Spring is in the air and festival season comes with it. Canadian Music Week (CMW) kicks off the season from May 2 to May 8 and will feature over 1,000 bands at venues all across the city. The festival will include some of Canada’s best known artists, while showcasing its thriving indie scene. International acts from all over the world will also be in attendance, allowing for an eclectic festival-going experience.
Featuring various events and performances, CMW includes a large array of Torontonian acts. This year will include Lights, ColinResponse, Wild Rivers, and The Dying Arts, amongst many others.
With Hamilton’s reputation for fostering talent, it’s no surprise that many featured artists hail from there. Coyote Black, Forever Distracted, and Billy Moon will be performing, to name just a few.
There is definitely no shortage of artists representing Canada, which includes Vancouver/Montreal’s Tegan and Sara and Saskatoon’s The Sheepdogs. Even so, some buzzworthy non-Canadian talent includes X Ambassadors and Wild Nothing.
Over 60 venues will play host to the festival this year; The Drake Underground, Sneaky Dee’s and Supermarket are some of the festival staples that will be hosting performances throughout the week.
General admission and VIP wristbands are available, which allow entry into the venues for the entire week. Alternatively, if you are just looking to catch a certain artist, tickets are available for each daily showcase at individual venues.
Music Docs at HotDocs is also happening until May 8, which is co-presented by CMW. It serves as the film portion of the festival that focuses on music-related documentaries. In addition to music and film, CMW Comedy features a spotlight on Canadian comics from around the country.
