The inaugural Hillside Festival was held in 1984. Since its inception, it has grown to become one of the most popular music festivals in Canada and one of the most anticipated summer events in Ontario. According to the organizers, Hillside is world-renowned as one of Canada’s most progressive, environmentally conscious, and completely non-commercial community celebrations. It has won several prestigious tourism industry awards.
The Hillside Summer Festival encompasses various genres and styles of music such as indie rock, folk music, hip-hop, blues, jazz, world music, reggae, and many others. The festivals features both renowned artists and up-and-coming performers, offering its audience a rich and diverse program on five stages (including one kids’ stage). Notable musicians and bands that have performed at the Hillside Festival include The Acorn, Bombay Bicycle Club, Cowboy Junkies, Ani DiFranco, Final Fantasy, Sarah Harmer, K’naan, Los Lobos, Metric, Xavier Rudd, Sloan, Walk off the Earth, and many more.
Alongside concerts, the festival hosts spoken word artists, workshops, a series of children’s events, food court, craft market, and more. Hillside is a temporary village filled with music, dance, crafts and food that celebrates diversity in all its forms, creativity through artistic expression, environmental leadership and community engagement. The festival is known for its greening initiatives on site that help to keep the city clean and green.
Hillside also organizes Hillside Inside, a mini-festival that runs over a weekend in winter, typically in February. It hosts three evening shows, introducing musicians who are going to perform at the Hillside Summer Festival. The festival also features workshops, the Girls & Guitars event showcasing female singers-songwriters, the traditional Sunday brunch, and free programming throughout the city all weekend long.
Photo: Dean Palmer
