Yes! Bestival is coming with the inaugural line-up for their Canadian venture. Featuring Bestival friends old and new, and a healthy dose of kick-ass acts from the UK, Canada and worldwide, nurturing the freshest, new, local talent, and showcasing some world famous showstoppers, it’s a statement of intent; and that intent is to party all weekend long! So much more than just a music festival, Bestival will be a creative wonderland set upon the iconic and picturesque Hanlan’s Point Beach, Toronto Island on June 12th and 13th. Bestival Toronto is a partnership between Bestival, Canadian promoters Embrace and SFX Entertainment.
“To say that we’re excited at Bestival HQ about launching our very first Bestival outside of the UK is a serious understatement,” said Bestival curator Rob da Bank. “We’ve spent 12 years working up to this moment and are so proud to be teaming up with Toronto to launch the good ship that is Bestival overseas. I’m also very proud of our first heavy hitting line-up with typically diverse headliners, Florence and The Machine and Nas! Two amazing talents. We are also announcing; the best leftfield acts around with Caribou and Omar Souleyman, electronic music from Jamie xx and Flosstradamus. I really hope you can join us on the ferry to Toronto Island in June. See you on the beach!
Championed from the very start by Rob da Bank, the artist known as Florence Welch started her Bestival journey in a tent in front of a few hundred people in 2008, graduating all the way up to her mind-blowing UK headliner set in 2012. Now famous globally, and ever the showstopper, we are delighted that Florence + The Machine will be one of the very first headliners for Bestival Toronto. They’ll be playing songs from their much awaited new album; How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful (due out in June) along with the classics that we all know and love. What could be better?
Renowned for our eclecticism, hip-hop has always played a big part in the Bestival vibe, so it’s an utter joy to announce a Bestival headline slot from the incomparable Nas! With a treasure trove of platinum greats to call on, Nas just happens to be behind Illmatic, one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time. With six number one albums on the Billboard chart, Nas is the real deal, and we’re super excited about him topping our bill!
Bestival is at the forefront of championing global music and we will be showcasing outstanding sets from acts as diverse as UK-based Ontarian Caribou, Australian wunderkind Flume, Syrian superstar Omar Souleyman, Chicago EDM explorers Flosstradamus, and an all firing DJ set from Bestival favourite SBTRKT (DJ).
Electronic music has always reigned for us, with an array of concept stages and mega soundsystems at the heart of our parties. For this soundclash spectacular, expect an outstanding deep house set from Grammy nominated Robin Schulz, late night head-nodding from Zhu, sizzling sounds from Hot Natured’s Jamie Jones, wonky love from Jamie xx, and classically charged beats from da Bank-backed, Grammy Award-winners Clean Bandit.
Plus we’ll have music from a spectrum of incredible acts across multiple stages from Rudimental (DJ), Owen Pallett, Keys N Krates, Born Ruffians, Bakermat, Cashmere Cat, Grandtheft, Justin Martin, Dusky, Skream, Robert Delong, DJ Tennis, Cassy, Shamir, Lane 8, Nathan Barato, Matoma, Museum of Love, Hunter Siegel, Shaun Frank, Kill Them With Colours, Humans, Tops, Whilk & Misky, Tei Shi, River Tiber, Harrison and Coleman Hell.
Bestival really is more than a music show, it’s an undisputed leader when it comes to off-the-wall production, and our Hanlan’s Point Beach trip will be no exception. Famed for its mesmerising sunsets and striking beauty, our newest home exudes natural beauty, and with a healthy injection of Bestival creative experiences, we’re going to take it to another level!
With arenas such as The Bollywood Temple, celebrating our life-long love affair with the golden age of India, The Bestival Inflatable Church where you can get hitched, or the Yarn Bombing Tent where you get to hang out with Toronto’s coolest crafters; expect a myriad of creative experiences to blow your mind.
For all you fashionistas and style gurus out there, prepare to indulge in our Costume Party & Parade. Saturday is the day for getting dressed up and glitter and sequins are positively encouraged at all times. There is no theme, and there are no rules, just step inside The Dressing Up Box, our emporium of what we like to call fancy dress, and express yourself.
Bestival prides itself on bringing the pizazz to the party, even the bars and food stalls have bags of personality, from The Day of The Dead Cocktail Bus to the Sunday Best Balearic Beach Bar. All this, plus pop-up theatricals around the site, from hula hooping and flashmob takeovers, to circus troupes, marching bands, and so much more.
Keep an eye out for more information, coming soon!
