SUN, SAND, SONGS & SOCIABLES – 2024’s Small & Mighty Summer Music Festival Bucket List

In our last issue, we shared our Big Summer Music Festival Bucket List, but we understand that big crowds and venues are not what all our readers are looking for in their summer festival plans.  So that being said, our researchers went on the hunt again from British Columbia to Newfoundland, analyzing over a hundred summer music festivals from all genres with under 15,000 daily festivalgoers for what we think are the Small & Mighty Summer Music Festivals of 2024 and very deserving of being on anyone’s bucket list.     

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All the music festivals on our Small & Mighty Summer Music Festival Bucket List this year are multiple-day events.  Other than festival dates, there is no particular order as we believe they all offer amazing artists and venues with an intimate and interactive experience for concertgoers.  We are confident that you, our readers, will find that perfect smaller music festival that is just right for you this summer. 

 

DAUPHIN’S COUNTRYFEST

When: June 28th – 30th, 2024
Where: Dauhpin’s Countryfest Grounds | Dauphin, MB, Canada

A little about the festivalDauphin’s Countryfest is Canada’s longest-running country music festival held every year over the July long weekend and hosts over 40 acts from Manitoba to Nashville. Offer all genres from Country, Roots, Bluegrass, Blues, and Rock n’ Roll Countryfest is Manitoba’s largest and most popular outdoor music festival that prides itself on offering the best concert experience possible for its loyal festival fans for 35 years.  During the festival weekend, the festival will see anywhere from 8,000 to 14,000 people each day which is just under our threshold for this project.

This year’s festival offers a nostalgic journey back to the roots of Countryfest, featuring an incredible honky-tonk, line-dancing lineup that will have country fans each day reminiscing about the good ol’ days in Dauphin.

The 35th annual Dauphin’s Countryfest, proudly dubbed “35 and Still Alive,” takes place at the festival’s iconic site in Dauphin, Manitoba. The lineup includes some of the biggest names in country music history: Alabama, Clint Black, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Jo Dee Messina, Mark Chesnutt, and Diamond Rioare among the mainstage artists performing this year, along with the Great Canadian Road trip package featuring Michelle Wright, Jason McCoy, and Doc Walker. Another exciting group hitting the mainstage is The Frontmen–consisting of Larry Stewart of Restless Heart, Richie McDonald formerly of Lonestar, and Tim Rushlow formerly of Little Texas, coming together as one supergroup that will perform decades of chart-topping hits. 

It wouldn’t be a proper throwback without some of the ’90s queens of Canadian country music.  So, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Patricia Conroy, Lisa Brokop, and Beverley Mahood are also set to take the stage adding to the list of many powerful performances that will keep you dancing all festival long.

“Join us in Dauphin as we put the Country back in Countryfest, and we celebrate 35 years of incredible music, unforgettable moments, and community spirit,” said Promoter Rob Waloschuk.

For more information or tickets to this event go to: https://countryfest.ca/  

 

REVELREE MUSIC FESTIVAL

When: July 19th & 20th, 2024
Where: Canatara Park | Sarnia, ON, Canada

A little about the festivalThe Revelree Music Festival is one of Ontario’s fastest-growing festivals in its third year of offering all-ages live entertainment over two days in Sarnia, Ontario.  Revelree offers live performances held inside the natural setting of Sarnia’s Canatara Park featuring a great mix of Canadian and International artists across multiple genres who have entertained around the world and bring them all to one stage for festival-goers

Friday night kicks off with one of the winners of the inaugural Road to Revelree emerging artist competition, Avalon Stone who will draw from her rock roots while adding a heavy and more modern flair to get the festival started, followed by Toronto’s indie-alternative pop powerhouse rocker Loviet, that has established herself as one of Canada’s brightest up-and-coming artists to watch in 2024.  From there, current BCCMA Female Artist and Song Writer of the Year, Teigen Gayse, takes the stage ahead of The Trews, who have been a staple of the Canadian music scene and abroad since 2004. Closing out Friday night is international recording artist and multiple Grammy-nominated group the Goo Goo Dolls, who will headline the first night of the festival.

The festivities and music continue on Saturday with the second Road to Revelree winner and Sarnia’s own Strange Times, a hard-hitting alternative rock band with a vast range from old-school Motown to more modern, heavy rock/punk leading the way into Harrow and LaSalle, Ontario duo Buck Twenty. From there, Nashville sisters and exploding Neo-Traditional Country music trio, The Castellows, take to the stage to perform before multiple-award-winning and GRAMMY Award-nominated multiplatinum singer and songwriter Gavin DeGraw. Then to close out Saturday night and the festival’s third year is the night’s headliner, Academy of Country Music Awards winner for Male Vocalist of the Year, Brett Young.

 “We feel very lucky to have such a diverse and talented lineup for 2024,” says Festival Director, Scott Palko.  

Going into its third year, Palko says Revelree is trying to grow through both the festival and its support of emerging artists and help them grow their fanbase, by festival goers Being able to experience these up-and-coming acts live on stage while being on the same lineup as award-winning worldwide acts that will draw huge crowds.

See you in Sarnia!

For more information or tickets to this event go to: https://www.revelreemusicfestival.com/ 

 

BOXCAR COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL

When: July 25th – 27th, 2024
Where: Saint John’s Waterfront | Saint John, NB, Canada

A little about the festivalBoxcar Country Music Festival is back for its sophomore year on the Saint John waterfront — now with THREE nights that will again feature an exciting lineup of top Canadian country music artists supported by New Brunswick fan favourites and other homegrown talents.  

The Boxcar Country Music Festival will take place in the space adjoining the AREA 506 Waterfront Container Village – the winner of The VIA Rail Canada Innovator of the Year Award at the 2022 Canadian Tourism Awards. The Village will host a program of country-themed, family-friendly experiences, including experiential activities, food trucks, and the vendor market throughout the weekend.

The Saint John waterfront will come alive on Thursday, July 25th, when three-time Platinum, two-time Gold-certified album, ten-time Gold single, and sixteen-time top-ten radio headliner Brett Kissel hits the stage.   Supporting Kissel is Tenille Arts, a country girl, born and raised in the small prairie town of Weyburn, Saskatchewan, who picked up the guitar and penned her first song at age 13 and has been performing nonstop ever since,  Trust us the country music industry has taken notice, voting Tenille as one of the CRS New Faces and named CMT’s Next Women of Country Class in 2021. Tenille’s music has tallied over 130 million lifetime streams and has a digital audience of over 500,000.  Other supporting acts for Thursday are Ben Chase, The Brent Mason Band, and the Mainlanders a Country band based out of Moncton, NB to kick things off.

The party continues Friday night with headliner High Valley, with their signature sound of positive-minded, bluegrass-tinted country. A strong international appeal has earned them more than 500 million streams in the US and Canada, six Canadian Platinum-certified singles, three #1s at Canadian Country Radio, two Canadian Gold-certified albums, and back-to-back Gold-certified singles in the US, making them the highest-selling Canadian band in Country music history.  Supporting High Valley is Lindsay Ell who with her CCMA, ACM, CMT, CMA, Juno, and CCMA Awards nominations and wins, has become one of the most celebrated female voices in country music. Other supporting acts for Friday are Juno, CCMA, SOCAN, and WCM Award winner and the first Canadian female country artist since Shania Twain to achieve Canadian Platinum single status, Jess Moskaluke along with CCMA & JUNO Award nominee, Chris Cummings, Josh Norrad a country/​rock performer from Upper Miramichi, New Brunswick, Canada, and Hope King is a country music artist from Vancouver Island, BC.

Boxcar closes out Saturday, July 27th, with Juno-nominated and CCMA Award-winning brother-sister duo, The Reklaws, who have had three #1s on Canadian Radio, one Double Platinum, eight Platinum, and eleven Gold singles, and a Gold-certified debut album along with being the most domestically streamed debut album in Canadian country history.  Also taking the stage on Saturday is Tyler Joe Miller, who is quickly making a name for himself in Canadian country music along with Kalsey Kulyk, Fredericton, New Brunswick native and CCMA Rising Star nominee Tristan Horncastle, contemporary roots and blues artist Mike Biggar, and Waylon Napadogan get the crowd ready got day three of this waterfront country party

See you at the harbour!

For more information or tickets to this event go to: https://www.area506.ca/boxcar/ 

 

THE JUBILEE

When: August 2nd – 4th, 2024
Where: Glasgow Square Theatre | New Glasgow, NS, Canada

A little about the festival Pictou County borders the Northumberland Strait, which is famous for its amazing beaches and because of the strait’s shallow depths, home to the warmest ocean water temperatures in Canada, and some of the warmest ocean water temperatures on the Atlantic coast north of Virginia.  It is also home to ‘The Jubilee’ which for over 25 years has built its reputation of allowing today’s rising stars and up-and-coming artists to share the same stage with iconic and award-winning Canadian Artist headliners as they develop their performance skills while building their fan base so one day, they might be headlining the Jube or another great festival across Nova Scotia or anywhere for that matter.

Each year ‘The Jubilee’ runs the long Natal Day weekend offering three days of amazing Canadian music talent on the bank of the East River.  If I were you, I would circle Friday, August 2nd through Sunday, August 4th as the Jubilee gets ready to kick off a first in its history by having two events in one, with the Rockin’ the River and Country Rocks the River events for this year’s annual three-day music fest featuring the best in Canadian and East Coast music, bringing top musical acts to the beautiful outdoor amphitheatre on the New Glasgow riverfront.  This unique venue provides music lovers with one of the most engaging and fan-focused music experiences available on the East Coast.  Offering all genres of music; Rock, Blues, Folk, Country, R&B and even Hip Hop, the Jubilee incomparably eclectic line-up and a flavour all its own while being regarded in the industry for its top-notch production quality and attention to detail. 

The Jubilee is so lucky to have a business community that cares so much about supporting this event and you can thank them by visiting their stores to do some shopping, dropping into their restaurant for a meal during the day, or maybe stopping in for a couple of drinks and an appetizer at before the show or after when you’re not ready to call it a night.

This year’s Jubilee will see jubileers Rockin’ the River Friday and Saturday nights with Canada’s most iconic, multi-award-winning, and multi-platinum-selling rock band Trooper as Friday’s headliner.  Sharing the stage on Friday night are The Trews, which is one of the best-selling Canadian bands along with Indigenous singer/songwriter April Martell and Battle of the Bands winner Petra Moriarty kicking off the night’s show and the Jube for 2024.

Saturday night’s Rockin’ the River headliner is SUM 41, who will give their last-ever performance in Nova Scotia on the Jubilee stage as part of their Farewell Tour. Jubileers will witness the explosive sound of Sum 41, known for their chart-topping hits and dynamic live performances for an unforgettable show filled with high-octane punk-rock anthems from the band’s storied 27-year career that has firmly cemented their place in rock history with over 15 million records sold worldwide, multiple Billboard Charting releases, a Grammy Award nomination, 2 Juno Awards (7 nominations), a Kerrang! Award.  Joining them on stage will be Alert The Medic, known for bringing the Stadium experience to intimate venues and festival stages and creating anthemic melodies for over a decade that will stick in your brain long after the show!  Canadian indie-rock artist Andre Pettipas & The Giants also take to the stage with their ‘take no prisoners’ approach to live performances and their reputation as a band that routinely cranks out the tunes that stick in your head long after the show ends.  Kicking off night two is the Pop-Punk-Indie band Life Left.

The Jubilee changes it up on Sunday in a big way for day three with a Country Rocks the River showcase which will spotlight some of the best in Canadian Country music like headliner Tenille Arts, who was born and raised in the small prairie town of Weyburn, Saskatchewan and picked up the guitar and penned her first song at age 13 and has been performing nonstop ever since with hit singles, critical acclaim, major tours and numerous nominations and awards in country music.  Joining her on stage and hailing from Saskatchewan is a country music singer-songwriter and multiple CCMA award nominee Jojo Mason.  Open the night are two Nova Scotia boys, Dave Sampson, who takes to the stage with his heart-on-your-sleeve folk/pop songs, delivered with a captivating and authentic voice, and folk rock musician Steven Travis Auld gets the party started on Sunday night!

Each night gets rolling at 6.00pm when the gates open with shows starting at 7:00pm which gives you lots of time to explore all the amazing things that Pictou County has to offer before heading to Glasgow Square located on the scenic East River for a music experience that is second to none and rivals some of the bigger venue events across Canada and the United States.

This festival is worth planning your trip to Nova Scotia around as the Jube has provided over 25 years of great music and memories.

See you at THE JUBE this Summer!

For more information or tickets to this event go to: https://thejubilee.ca/ 

 

AREA 506 FESTIVAL

When: August 2nd – 4th, 2024
Where: Saint John’s Waterfront | Saint John, NB, Canada 

A little about the festival Since 2016, they’ve been transforming the Saint John waterfront and programming an amazing weekend of music for thousands of attendees.

A celebration of music, culture, and goods, right on the waterfront, featuring a killer lineup of musical acts, a culture stage, local vendors, and family-friendly activities over the New Brunswick Day long weekend.

Previous year headliners and performing artists include Alan Doyle, Arkells, Big Sugar, Big Wreck, Classified, David Myles, Jimmy Rankin, Matt Andersen & The Bona Fide, Matt Mays, Ria Mae, Sloan, The Glorious Sons, The Trews and many more taking the stage on Saint John’s beautiful waterfront.

The Area 506 Waterfront Container Village creates a backdrop for a diverse group of vendors, brands, and cultural groups to truly showcase the energy and ingenuity of our province’s artisans, craftspeople, and musicians.

This year twenty bands and performers will take to the stage during the New Brunswick Day long weekend Aug. 2nd to 4th.  AREA 506 kicks off this year’s festival Friday night with Loveover an Atlantic Canadian Pop Punk band Hailing from Saint John, NB.  Then taking to the stage is Fredericton’s remedial math rock, a style of alternative and indie rock, band Motherhood before Aysanabee, who was the first Indigenous artist to reach #1 on Canadian alternative rock radio and Canadian indie rock band Wintersleep will perform before Canadian indie pop band headliner Alvvays closes out the first night of the festival.

Saturday The Hello Crows get things going for festivalgoers with progressive rock band Ermine and ECMA Nominee, Dee Hernandez with her Latin Jazz R&B Pop Fusion to get the crowd moving.  Next on stage is Devon Cole, Colony House and Tokyo Police Club before fans of headliners, Our Lady Peace will be able to catch the rock band when they take the stage at the AREA 506.

Sunday night’s lineup includes headliner SUM 41, who take to the AREA 506 stage with their chart-topping hits and dynamic live performance for an unforgettable show as part of their Farewell Tour.  Supporting them are Toronto punk band PUP, Canadian indie rock band The Rural Alberta Advantage, and Powerhouse band, The Hypochondriacs hailing from Fredericton, New Brunswick, known for their genre-defying fusion of country, rockabilly, and unadulterated rock and roll, Indie/Alt Rock Band From Moncton, New Brunswick, Before the Dinosaurs and Doctor Mother Father kicking off the line up for the closing night of the festival in Siant John.

On Friday night (August 2) the gates open at 6PM and on Saturday & Sunday (August 3 & 4) the gates open at 2PM.

See you on the waterfront!!!

For more information or tickets to this event go to: https://www.area506.ca/festival/ 

 

NOVA SCOTIA SUMMERFEST

When: August 15th – 17th, 2024
Where: Columbus Field | Antigonish, NS, Canada

A little about the festival: Well most of our readers will recognize Antigonish as the home of St. Francis Xavier University but for two days each summer for the last four years it has been the home of the Nova Scotia Summer Fest which is set to return to Columbus Field for its fifth year from August 15th to 17th and will once again showcase a powerful lineup of classic rockers and rising stars in Antigonish.

Friday, August 16th is billed as an East Coast Dance Party with Juno award winner Joel Plaskett Emergency who is best known for mega hits “No Where with You”, and “Fashionable People”. Joining Plaskett will be the high-energy Halifax duo Neon Dreams who are fresh off another star-studded tour of South Africa and recently won Album of the Year at the 2024 East Coast Music Awards.  PEI’s The East Pointers who frequent stages across Europe, will be bringing their electro-folk show and took home three 2024 ECMAs for Pop, Contemporary Roots & Group recordings of the year with Dee Dee Austin rounding out the Friday lineup who was recently nominated for Dance Recording of the Year at the 2024 East Coast Music Awards.

Saturday, August 17th is Rock Night with Canadian legend Kim Mitchell headlining. Mitchell is best known for his songs “Go For A Soda”, “Rock & Roll Duty”, and “Patio Lanterns” which are now considered part of Canadian pop culture. Honeymoon Suite from Niagara Falls are also on stage and known for its classics “New Girl Now”, “Burning in Love” and “Feel It Again”; which all topped the charts and remain musical fixtures on radio to this day. Rising star Elyse Aeryn of Glace Bay and award-winning band Slowcoster of Sydney will represent Cape Breton at the festival. 

Opening night on Thursday, August 15th will be free entry and include a culinary showcase with food and beverage producers from Antigonish and across Nova Scotia. The festival will be hosted by CTV’s Ana Almeida and festival Executive Director, Ray Mattie. 

Doors open daily at 4:30pm with festivities starting at 5:30pm. Tickets are on sale now at www.nssummerfest.com

For more information or tickets to this event go to: https://novascotiasummerfest.ca/

 

CHURCHILL PARK MUSIC FESTIVAL

When: August 9th & 16th – 18th, 2024
Where: Churchill Park | St. John’s, NF, Canada

A little about the festival: Located in the heart of St. John’s, Newfoundland is the Churchill Park Music Festival set in beautiful Churchill Park, with wide open views, surrounded by mature trees and greenery, and is easily accessible from all parts of the city. This is good news for festivalgoers as three of the biggest names in Country, Rock, and Pop are coming to the Rock this summer for five amazing sold-out shows making Newfoundland the place to be in August for music lovers.

This year’s Churchill Park Music Festival headliners are Nickelback – for a sold-out show on August 9th, Pitbull on August 10th, and Shania Twain for three sold-out nights August 16th-18th.

On Friday, August 9th, Nickelback will hit the Churchill Park Music Festival stage in St. John’s for their only Atlantic Canadian stop this summer. Supporting the Vancouver-based multi-Juno winners and Canadian Rock Icons for a night of great Canadian bands are St. John’s own East Coast Rockers Nick Earle & The Reckless Hearts along with multi-Juno winners from Hamilton, Ontario the Arkells and Juno and Canadian Country Music Award winners the James Barker Band.

On Saturday, August 10th, Superstar Pitbull, aka Mr. Worldwide, headlines night two of the Churchill Park Music Festival with his chart-crushing hits and incredible show! Supporting artists for Saturday’s show are still to be announced, but we are confident that this will be an amazing show all on its own.

On Friday, August 16th the iconic superstar Shania Twain hits the stage to headline night three of the Churchill Park Music Festival and the first of three amazing shows in St, John’s!  Supporting the Grammy award-winning country-pop star will be Newfoundland-born multi-talented singer-songwriter and musician Alan Doyle and from Calgary country pop singer-songwriter and guitarist Lindsay Ell get things started.  On Saturday, August 17th supporting Twain on stage for night four of the Churchill Park Music Festival will be Ottawa singer-songwriter and musician TALK with more to come.  On Sunday, August 18th, supporting Twain on stage for night five of the Churchill Park Music Festival will be Juno Award-winning Montreal singer and songwriter Charlotte Cardin with Summerside-born, now Nashville-based up-and-coming country singer-songwriter and musician Alli Walker, a headliner in her own right.

See you on the Rock in August!

For more information or tickets to this event go to: https://churchillparkmusicfestival.com/

 

SUNFEST COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL

When: August 1st – 4th, 2024
Where: Laketown Ranch | Cowichan Valley, BC, Canada

A little about the festival: Sunfest Country Music Festival is a country music lovers’ paradise! Hosted at Laketown Ranch in Cowichan Lake, this year’s all-star lineup is the perfect way to celebrate British Columbia Day Long Weekend as this festival is designed to cater to music enthusiasts of all ages, showcasing some of country music’s top acts from North America. 

The festival kicks off on Thursday, August 1st, with a lively party on the Lakenight Stage featuring Vancouver’s The Washboard Union, along with Taylor-Rae, Whiskey Business, The Zach Thompson Band, and others to get the long weekend started.

Country superstar Keith Urban will grace the stage as the headliner on Friday, August 2nd, promising an electrifying performance. Joining him on Friday are Canadian Grammy nominees Steve Lee Olsen, Dave Hartney from North Vancouver, Victoria’s Born Reckless, the emerging duo JaimesonRhy, and more.

On Saturday, August 3rd, Nashville’s Lee Brice, known for his Grammy-nominated music and chart-topping singles, headlines the show. The day’s lineup also includes multi-CCMA nominee Josh Ross, rising country star, singer-songwriter, and musician Alli Walker from Atlantic Canada now based in Nashville, Alberta’s Nice Horse, who have established themselves as one of the most buzzed-about groups, and others.

Sunday, August 4th, features ACMA-winning artist Cole Swindell as the headliner, along with Ontario’s The Reklaws, Texan singer-songwriter Abby Anderson, local talents like Brian Harwood and Harvey Hann & The Bandit Band, and more.

Laketown Ranch, known for its successful past events, offers a premier vacation experience in the Cowichan Valley, boasting the largest permanent outdoor stage in Western Canada on a sprawling 250-acre site near Cowichan Lake. The 2024 Sunfest Country will feature four days of live music across four stages, a festival village with food vendors and activities, VIP areas, full-service bars, amenities like flush toilets and showers, and more.

See you at the Ranch!!!

For more information or tickets to this event go to: https://www.sunfestconcerts.com/  

 

DENIM ON THE DIAMOND

When: August 30th – September 1st, 2024
Where: Kelowna City Park | Kelowna, BC, Canada

A little about the festival:  The festival will return to City Park this summer for a second time and it will expand the highly-anticipated lineup for the sixth edition of Denim on the Diamond to three full days of music over Labour Day weekend and there’s plenty to be excited about.

Friday, August 30th is the first all-female lineup in Denim on the Diamond history and it will be co-headlined by Grammy-nominated artists K.Flay and Bishop Briggs.  Getting things going on Friday are Jamie Fine and LOLO, who will set the stage for Friday’s co-headliners and start off the music festival with a bang.

Saturday, August 31st lineup of country acts that will be headlined by one-half of the former multi-platinum duo Florida Georgia Line that produced 21 number-one singles on country radio, but these days Tyler Hubbard is making his trials as a solo artist and his new path will bring him to Kelowna for Denim on the Diamond. Supporting Hubbard on stage are rising country stars and   Nashville-based singer-songwriters Alana Springsteen and singer-songwriter, and musician Alli Walker along with Matt Schuster, and British Columbia’s own Zach McPhee with DJ VAVO keeping the vibes going between sets.

Sunday, September 1st,  will be another Denim on the Diamond first, as the festival will open itself up to an all-ages crowd for the first time in its history, as long as those under 19 are with a parent. Sunday’s headliners tasked with wrapping up the entire three-day festival, is the Icelandic blues rock band, Kaleo.  The final day includes sets from Juno Indigenous Artist of the Year nominee Aysanabee and Philadelphia’s blues-rock sensation Mo Lowda & the Humble.

Tickets for this event range from single-day general admission with special 18-under pricing for Sunday’s show to full VIP weekend passes.

We look forward to seeing you in Kelowna this Labour Day Weekend! 

For more information or tickets to this event go to: https://denimonthediamond.thickasthievesentertainment.com/ 

 

SOMMO FESTIVAL

When: September 13th & 14th, 2024
Where: Avonlea Village | Cavendish, PE, Canada

Why: PEI’s Sommo Festival launched last year, has moved from the weekend after the Cavendish Beach Music Festival in July to September for the event’s second year, and like the inaugural event last year that saw Mumford & Sons headline the event organizers have attracted some massive names to come to Canada’s East Coast with American singer-songwriter Noah Kahan and rock band Greta Van Fleet taking to the stage at this year’s festival. 

This two-day celebration of music + food + drink in the beachside town of Cavendish welcomes some of the biggest musical artists from around the world, across Canada, and the Atlantic region.  

Friday night’s headliner Kahan is a Grammy nominee  American singer-songwriter whose breakthrough single Hurt Somebody reached gold status in the U.S. He also recorded Dial Drunk with Post Malone, and Stick Season which gained instant popularity on the radio and more than 29 million listeners on Spotify and regularly hits the Billboard rock and alternative charts. 

Opening for Kahan is Maren Morris an American singer and songwriter. Rooted in the country genre, her music also blends elements of pop, R&B, and hip hop. Morris has won multiple accolades including a Grammy Award, an American Music Award, five Country Music Association Awards, and five Academy of Country Music Awards.

Joining the Main Stage Friday are Canadian indie rock band Half Moon Run from Montreal, Quebec, known for their heavy use of layered percussion, and group vocal harmonies. Plus Adam Baldwin a Canadian indie rock singer-songwriter from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, and Goldie Boutilier is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and DJ. Born and raised in Reserve Mines, Nova Scotia and kicking off the Main Stage is Montreal, Quebec alt-pop artist Dee Holt. As well as many more on the Amazon Music Sandbar Stage.

Saturday’s headliner is the Grammy Award-winning rock band Greta Van Fleet, from  Frankenmuth, Michigan who are often compared to Led Zeppelin.  Opening for them is JUNO-Award-winning Canadian rock band The Beaches from Toronto, Ontario.  Rounding out Saturday’s lineup is TALK, a Canadian singer-songwriter and musician from Ottawa, Ontario, Canadian hard rock trio from Toronto, Ontario, Danko Jones. Canadian musician and singer-songwriter from Hamilton, Ontario, Terra Lightfoot, and getting things going on Saturday the pop/rock band from St, John’s, Newfoundland, Fairgale.  Like on Friday many more will perform on the Amazon Music Sandbar Stage.

And don’t forgot about the full Uber Eats Culinary Stage lineup happening on Friday and Saturday that will see Chef Laurent Dagenais, Old Time Hawkey, Mary Berg, Chef Adam Loo, Derrell Smith, Lindsay Jones, Chef Michael Smith, Dennis Prescott and Alex Hendry taking to the Uber Eats Culinary Stage allowing festival goers to interact with these amazing celebrity chefs, enjoy live food demonstrations, and dabble in the best local cocktail scene available on the Island and beyond.

For more information or tickets to this event go to: https://sommofest.com/

We have said this before and we are saying it again, before going to any festival you need to find the one that is right for you, know all the costs and what is and what is not included and what is allowed at the festival grounds as they will differ from festival to festival.  Remember the additional costs for parking, camping, or shuttles before putting any event on your bucket list.

As you can see many smaller festivals offer just as an amazing experience are the larger festival and there are just as m any to choose from, these are our selections, but we recommend that you also do your research.

When attending the festival on your bucket list this summer, remember to tag us on social media (Twitter | TikTok | Facebook @spotlightbizmag and Instagram @spotlightonbizmag) so that we can share your experience with our readers and get your favorites festivals on our radar for 2025.

Here’s to Sun, Sand, Songs & Sociables all Summer long!

by Ryan Myson