What is the Best Music Festival in Canada?

Recently, CBC Radio 3 began its third Searchlight contest. If you are unfamiliar, Searchlight is an annual contest that seeks to find the best aspects of the Canadian music scene. The previous two Searchlights deemed Meow Records in Prince George, BC the ‘Best Independent Record Store in Canada’ in 2008 and the Phog Lounge in Windsor, ON the ‘Best Live Venue in Canada’ in 2009 . Searchlight is currently looking for the ‘Best Live Music Festival in Canada’. The long list of fan-nominated Canadian live music festivals was announced on February 10th.

When the first call for nominations was put out, I felt torn. I love music festivals and I’ve been to so many awesome ones across Canada. My love of music festivals started as a teen. My dad would take my younger sister and I to Edgefest each year. It was great father-daughter bonding time as we’d pack up the car and he’d drive us several hours to Barrie from our small town. My family also obliged me as I moved from stage to stage so I wouldn’t miss any of my favourite Canadian bands of the time. The festival moved away from Barrie and my musical preferences, but the family tradition of sharing live music festivals carried on.

My habit of quickly transporting myself from stage to stage to optimize the amount of favourite bands I can see has translated into venue-hopping as an adult. Pop Montreal really allowed me to hone these skills, as well as catch a ton of great Canadian music live in a wide array of venues (I think I managed four different venues in one night). The same is true for Canadian Music Week in Toronto. As a bonus, jumping around from show to show also helps to learn the geography and public transportation systems of an unfamiliar city.

While trying to think of my personal favourite music festival, I was torn between Sled Island and Wolfe Island Musicfest. Sled Island is held in multiple venues across Calgary, allowing for that venue-hopping I enjoy so much. Even though it’s held in a major city, it still has a small festival vibe. And there’s nothing quite like being crammed into a tiny room upstairs at the Calgary Legion getting sweaty to Woodhands after quietly enjoying The Rural Alberta Advantage from a balcony pew at the Central United Church. Wolfe Island Musicfest is held a short ferry ride away from Kingston, ON. Wolfe Island is a small community and their Musicfest does the outside weekend festival superbly well. I’m not just saying that because they routinely fill their lineup with Canada’s hottest indie acts. I loved camping on a baseball diamond, basking in the late summer sun with a beer and hearing The Acorn and Plants and Animals cover Fleetwood Mac.

Reports of the Dawson City Music Festival and Sappyfest have me hoping to be heading in opposite directions very soon. What is your favourite live music festival in Canada? You can vote right now for the Top 40 nominated festivals. The winner of the ‘Best Live Music Festival in Canada’ Searchlight receives a free live broadcast from their festival on CBC Radio 3. I’m still torn and have been alternating my votes each day for my two favourites.

Photos courtesy of Danielle