidson 9, Salsotika, Jesse Ryan & The Kaiso Street Legacy Ensemble, Glenn Marais and The Mojo Train, the Frank Adriano Quartet, The Sidemen and L&M student jam bands. The festival wraps up Sunday at The Rose Brampton with an 8 p.m. gala concert featuring the B-Jazzed Orchestra and spotlighting Canadian women who have made their mark on jazz.
Soundwave Festival
Soundwave takes over Festival Terrace at Downsview Park on Saturday, Sept. 12, bringing Bollywood faves together with EDM, house, Indo-electronic music and global club sounds. Jai Wolf is the headliner, with performances by Maneesh, Asad Khan and Armana Khan, along with DJs like Basspatch, Aarmash, Bia, Dameer, EXO, Remy and Zaen. The 19+ festival runs from 2 to 11 p.m., with food vendors and licensed bars on-site. General admission is $49, while VIP tickets cost $89 (prices might increase as the event approaches).
Second Summer Festival
Because we don’t have enough already, Toronto is getting an entirely new music festival this September, but rather than putting everyone in one giant field, Second Summer is spreading across the city’s west end!
The inaugural 19+ festival runs from Sept. 24 to 26 with more than 110 artists performing at 13 venues between Spadina and Lansdowne and Queen and Bloor. The festival circuit includes the Horseshoe Tavern, Lee’s Palace, The Garrison, Drake Underground, Baby G, Bovine Sex Club, Longboat Hall, Monarch Tavern, Sneaky Dee’s, The Dance Cave, The Great Hall, The Mod Club and Wavelength at St. Anne’s Parish.
Look out for performances by Cleopatrick, EKKSTACY, Militarie Gun, MIKE, High Vis, Folk Bitch Trio, Dune Rats, W.I.T.C.H., DEADLETTER, Twin Shadow, Adrian Younge and Toronto acts like Cartel Madras and more! The standard general admission pass is $148 (includes taxes and fees).
