July
RBC Bluesfest
When: Thursday, July 6th until Sunday, July 16th, 2017.
Location: Lebreton Flats, Ottawa, ON.
Why you should go: Bluefest is the ultimate multi-genre festival located in the Nation's Capital. Featuring a diverse lineup with multiple stages, you can easily peruse around the grounds to sample different types of music to your hearts content. To celebrate Canada's 150th anniversary, Bluesfest has put together one of the best lineups they have ever assembled. This year's artist lineup features recent Grammy winner Flume, LCD Soundsystem, REZZ, RL Grime, Anna Lunoe, Bob Moses, A Tribe Called Red and much more. The organization of this festival is second to none, and there are some great food options as well. Bluesfest has become an Ottawa annual tradition, and this year continues the good vibes.
Must-see artists: Flume, REZZ, Anna Lunoe, A Tribe Called Red, RL Grime.
Festival D'été De Québec
When: Thursday, July 6th until Sunday, July 16th, 2017.
Location: Main venue located at the Plains of Abraham, Quebec City, QC. The Imperial De Quebec stage is located at 252 St-Joseph East St.
Why you should go: Founded in 1958, the Festival d'été de Québec, is one of the largest outdoor festivals in the province. Set at the historical Plains of Abraham in Quebec City, this festival is one of the most affordable in the country as a full pass can be purchased for only $89. The lineup is highly diverse but has some electronic music bookings like Flume, DJ Shadow, and DVBBS. Quebec City is gorgeous, and if you ever wanted to combine music with some sightseeing, then this is the festival for you.
Bud Light Dreams Festival
When: Friday, July 7th to Saturday, July 8th, 2017.
Location: Echo Beach, 909 Lakeshore Blvd. W, Toronto, ON, M6K 3L3.
Why should you go: Out of the ashes of Digital Dreams emerges Bud Light Dreams Festival, a new 19+ boutique festival at Echo Beach aimed towards the veteran EDM fan. With an expected 15,000 to attend the festival, Dreams will still have 3 stages but in a more intimate setting while still inviting top international talent like Above & Beyond, and Steve Angelo. Drum & bass, trance, bass, and house/techno are all well represented which gives a chance for fans to discover new styles and vibes.
Must-see artists: Above & Beyond, Steve Angello, Anna Lunoe, Ekali, Feed Me, Malaa, What So Not, Dillstradamus (Dillon Francis B2B Flosstradamus), Andy C.
FVDED in the Park
When: From Friday, July 7th until Saturday, July 8th, 2017.
Location: Holland Park, 13428 old Yale Road, Surrey, B.C.
Why you should go:Entering it's third year, FVDED In The Park is Blueprint Events premiere festival of the summer. Traditionally FVDED has managed to create a nice balance of acts spanning the world of electronic dance music and hip hop. This year they're bringing The Chainsmokers, fresh off of their new album and their current stadium tour, along with Dillon Francis, Yellow Claw, and more. Blueprint have a knack of booking a few key up and coming acts, so make sure to check out the fresh faces before they get big.
Must-see artists: Yellow Claw, Dillon Francis, NGHTMRE, Louis The Child, Lane 8, What So Not, B. Traits.
Bass Coast Festival
When: Friday, July 7th until Monday, July 10th, 2017.
Location: Nicola Valley, Merritt, B.C.
Why you should go: Set at the Nicola Valley in B.C, the Bass Coast Electronic Music & Arts Festival brings together music, technology, art, and nature for a special 4 day gathering. 4 stages, yoga and workshops, 2 cocktail bars, and of course the beautiful natural setting that is found in British Columbia. This 19+ festival has developed a loyal following as it has been completely sold out for its 2017 edition.
Evolve Music Festival
When: Thursday, July 13th until Sunday, July 16th, 2017.
Location: 274 Girvan Road, Moncton, New Brunswick.
Why you should go: Evolve is a 3-day grassroots music camping festival located near Moncton, New Brunswick. Started in 2000, Evolve is about combining music and social issues together in one harmonious package. Evolve is also known for its emphasis on environmental awareness with a goal of holding a festival that generates zero waste.
Valhalla Sound Circus
When: Thursday, July 13th - Monday, July 17th, 2017.
Location: 891 Rang Sainte-Madeleine, Saint-Andre-Avelin, QC J0V 1WO
Why you should go: Set in the woods in between Montreal and Ottawa, Valhalla is a 5-day camping festival that brings together serious bass talent. Led by Downlink, Eptic, and Must Die! - Valhalla better have a top notch sound system to keep up with all of the bass that will be played this July in the Quebec wilderness. If you're looking to get a feel of a western Canadian festival like Shambhala but live on the east coast, then Valhalla is the spot to check out.
AIM Electronic Music Festival
When: Friday, July 14th to Sunday, July 16th, 2017.
Location: Parc Carillon, Rue du Plein Air, St-André d Argenteuil, QC J0V 1X0.
Why you should go: Once this festival gets started, AIM offers fans a non-stop 32 hours of continuous music. This unique offering makes AIM stand out from the rest of the festivals as it attempts to re-create the feel of the all-night clubs like Circus Afterhours and Stereo Nightclub in Montreal. AIM caters to the underground connoisseur with a splash of trance to even out the lineup. Like Motion Notion out in the west coast, AIM Festival has doubled down on their lineup and made it bigger and better than ever. Located just outside of Montreal and Ottawa, AIM offers an excellent opportunity to enjoy some incredibly deep music in a beautiful surrounding. If you're progressive house fan then attending AIM is a must thanks to the bookings of Gai Barone, Jaytech, and more.
Must-see artists: Gai Barone, Guy J, Indecent Noise, Simon Patterson, Will Atkinson, John Talabot, Jaytech, Nic Fanciulli.
Astral Harvest Music & Arts Festival
When: Friday, July 14th until Monday, July 17th, 2017.
Location: North Country Fair Festival Grounds, Driftpile, AB, Canada. (3.5 hours north of Edmonton, AB)
Why you should go: This festival marches to the beat of its own drum as the stages are very organic, each with their own name and background lore. It's also highly interactive as there are plenty of yoga sessions, art workshops, seminars, and even a few kids friendly activities. The music lineup is robust with legends DJ Qbert and Nu:Tone leading the charge, and a whole host of artists that are instantly recognizable if you make the rounds of the B.C. festival scene.
WayHome Music & Arts
When: Friday, July 28th until Sunday, July 30th, 2017
Location: Burl's Creek Event Grounds, 180 8 Line South, Oro-Mendonte, ON, L0L 2X0
Why you should go: WayHome's reputation has grown leaps and bounds since it's inception 2 years ago which was encapsulated by winning the “Best Major Music Festival” award at Canadian Music Week. With 35,000 fans expected at Burl's Creek each day, WayHome has come a long way from its indie rock roots by offering more EDM and hip hop acts. The Australian super talent Flume has taken top billing on day 1 while Justice will be bringing their full tour rig to WayHome. Other artists like Marshmello and Porter Robinson have also secured high headlining slots on day 2 and 3. Republic Live also booked some key up and coming acts like Illenium, Louis The Child, and Mura Masa – each of them making waves in their genres. Located just outside of Toronto, WayHome is a great way to get away from it all by camping out and enjoying a lot of music.
Must-see artists: Flume, Justice, Illenium, Marshmello, Louis The Child, Mura Masa.
Center of Gravity
When: From Friday, July 28th until Sunday, July 30th, 2017.
Location: City Park, 1600 Abbott Street, Kelowna, B.C, V1Y 1B6.
Why you should go: Center of Gravity is one of the more diverse festivals in Canada as they combine extreme sports with a large dose of electronic dance music. This year they're going in deep with hip hop and EDM with Marsmello, Schoolboy Q, Excision, Snoop Dogg and more. The lineup is spread out over 3 days which means more time to explore the grounds and enjoy all of the events happening all over.
Must-see artists: Marshmello, Excision, Mija, Grum, Dr. Fresch, Ephwurd.
Electric Love Music Festival
When: Friday, Jul 28th until Monday, July 31st, 2017.
Location: Cheam Fishing Village, 930 Appel Road, Agassiz, B.C.
Why you should go: Electric Love invites you to join them in enjoying a solid lineup of artists combined with art, seminars, and workshops. This year they've really stepped up the lineup offering as they're bringing some key acts like Autoerotique, a special B2B with Xilent and Far Too Loud, the Prototypes, Croatia Squad and much more. Electric Love is a festival to watch as they're looking to make an impression this year.