Festivals
10 Artists We’re Most Excited to See at Summer Smash 2025
June 20–22 | SeatGeek Stadium, Chicago, IL
It’s the seventh year of Lyrical Lemonade’s Summer Smash, and the lineup feels like something out of hip-hop fan fiction. Future is headlining. Don Toliver and Yeat are forming a duo (?!). And Young Thug is making a long-awaited comeback that’ll probably go down in festival history. This is one of those “don’t miss it” kind of years.
We went through the lineup and picked 10 sets we think will be the talk of the weekend. Whether you’re here for the hits, the chaos, or the surprises, these are the artists you’ll want to catch.
Young Thug
Young Thug hasn’t performed live in years, and after all the legal noise, he’s finally back. His first post-jail performance is going down in Chicago, and there’s no doubt the energy is going to be off the charts.
Thug’s catalog is deep, weird, beautiful, and just plain fun. From “Lifestyle” to “Hot” to his newer features with Lil Baby and Carti, there’s so much he could pull from. Expect surprises. Expect emotion. Expect a crowd that knows every single word.
Don Toliver & Yeat (World Debut as a Duo)
This is brand new territory. Don Toliver and Yeat teaming up for a full joint set is not something we had on our 2025 bingo card. It’s an odd pairing on paper—Don’s smooth, Yeat’s chaos—but that’s exactly why we want to see how it plays out.
Don brings the melodies, the vibes. Yeat brings the alien energy and viral slang. If they’ve got unreleased music together (which, let’s be honest, they probably do), this set could be the birth of something big—or at least weird and fun.
Future
Few artists can command a festival stage like Future. He’s a headliner in every sense—hits for days, that hypnotic voice, and a catalog that spans club anthems to heartbreak bangers.
You know the crowd’s going to go feral the second “March Madness” drops. Or “Mask Off.” Or anything from DS2. Future doesn’t need much to own a stage. Just hand him a mic, hit play, and let the crowd go off.
Sexyy Red
Sexyy Red is pure fun. Her music’s blunt, her delivery is bold, and she has that wild charisma that makes everything feel like a party. She’s not afraid to get a little messy with it, and fans love her for that.
If you’ve seen any clips of her live shows, you already know: this is not a chill set. It’s a twerk-a-thon, a scream-along, a good time.
Lil Yachty
Yachty’s been on a wild evolution the last few years. From colorful trap kid to psychedelic rocker to full-on experimental weirdo, he’s doing whatever he wants—and it’s working.
He still knows how to bring the hits (“Minnesota,” “Broccoli,” “iSpy”), but if we’re lucky, he’ll throw in some Let’s Start Here material or one of those moody guitar-heavy tracks. His stage presence has only gotten better with age.
Saba
Saba is one of Chicago’s finest, and this hometown set is going to feel special. He’s not the flashiest artist on the lineup, but he’s one of the most thoughtful. His bars hit home, and his live band usually brings a whole other level.
If you want something more grounded after the high-octane chaos, this is the set to hit. It’ll still be lively, but in that “hold-your-chest-and-nod-your-head” kinda way.
Ski Mask the Slump God
Ski Mask is pure adrenaline. His flow is rapid-fire, his beats slap, and he moves like he’s powered by energy drinks and anime references. If you’re trying to rage, this one’s non-negotiable.
He’s been quiet on the release front lately, so there’s hope we’ll get some new material too. Either way, expect pits, weird dance moves, and a whole lot of yelling.
NLE Choppa
Choppa’s energy is unmatched. He’s the kind of performer who’s jumping into the crowd before the first chorus even hits. His songs are rowdy, catchy, and built for live shows.
He’s also leaned more into wellness and spirituality recently, which makes for an interesting contrast—he might start his set with yoga and end it with “Shotta Flow.” We’re here for all of it.
TiaCorine
TiaCorine brings that offbeat, genre-bending vibe that breaks up the lineup in the best way. She’s playful, unpredictable, and low-key one of the most stylish artists out right now.
Her songs can flip between cute and chaotic in the same breath, and she knows how to work a crowd. It’s gonna feel like a glitchy anime rave..
Chance the Rapper
Chance showing up as a “special set” feels like a wink to the city. He’s been quieter in recent years, but when he shows out in Chicago, it’s always love. His early stuff still hits like nostalgia, and Coloring Book will always be a crowd favorite.
What makes this set exciting is the mystery. Will he bring out guests? New music? A full-band gospel explosion? Whatever it is, it’ll be something personal—and something the city shows up for.
See you in Chicago. Bring water. Leave the weak shoes at home.
Festivals
Barnside Harvest Festival 2026 Brings Three Days of Music and Community to Ladner
Barnside Harvest Festival returned to Paterson Park in Ladner from September 11 to 13, 2026, bringing three days of live music, local vendors, food, family-friendly activities, and plenty of reasons to stick around all weekend. Now in its fourth year, the festival continued to build on its community-focused atmosphere while putting a major spotlight on Canadian music and some familiar names from the Canadian and international music scenes.
Friday kicked things off with a full evening of music on the Barnside Brewing Main Stage. Tsawwassen First Nation artist Bryce Williams opened the day before Uncle Strut and Hotel Mira took the stage. JJ Wilde followed, leading into the first of the weekend’s major headliners, Marianas Trench. The Vancouver band closed out Friday with a set filled with songs familiar to longtime fans and brought a strong finish to the festival’s opening night.
The Dueck Cadillac Stage gave festivalgoers another place to discover local and emerging talent throughout the weekend. Friday’s lineup included Clare Twiddy, Bealby Point and Fake Shark, giving audiences a mix of singer-songwriter, alternative and rock sounds alongside the Main Stage performances.
Saturday expanded the festival into a full day of music. The Main Stage lineup began with HB Wild and The Heels before Jake Vaadeland & The Sturgeon River Boys brought their roots and bluegrass-inspired sound to the afternoon. The Washboard Union followed, setting the stage for Saturday night’s headliners. Big Wreck took the stage at 7 p.m., followed by Smash Mouth, who closed out the night.
There was plenty happening on the Dueck Cadillac Stage throughout Saturday as well, with Annika Catharina, Three Nines Fine, Jackson Hollow, Imogen Clark and Daniel Wesley keeping the music going between Main Stage sets. With several styles represented throughout the day, Saturday offered one of the festival’s broadest musical lineups.
Sunday brought another full day of music and wrapped up the festival with two major Canadian headliners. The Main Stage schedule included DJ Larry Hennessey, the Delta Police Pipe Band, All the King’s Men and Imogen Clark before Limblifter and The Grapes of Wrath took the audience through the afternoon. Kim Mitchell followed at 7 p.m., bringing some classic Canadian rock to the festival, before Tom Cochrane closed the weekend at 8:30 p.m.
The Dueck Cadillac Stage continued the Sunday lineup with Marlie Collins, Daryl Burgess, Miina and Kim Churchill. It gave festivalgoers plenty of options throughout the afternoon and evening, whether they wanted to catch a familiar headliner or spend some time exploring another stage.
Music was only part of the Barnside experience. The festival grounds were filled with vendors and makers, giving attendees a chance to browse local goods between sets. There were also food options, festival activities, and plenty of spaces to hang out with friends and family. Free Chapman’s ice cream was another popular festival treat, while 50/50 draws added another bit of fun throughout the weekend.
For those looking for a more relaxed festival experience, the VIP Lounge offered covered seating, a private bar, complimentary non-alcoholic drinks, snacks, appetizers and desserts, along with views close to the Main Stage.
The festival also continued to highlight local food and drink, with the BC Craft Beer Corner featuring breweries from around the province on Sunday.
From Marianas Trench and JJ Wilde opening the weekend to Smash Mouth and Big Wreck taking over Saturday, and Kim Mitchell and Tom Cochrane closing things out Sunday, Barnside Harvest Festival 2026 offered a little bit of everything across three days. With its mix of established artists, emerging performers, local vendors, and community-focused activities, the festival once again turned Paterson Park into a busy weekend gathering place for music fans in Ladner and beyond!
Check out our favourite photos of the festival below or head to our Facebook page for the full galleries of Friday, Saturday, Sunday!
BARNSIDE HARVEST FESTIVAL 2026
All Photo Credit: Heather Horncastle
Festivals
All Things Go NY Reveals Set Times for 2026 NY Edition
All Things Go NY has revealed the set times for its 2026 edition at Forest Hills Stadium, with three days of performances led by Zara Larsson, Brandi Carlile, Ethel Cain, MUNA, Lola Young and Carly Rae Jepsen.
The New York edition runs September 25–27, with each day featuring a curated mix of established names and emerging artists. Larsson will close Friday night with her first-ever headlining festival set, following Lola Young and Rebecca Black. Saturday brings Brandi Carlile to the top of the bill, with Ethel Cain appearing earlier in the evening for her final performance of 2026 on the Willoughby Tucker Forever Tour.
Sunday closes the weekend with Carly Rae Jepsen and MUNA, while The Beaches, Hemlocke Springs, CMAT, Jensen McRae, Cara Delevingne and Rebecca Black are among the other artists performing across the three days.
The festival is adding comedy to its New York programming for the first time, with actor and comedian Meg Stalter joining Saturday’s lineup. Stalter follows Natali Jinju and precedes Jensen McRae on the day’s schedule.
Friday gets underway at 2:15 p.m. with Chloe Qisha, followed by Blu DeTiger and Cara Delevingne. Rebecca Black takes the stage at 5:05 p.m., with Lola Young at 6:50 p.m. before Zara Larsson closes the night from 8:45 to 10 p.m.
Saturday starts with Natali Jinju before Stalter, Jensen McRae and CMAT. Ethel Cain performs from 6:50 to 7:50 p.m., setting the stage for Brandi Carlile’s 8:35 p.m. closing set.
Sunday features Cherry Bomb, Grace Ives and Hemlocke Springs early in the day before The Beaches take the stage at 5:30 p.m. Carly Rae Jepsen follows at 7 p.m., with MUNA closing the festival from 8:45 to 10 p.m.
All Things Go has built a following around its carefully selected lineups and strong connection between artists and fans. That community has even inspired unofficial festival nicknames such as “Gay-chella,” “All Things Gay” and “Lesbopalooza.”
Lorde summed up the festival’s appeal during this year’s All Things Go Toronto edition, joking that she was collecting festival appearances like Pokémon before calling it the coolest festival in North America.
Lola Young, who returns to the festival this year, shared her own excitement about coming back: “All Things Go, we have unfinished business. I feel blessed and ready to take it to the next level. Thank you for having me back.”
The New York festival is part of an expanded 2026 All Things Go schedule that includes editions in DC and Toronto. The DC festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion features Hayley Williams, Mitski, Brandi Carlile and Slayyyter, while Toronto‘s June 6–7 edition at RBC Amphitheatre featured Lorde, Kesha, The Beaches and Wet Leg.
Three-day tickets for all three New York dates are sold out. A limited number of single-day tickets and two-day combinations remain available through the official All Things Go website.
All Things Go @ Forest Hills
Friday, September 25
Gates: 2 p.m.
- 2:15–2:45 p.m. — Chloe Qisha
- 3–3:30 p.m. — Blu DeTiger
- 4–4:35 p.m. — Cara Delevingne
- 5:05–6:05 p.m. — Rebecca Black
- 6:50–7:50 p.m. — Lola Young
- 8:45–10 p.m. — Zara Larsson
Saturday, September 26
Gates: 2 p.m.
- 2:15–2:45 p.m. — Natali Jinju
- 3 p.m. — Meg Stalter
- 4:05–4:50 p.m. — Jensen McRae
- 5:20–6:05 p.m. — CMAT
- 6:50–7:50 p.m. — Ethel Cain
- 8:35–10 p.m. — Brandi Carlile
Sunday, September 27
Gates: 2 p.m.
- 2:15–2:45 p.m. — Cherry Bomb
- 3–3:30 p.m. — Grace Ives
- 3:45–4:30 p.m. — Hemlocke Springs
- 5:30–6:15 p.m. — The Beaches
- 7–8 p.m. — Carly Rae Jepsen
- 8:45–10 p.m. — MUNA
