SHARP Guide to Canadian Music Festivals
Sure, spring felt more like an extended cold plunge. But summer is here now, and with it comes the best excuse to stand in a field, drink something cold, and scream lyrics with strangers: music festival season.
Luckily, you don’t need to cross any borders to get your fix. Canada’s got the goods — whether you’re looking for a late-night forest rave, a folk singalong, or three days of pop spectacle with 50,000 new friends.
From the backwoods of BC to the big stages of Montreal and Quebec City, here’s your cross-country cheat sheet to the best Canadian music festivals happening this summer.
If You Want the Big-Stage Experience
Osheaga (Montreal), August 1–3
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Canada’s answer to Coachella with a nice dose of Montreal summer humidity. The 2025 lineup features Olivia Rodrigo, Tyler, The Creator, Jamie XX, Shaboozey, and The Killers. If you’re feeling a little old for it, Osheaga does a great job with their premium lounges that feature elevated viewing platforms, exclusive food and bev, and private restrooms. And at the end of it all, you’ll hop on the Metro and be back at your hotel to sleep it all off before the next day. No camping here.
Festival d’été de Québec (Québec City), July 3–13
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The country’s largest music festival — with over 200 artists across 11 days—takes over Old Québec with a stage on the Plains of Abraham that can hold 100,000 people. It’s a mega-fest, but it still flies under the radar. The lineup swings from rock to rap to electronic: catch Diplo one night, Ice Spice and The Pixies the next, and then take your parents to see Rod Stewart. There’s something for everyone.
Ottawa Bluesfest (Ottawa), July 10-20
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Don’t let the name fool you — Bluesfest is less about the blues and more about big, loud, stadium-ready energy. This year’s lineup includes Green Day, Shania Twain, Hozier, Turnstile, and Sean Paul. It all goes down along the Ottawa River, where you can catch a breeze, crush a tallboy, and yell “Let’s go girls” with 20,000 people who mean it.
If You Want to Dance ‘Til Sunrise
MUTEK (Montreal), August 20–25
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A cerebral, avant-garde electronic experience spread across some of Montreal’s best venues. Think less neon body paint and Burner chaos, more immersive light installations and ambient legends. Yes, you can dance — but you’re just as likely to find yourself frozen in awe, surrounded by sound and LED fog. This year’s big acts include James Holden and Guillaume Coutu Dumont. Some sets stretch deep into the night and straight into morning. It’s for the heads, not the hypebeasts.
Shambhala (Salmo, BC), July 25–28
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This one’s a little wilder — and way out in the woods. No sponsors. No booze sales. No Wi-Fi. Just Canada’s most legendary forest rave. Six immersive stages with names like “Fractal Forest” and “The Pagoda,” hundreds of DJs playing deep into the night, and camping areas nearby. If Burning Man moved to the Kootenays, it would look a lot like this. Definitely not for beginners. Perfect if you’re looking to vanish off-grid for a few blissed-out days.
If You Want a Chill Weekend With a Cold One
Calgary Folk Fest (Calgary), July 24–27
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Held on a leafy island in the middle of the Bow River, this one’s for fans of roots, funk, and folk-adjacent goodness. The vibe is laid-back but never sleepy, with an eclectic mix of global artists, local food vendors, and enough craft beer to keep things bubbly. This year welcomes the likes of BADBADNOTGOOD, Cake, Los Lobos, and Patrick Watson.
If You Want to Discover Something New
Sled Island (Calgary), June 18–22
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A genre-fluid, multi-venue festival that takes over Calgary’s downtown core. Each year, a guest curator (past names include Peaches, Sudan Archives, and Flying Lotus) helps shape the lineup. This year it’s a Japanese punk rock four-piece that goes by the name Otoboke Beaver. Sled is the kind of fest where you might catch a post-punk set at the Legion or a synth act in a church basement — and walk out with a new favourite band. Bonus: stand-up, art installations, conferences and some of the best people-watching in the West.
Feature photo by André Olivier Lyra, courtesy of Festival d’été de Québec.
