After weeks of speculation and teaser events, the organizers of the Bonnaroo-affiliated festival set to take over Oro-Medonte, ON, this summer have confirmed that the event will be called WayHome, and more excitingly, they've unveiled the inaugural lineup.
Sam Smith, Kendrick Lamar, Alt-J, Hozier and Modest Mouse will headline the three-day event.
Also joining the bill are Bassnectar, the Decemberists, St. Vincent, Girl Talk, Vance Joy, Future Islands, Odesza, Run the Jewels, Danny Brown, Cold War Kids, the Gaslight Anthem, Walk the Moon, Big K.R.I.T., How to Dress Well, G-Eazy, Courtney Barnett, Delta Spirit and SZA.
As for the homegrown Canadian talent, the Sheepdogs, Kaytranada, Hey Rosetta!, the Rural Alberta Advantage, July Talk, Fucked Up, Timber Timbre, METZ, Alvvays, Yukon Blonde, Sloan, Evening Hymns, the Highest Order, Viet Cong and Lowell will be performing, among others.
WayHome is set to take place at Burl's Creek Event Grounds (10 minutes north of Barrie) from July 24 to 26. The grounds are built to accommodate 70,000 attendees, with a capacity for 45,000 campers.
Organized by Republic Live, with the help of Bonnaroo co-founder and AC Entertainment president Ashley Capps, the festival will aim to recreate some of the Bonnaroo magic right here at home — with unique Canadian twists.
"We want to find ways to capitalize on being in Ontario and draw from that community," Capps tells Exclaim! "We want to create a festival that reflects that sense of place, but at the same time, we wanted it to be a world class festival."
Capps admits that the aim was to get "some of the top artists in the world — in fact, Sam Smith may be the top artist in the world," but with "so many great acts coming out of Canada and so many great Toronto artists," finding the right balance was key.
He also reveals that there will be more artist announcements to come in the months leading up to the festival, and that organizers are "exploring all options" when it comes to special performances and artist team-ups, like those at Bonnaroo's famed Superjam.
As for what will set WayHome apart from the multitude of other festivals taking place throughout the summer, Capps says, "Any time you have the camping experience integrated into the festival, community and shared experience, that takes the festival to a different level. City festivals are great, but it's a different level — and in this particular case, the size offers so many different options."
As previously reported, the event will feature additional entertainment including a "late night forest," art installations, food vendors and an on-site farmer's market.
You can see the complete lineup so far at the festival's website, where you can find all the ticket info as well.
Sam Smith, Kendrick Lamar, Alt-J, Hozier and Modest Mouse will headline the three-day event.
Also joining the bill are Bassnectar, the Decemberists, St. Vincent, Girl Talk, Vance Joy, Future Islands, Odesza, Run the Jewels, Danny Brown, Cold War Kids, the Gaslight Anthem, Walk the Moon, Big K.R.I.T., How to Dress Well, G-Eazy, Courtney Barnett, Delta Spirit and SZA.
As for the homegrown Canadian talent, the Sheepdogs, Kaytranada, Hey Rosetta!, the Rural Alberta Advantage, July Talk, Fucked Up, Timber Timbre, METZ, Alvvays, Yukon Blonde, Sloan, Evening Hymns, the Highest Order, Viet Cong and Lowell will be performing, among others.
WayHome is set to take place at Burl's Creek Event Grounds (10 minutes north of Barrie) from July 24 to 26. The grounds are built to accommodate 70,000 attendees, with a capacity for 45,000 campers.
Organized by Republic Live, with the help of Bonnaroo co-founder and AC Entertainment president Ashley Capps, the festival will aim to recreate some of the Bonnaroo magic right here at home — with unique Canadian twists.
"We want to find ways to capitalize on being in Ontario and draw from that community," Capps tells Exclaim! "We want to create a festival that reflects that sense of place, but at the same time, we wanted it to be a world class festival."
Capps admits that the aim was to get "some of the top artists in the world — in fact, Sam Smith may be the top artist in the world," but with "so many great acts coming out of Canada and so many great Toronto artists," finding the right balance was key.
He also reveals that there will be more artist announcements to come in the months leading up to the festival, and that organizers are "exploring all options" when it comes to special performances and artist team-ups, like those at Bonnaroo's famed Superjam.
As for what will set WayHome apart from the multitude of other festivals taking place throughout the summer, Capps says, "Any time you have the camping experience integrated into the festival, community and shared experience, that takes the festival to a different level. City festivals are great, but it's a different level — and in this particular case, the size offers so many different options."
As previously reported, the event will feature additional entertainment including a "late night forest," art installations, food vendors and an on-site farmer's market.
You can see the complete lineup so far at the festival's website, where you can find all the ticket info as well.
