Summer is always the season of outdoor music festivals and concerts. While the lower mainland’s music festivals tend to get the bulk of the buzz and attention, Vancouver Island is becoming a major destination for music festivals of all styles, attracting big names and small.
Just in time for your summer holidays, the next few weeks finds a multitude of music festivals all over Vancouver Island. Here’s a few of them;
Vancouver Island Music Festival: Comox Valley Fairgrounds, Courtenay – July 8 – 10, 2016
Acts include: 54-40, The Trews, Serena Ryder, Jim Byrnes, Ashley MacIsaac, John Prine
The Phillips Backyard Weekender: Phillips Brewery Backyard, Victoria – July 8 – 10, 2016
Acts include: Milky Chance, The Funkhunters, A Tribe Called Red, Bahamas, The Magnificent DJ Jazzy Jeff
A Very Musical Weekend: Morningstar Farm/Little Qualicum Cheesworks – July 16 – 17, 2016
Classical Saturday with Pinnacle Brass Quintet, Jazz Sunday with Dockside Drive Band
Chemainus Bluegrass Festival: Waterwheel Park, Chemainus – July 16-17, 2016
Acts include: FarmStrong, The Spinney Brothers, Clover Point Drifters, Harmony Ridge & Friends
Rock The Shores: West Shores Parks & Rec Fields – July 22 – 24, 2016
Acts include: City and Colour, Metric, The Arkells, Current Swell, The Cat Empire, Jon & Roy
Sunfest: Laketown Ranch, Cowichan Valley – July 28 – 31, 2016
Acts include: Carrie Underwood, Dierks Bentley, Dallas Smith, Neal McCoy, The Road Hammers
Filberg Festival: Filberg Lodge & Park, Comox – July 29 – Aug 1, 2016
Acts include: Bellflowers, Great Lake Swimmers, Alex Cuba, Twin Kennedy, Melanie Dekker
Symphony by the Sea: Mafeo Sutton Park, Nanaimo – Aug 8, 2016
Free concert by Vancouver Island Symphony with Tenor Ken Lavigne and Child Piano Prodigy Kevin Chen
Longwoodstock Beer & Music Festival: Longwood Brewery, Nanaimo – Aug 12 – 13, 2016
Acts include: Daniel Wesley, WiL, Northcote, John Middleton
Rifflandia Festival: Royal Athletic Park + various venues – Sep 15 -18, 2016
Acts include: Jurassic 5, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Wolf Parade, X Ambassadors, De La Soul, Keys & Krates, Lee Scratch Perry