The music festival scene in Ontario is an exciting one to say the least, largely because there’s a little something for everybody. Longtime Ultimate Ontario contributor and music reporter Liisa Ladouceur is here to walk you through what’s on offer in terms of Ontario music festivals!
Music festivals in Ontario have something for fans of all genres and all ages.
From free outdoor shows to club crawls to full immersion weekends with camping and more, Ontario’s music festivals showcase the best local talent and host the biggest names in music from around the world. And while many of the well-known fests happen in Toronto, you can find excellent ones in other cities, big and small.
This list of the best music festivals in Ontario was chosen based on the event’s history and reputation for great music and good times at fair prices, and the uniqueness of their offerings.
If you’re a live music fan visiting or travelling through Ontario, I recommend planning your trip to hit up one of these. (And if you run a music festival that I’ve missed, please let us know in the comment section below!)
Music Festivals in Ontario During the Summer Months
Not shockingly, you’ve got a lot to choose from when it comes to Ontario summer music festivals.
Toronto Jazz Fest
One of Toronto’s great summer festivals of any kind, Toronto Jazz takes over the downtown for 10 days with a combination of free outdoor shows and ticketed events.
With more than 1,000 acts performing you’ll find all style of jazz represented. For 2024, they’ve announced saxophonist Colin Stetson, pianist Anomalie and Boston’s eclectic alternative act Lake Street Dive.
Expected dates: Late June
Born and Raised (St. Catharines)
Alexisonfire’s hometown, St. Catharines, becomes the scene for two nights of heavy music with AOF and invited friends in the city’s Montebello Park, less than 30 minutes drive from Niagara Falls.
The festival donates $1 per ticket to Indspire, which supports First Nations, Inuit and Métis students across Canada. The 2024 line-up includes some of my personal fave Canadian live acts like City and Colour, Metric and Sloan so I hope to see you there!
Expected dates: Early July
Mariposa Folk Festival (Orillia)
The granddaddy of Canadian folk festivals, Mariposa has been making a scene since the 1960s. Canada’s top acts like Gordon Lightfoot, Bruce Cockburn, Willie Dunn, Loreena McKennitt and the late Stompin’ Tom Connors have been regulars, along with international stars like Leon Redbone and Joan Baez.
Like most genre festivals, they’ve expanded their definition of “folk” to include all styles of great songwriters. There’s also a lot of dancing: square dancing, folk dancing, Morris dancing, African dancing and more.
One of the coolest things about Mariposa is tiered pricing to encourage young people to come out. A weekend pass, currently, is $189 for adults, but just $50 for youth aged 13-18 and $125 for young adults 19-24. Children under 12 are free with an adult.
Camping also available.
2024 dates: Early July
Ottawa Bluesfest
It started as a blues music festival in 1984 but Ottawa’s signature music gathering now programmes every genre.
Filling up the Lebraton Flats in the centre of the city, Bluesfest attracts over a million people to its outdoor stages over ten days and is one of Canada’s biggest music festivals. A few headliners for 2024 have been announced early (Motley Crue, Tyler Childers) but expect much more to come.
Set aside some time to explore Ottawa as well when you’re there.
Expected dates: Early to mid July
Rock the Park (London)
One of the only music festivals in Ontario still dedicated to old-time rock ‘n’ roll, Rock the Park takes over London’s Harris Park with ticketed events.
For 2024, Rock the Park will be celebrating its 20th anniversary and are going big: Nickelback, Tyler Childers, The Strumbellas and more to be announced.
Expected dates: Mid July
Hillside (Guelph)
Many music fans call Hillside the best music festival in Ontario. And it’s tough to argue with its winning formula: three days of music, spoken word, dance, drumming, art and more on multiple stages set on the beautiful Guelph Lake Island.
Founded in 1984 and environmentally conscious and accessible before that was common, Hillside has a true grassroots community feel.
The family-friendly music festival has dedicated kid’s performers, and children under 12 are free when accompanied by an adult. It’s also one of the most affordable Ontario music festivals, at under $200 for a three-day pass. You can camp on site too! Expect a diverse line-up of indie rock, folk, pop and more.
Expected dates: Late July
Boots and Hearts (Burl’s Creek)
The biggest country music festival in Ontario is also Canada’s largest camping and music weekend.
Located on 585-acre of grounds near Barrie and Orillia just north of Toronto, Boots and Hearts books the biggest country stars and goes all-in on making it more than a concert, but an experience.
The 2024 acts include Jason Aldean, Thomas Rhett and Cody Johnson. It’s not cheap, with a three-day weekend pass currently starting at $412, camping at $237 per site and parking at $162, plus glamping and VIP options. But kids under 12 are free with an adult.
And it has proven to be the highlight of many a summer for country fans. A shuttle bus to/from Toronto is usually available.
Expected dates: Early August
Riverfest (Elora)
As if you needed another reason to visit the beautiful town of Elora, Riverfest has become one of the best music festivals in Ontario.
Held at the picturesque Bissell Park on the banks of the Grand River, this weekend festival features top Canadian talent in rock, pop, alternative and hip-hop, is family-friendly, and offers camping. Passes are good value for the line-up. Shuttles are usually available from Guelph.
Expected dates: Mid August
OVO Fest (Toronto)
The hottest ticket every summer in Toronto is for Drake’s OVO Fest, which usually happens the August civic holiday alongside Caribana weekend.
Expect hip-hop all-stars and surprise guests of the highest order.
Expected dates: TBA
Manifesto (Toronto)
Manifesto has been elevating new talent from the Toronto hip-hop community for years and is one of the city’s most vibrant music festivals.
In 2023 it hosted the city’s biggest block party at Echo Beach. Expect fresh voices and ground-breaking sounds in hip-hop and R&B with DJs keeping the party going after hours.
Expected dates: TBA
Afrofest (Toronto)
AFROFEST is the largest free African music festival in North America, held on the east side of Toronto at Woodbine Park.
For 35 years, it’s been hosting top acts in Afrobeat, Afropop, Amapiano, Soukous, Makossa, Rai, Reggae, Rumba and more. Great food vendors, too. Come with an appetite and your dancing shoes.
Expected dates: TBA
Fall Music Festivals in Ontario to Have on Your Radar
Fall is a lovely time to be out and about in this province, especially at a music festival. Here are a few to consider.
Supercrawl (Hamilton)
Hamilton’s premier multi-arts festival features not only great new and independent music but performance and visual art, even fashion shows.
A free street festival that shuts down traffic in in the heart of downtown, it attracts up to 300,000 people over the weekend. It’s a great place to support local business and discover new music.
Supercrawl is also dedicated to achieving gender balance among onstage talent.
Expected dates: Mid September
Venus Fest (Toronto)
Venus Fest is A festival for women and non-binary artists that welcomes everyone who appreciates an inclusive, safe space and great music.
They generally program nights of music and visual art in intimate venues, with ASL interpreters on site. Expect new voices and local faves in a variety of genres.
Expected dates: TBA
Wake the Giant (Thunder Bay)
Wake the Giant is an Indigenous-led music festival on the Thunder Bay waterfront has been making noise for showcasing top talent in rock, pop, EDM and hip-hop.
Alumni include William Prince, Jessie Reyez, Deadmau5, and Crown Lands.
Expected dates: TBA
Ontario Music Festivals in Winter
Don’t let the cold weather trick you into believing that you need to stay locked up in your house all season. There are music festivals to be attended, after all.
Wintersong (Stouffville)
The town of Stouffville invites you to come out of hibernation in the depths of January for Wintersong, a free two-day festival with more than 50 music acts taking over multiple venues including bars, restaurants, and even the library.
The 2024 edition features headliners like Wintersleep and Maylee Todd with plenty of local talent, plus street performers to entertain you while you are hopping around.
Stouffville is about 50km northwest of Toronto and I think Wintersong is worth the drive!
Expected dates: Mid January
Long Winter (Toronto)
All-ages and pay-what-you-can, Long Winter is a music and arts festival for those who crave discovery. It’s also a fun place to warm up.
Expect an eclectic line-up of independent artists, collaborations, and experiments. In 2024, they are partnering with other local organizations to pool resources and present a variety of events.
Expected Dates: Mid January, mid February, mid March
La nuit sur l’etang (Sudbury)
A French music festival in Ontario? Bien sur! For the past 50 years, La nuit sur l’étang has been celebrating Franco-Ontarian music and culture at the Places des Arts in Sudbury, a vibrant francophone hub in Ontario’s north.
At two nights and one venue, it’s one of the smaller Ontario music festivals on this list, but it’s also one of the most unique. A real treasure and opportunity to experience a different side of Canadian culture.
Expected dates: TBA
Spring Ontario Music Festivals to Take Note Of
There’s a few festivals in particular we want to highlight for spring!
Prepare the Ground (Toronto)
This new heavy metal festival in Toronto takes its cue from the giant Roadburn festival in the Netherlands—defining heavy not so much in terms of decibels but of feeling.
More than 60 acts will play at five downtown rock venues and a wristband lets you club hop. Expect doom metal, stoner rock, noise, darkwave and other experimental sounds. Bands announced so far include Ken Mode, Odonis Odonis and a reunion of Canadian hardcore band Burning Love.
Weekend passes and single day tickets available for Prepare the Ground.
Expected dates: Late May – early June
Sound of Music (Burlington)
If free music and a midway by the shores of Lake Ontario sounds like your jam, plan a visit to Burlington during Sound of Music, Canada’s largest free outdoor music festival.
They book crowd-pleasing rock and pop acts from the 80s to today and offer carnival style rides, games and food. You can pay for reserved seats if you prefer to be up close or not stand all day. Spencer Smith Park offers great waterfront views and when the weather’s good this is a perfect summer festival.
Expected dates: Mid June
NXNE (Toronto)
Club-hopping in search of the next-big-thing, inspired by Austin’s SXSW.
The NXNE affordable $32 festival pass gets you into every show, subject to capacity.
Expected dates: Mid June
I hope this list of Ontario Music Festivals has inspired you to book a trip to experience some of the best music, art and fun that the province has to offer. If you have a favourite not included here yet, let us know below!
Liisa Ladouceur is a Toronto-based writer who believes adventure doesn’t have to be far away – it’s about curiosity and wonder. She runs the travel blog LiisaWanders where she shares lessons learned while seeing the world.