Big Music Fest was an annual music festival held in various locations in

Southern Ontario Southern Ontario is a Region, primary region of the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario. It is the most densely populated and southernmost region in Canada, with approximately 13.5 million people, approximately 36% o ...

, Canada. Belleville hosted every year from 2008 to 2013 with exception of 2011. Wiarton hosted an additional concert in 2009, while

Owen Sound Owen Sound (2021 Canadian Census, 2021 Census population 21,612) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. The county seat, seat of government of Grey County, it is located at the mouths of the Pottawatomi River, Pottawatomi and Sydenham River ...

held additional concerts in 2010 and 2012.

Bobcaygeon Bobcaygeon is a community on the Trent–Severn Waterway in the Kawartha Lakes, City of Kawartha Lakes, east-central Ontario, Canada. Bobcaygeon was incorporated as a village in 1876, and became known as the "Hub of the Kawarthas". Its reco ...

was the sole host in 2011. Kitchener was the sole host in 2014 and 2015. An anticipated return in 2016 was cancelled and no announcements have been made for 2017 as of April 4, 2017.

Past acts

2008

Big Music Fest 2008 was held June 2008 in East Zwicks Park, Belleville, and drew a crowd of 16,000.

The Tragically Hip The Tragically Hip, often referred to simply as the Hip, was a Canadian rock band formed in Kingston, Ontario in 1984, consisting of vocalist Gord Downie, guitarist Paul Langlois, guitarist Rob Baker (known as Bobby Baker until 1994), bassis ...

headlined the festival, and were supported by

Sam Roberts Band Sam Roberts (born October 2, 1974) is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter who has released seven albums. His debut EP '' The Inhuman Condition'', reached the Canadian charts in 2002. He and his bandmates have released three albums as Sam Roberts a ...

Sarah Harmer Sarah Lois Harmer (born November 12, 1970) is a Canadian singer, songwriter and environmental activist. Early life Born and raised in Burlington, Ontario, Harmer gained her first exposure to the musical lifestyle as a teenager, when her older s ...

Attack in Black Attack in Black was a Canadian indie rock band from Welland, Ontario, formed in 2003, whose music evolved from Hardcore punk to indie rock and folk rock. History Attack in Black began by playing hardcore punk shows and opening for bands such ...

, and Five Star Trailer Park.

2009

Big Music Fest in 2009 saw two concerts for the first time, returning to Belleville and adding a show at the Wiarton-Keppel Airport in

Wiarton, Ontario Wiarton () is a community in the town of South Bruce Peninsula, Bruce County, Ontario, Canada. It is located at the western end of Colpoys Bay, an inlet off Georgian Bay, on the Bruce Peninsula. Wiarton is notable for the Wiarton Willie Fes ...

. Belleville saw 10,000 fans in East Zwicks Park on June 20, this year featuring Theory of a Deadman and

Our Lady Peace Our Lady Peace (sometimes shortened to OLP) is a Canadian alternative rock band formed in Toronto, Ontario in 1992. Led by lead vocalist Raine Maida since its formation, the band currently also features Duncan Coutts on bass, Steve Mazur on guit ...

, with support from

Blue Rodeo Blue Rodeo is a Canadian rock band formed in 1984 in Toronto, Ontario. They have released 16 full-length studio albums, four live recordings, one greatest hits album, and two video/DVDs, along with multiple solo albums, side projects, and colla ...

, Hedley,

Jimmy Bowskill Jimmy Bowskill (born 16 September 1990) is a Canadian blues singer, guitarist and bassist based in Toronto, Ontario. Early life Bowskill grew up in Bailieboro, a small village near Peterborough, Ontario, where he learned to play guitar. Career ...

, and

The Parlor Mob The Parlor Mob is an American rock band from New Jersey. History Formation and Capitol Records The original members of the band formed in 2004, as What About Frank?. They independently released an album in 2005, entitled "What about Frank?". Th ...

. The Wiarton concert drew an even larger crowd, with 15,000 people in attendance to see

, and

Arkells Arkells is a Canadian rock band, formed in Hamilton, Ontario. In 2006, they signed with Dine Alone Records, and have since signed with Universal Music Canada. They have released nine albums: '' Jackson Square'' (2008), '' Michigan Left'' (2011) ...

2010

Big Music Fest 2010 again saw two concerts, retaining Belleville but moving the Wiarton show to nearby

. The Belleville show on June 19 featured

ZZ Top ZZ Top is an American rock band formed in Houston, Texas, in 1969. For almost 56 years, it consisted of vocalist-guitarist Billy Gibbons, drummer Frank Beard (musician), Frank Beard, and bassist-vocalist Dusty Hill prior to his death in 2021. ZZ ...

, with

Collective Soul Collective Soul is an American rock band originally from Stockbridge, Georgia. Now based in Atlanta, the group consists of the brothers Ed (lead vocalist) and Dean Roland (rhythm guitarist), Will Turpin (bassist), Johnny Rabb (drummer), a ...

Finger Eleven Finger Eleven is a Canadian Rock music, rock band from Burlington, Ontario, formed in 1990. They have released seven studio albums (six as Finger Eleven and one as Rainbow Butt Monkeys), with their album ''The Greyest of Blue Skies'' bringing th ...

, Big Sugar, Gord Downie and the Country of Miracles,

Karl Wolf Carl Abou Samah (; born April 18, 1979), better known by his stage name Karl Wolf, is a Lebanese-Canadian musician based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Recently named “Father of A-Pop” Karl Wolf has been a singer, songwriter, and producer sin ...

, and

Danny Fernandes Daniel "Danny" Fernandes (born September 16, 1985)Danny Fernandes
. Maple Music. Retrieved December 6, 2 ...

also performing. Hedley and

saw 10,000 people at Big Music Fest 2010, on July 3 in Owen Sound's Kelso Beach Park. The supporting acts included

Matthew Good Matthew Frederick Robert Good (born June 29, 1971) is a Canadian musician. He was the lead singer and songwriter for the Matthew Good Band, one of the most successful alternative rock bands in Canada during the 1990s and early 2000s. Since the ...

, David Wilcox, and

Faber Drive Faber Drive is a Canadian pop punk band from Mission, British Columbia, formed in 2004. The band consists of lead vocalist Dave Faber, lead guitarist Jordan Pritchett, bass guitarist Jeremy "Krikit" Liddle and drummer Seamus O'Neill. Their bigge ...

, among others.

2011

Big Music Fest 2011 was held on June 25 in

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, and was again headlined by

who wrote a song named after the town. Supporting acts were

The Trews The Trews are a Canadian rock music, rock band from Antigonish, Nova Scotia, consisting of vocalist Colin MacDonald, guitarist John-Angus MacDonald, bassist Jack Syperek, and drummer Theo Mckibbon. The band is currently based in Hamilton, Ontari ...

, and Miss Emily. Approximately 24,500 people attended this year's festival. The 2011 Belleville and Owen Sound editions were cancelled in April, due to low ticket sales and booking issues. If the concerts had gone ahead, this would have been the first year to see three locations host Big Music Fest.

2012

Like two years earlier, 2012 held two editions of Big Music Fest. The first was split into two shows, held on June 16 in East Zwicks Park, Belleville. The Belleville afternoon show featured

Marianas Trench The Mariana Trench is an oceanic trench located in the western Pacific Ocean, about east of the Mariana Islands; it is the deepest oceanic trench on Earth. It is crescent-shaped and measures about in length and in width. The maximum known ...

, who were supported by

The New Cities The New Cities is a Canadian Juno Award and ADISQ Award nominated band originating from Trois-Rivières, Quebec, and currently based in Montreal, Quebec. The current members of The New Cities are David Brown, Christian Bergeron, Nicolas Denis, Fr ...

and

Dragonette Dragonette is the stage name of Canadian singer-songwriter Martina Sorbara. Originally an electronic music band from Toronto, Ontario, formed in 2005, the band consisted of Sorbara with her then husband Dan Kurtz as bassist and producer (also i ...

Three Days Grace Three Days Grace is a Canadian Rock music, rock band formed in Asphodel–Norwood, Norwood, Ontario, in 1992 originally as Groundswell. Groundswell played in various local Norwood backyard parties and area establishments before disbanding in 1 ...

headlined the evening show, along with

Metric (band) Metric are a Canadian indie rock band founded in 1998 in Toronto, Ontario. The band consists of Emily Haines (lead vocals, synthesizers, guitar, tambourine, harmonica, piano), James Shaw (guitar, synthesizers, theremin, backing vocals), Josh ...

The Sheepdogs The Sheepdogs are a Canadian rock band formed in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in 2004. The Sheepdogs were the first unsigned band to make the cover of ''Rolling Stone'' and have gone on to a career featuring multi-platinum album sales and four Ju ...

, and

. The Belleville Intelligencer estimated attendance of 8,000 people. The second Big Music Fest of 2012 was held June 30 at Kelso Beach, Owen Sound. As in Belleville, the festival was divided into two shows on one day. The afternoon show saw

Down With Webster Down with Webster is a Canadian rap rock band from The Beaches area of Toronto who signed with Universal Motown in April 2009. The band first achieved commercial success with the release of the 2009 EP, '' Time to Win, Vol. I'' which consisted ...

supported by

Carly Rae Jepsen Carly Rae Jepsen (born November 21, 1985) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. After studying musical theatre for most of her school life and while in university, Jepsen garnered mainstream attention after placing third on the fifth season of ...

and

, while the evening show, again led by

, featured

I Mother Earth I Mother Earth, or IME, is a Canadian rock band. The band formed in 1990, reaching its peak popularity in the latter half of the 1990s. After an eight-year hiatus, it reunited in 2012. Between 1996 and 2016, it was among the top 150 best-selling ...

, and

Rival Sons Rival Sons is a Rock music, rock band formed in Long Beach, California in 2009 and also affiliated with Nashville, Tennessee. The band consists of Jay Buchanan (lead vocals), Scott Holiday (guitar), Dave Beste (bass guitar) and Michael Miley (d ...

2013

The 2013 edition of Big Music Fest was again held in Belleville at East Zwicks Park.

Burton Cummings Burton Lorne Cummings (born December 31, 1947) is a Canadian musician and songwriter. He is best known for leading the Guess Who during that band's most successful period from 1965 to 1975, and for a lengthy solo career. Cummings has been induc ...

and Band, Hedley,

Counting Crows Counting Crows is an American rock band from the San Francisco Bay Area, California. Formed in 1991, the band consists of rhythm guitarist David Bryson, drummer Jim Bogios, vocalist Adam Duritz, keyboardist Charlie Gillingham, David Immergl� ...

The Wallflowers The Wallflowers are an American rock music, rock solo project of American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jakob Dylan. The Wallflowers were originally a roots rock band formed in Los Angeles by Dylan and guitarist Tobi Miller. It ha ...

, and Bleeker Ridge performed.

2014

The 2014 edition of Big Music Fest was held from July 11 to 13 at McLennan Park (Mt. Trashmore) in

Kitchener, Ontario Kitchener is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario, about west of Toronto. It is one of three cities that make up the Regional Municipality of Waterloo and is the regional Administrative centre, seat. Kitchener was known as Berlin until a ...

for the first time.

Aerosmith Aerosmith is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of lead vocalist Steven Tyler, bassist Tom Hamilton (musician), Tom Hamilton, drummer Joey Kramer, and guitarists Joe Perry (musician), Joe Perry and B ...

Slash Slash may refer to: * Slash (punctuation), the "/" character Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Slash (Marvel Comics) * Slash (''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'') Music * Harry Slash & The Slashtones, an American rock band * Nash th ...

featuring

Myles Kennedy Myles Richard Bass (born November 27, 1969), known professionally as Myles Kennedy, is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. He is the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Alter Bridge and of List of Slash band members, S ...

Bryan Adams Bryan Guy Adams (born November 5, 1959) is a British and Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and photographer. He is estimated to have sold between 75 million and more than 100 million album, records and Single (music), si ...

Styx In Greek mythology, Styx (; ; lit. "Shuddering"), also called the River Styx, is a goddess and one of the rivers of the Greek Underworld. Her parents were the Titans Oceanus and Tethys, and she was the wife of the Titan Pallas and the moth ...

, Moist,

Big Wreck Big Wreck are a Canadian-American Rock music, rock band formed by Ian Thornley and Brian Doherty in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1992. The band was rounded out with David Henning and Forrest Williams. They disbanded in 2002 and Ian Thornley pursued ...

, Bleeker Ridge and

Kim Mitchell Joseph Kim Mitchell (born July 10, 1952) is a Canadian rock musician. He was the lead singer and guitarist for the band Max Webster before going on to a solo career. His 1984 single, " Go for Soda", was his only charted song on the US ''Billbo ...

performed.

2015

The 2015 line-up included

Soundgarden Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Cornell switched to rhythm guitar in 1985, replaced on drums initially ...

Jane's Addiction Jane's Addiction was an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1985. The band's best known line-up consisted of lead vocalist Perry Farrell, bassist Eric Avery, drummer Stephen Perkins and guitarist Dave Navarro. Jane's Addicti ...

, Extreme, Monster Truck, Big Sugar, and The Glorious Sons. Rod Stewart and Blondie were planned for an additional night, however poor ticket sales caused cancellation.

2016

The festival was planned to return for a third year in Kitchener, however was cancelled by the promoter, citing difficulty drawing "a line-up of world-class performers" but fully intending to return in 2017.

2017

With no announcement for 2017, the Big Music Fest website no longer live and with their Facebook page not having been updated since Aug 2015, it is assumed that Big Music Fest is no longer in operation.

References

{{Reflist, 2 2008 establishments in Ontario Music festivals in Ontario Music festivals established in 2008 Defunct music festivals