Festivals
All Your Friends Fest 2025: The Artists We’re Most Excited About
This year’s All Your Friends Festival is bringing a wave of nostalgia and fresh energy to Burl’s Creek. It’s the kind of lineup that’ll have you digging out your old iPod Mini and re-learning the words to songs you haven’t screamed since high school. Here’s who we’re most excited to seem, and why they should be on your radar too.
Avril Lavigne
Avril’s back on top and bringing her Greatest Hits Tour to festivals, offering a nostalgic trip through her early 2000s pop-punk anthems. She’s been touring extensively, with shows in Canada drawing large crowds, and seems more energized than ever. She still knows how to command a crowd. Expect a tight mix of hits — Sk8er Boi, Complicated, Girlfriend — with enough fresh cuts to remind you she’s not stuck in the past. She’s finally leaning into her legacy and her present, which makes this set a must-see.
Rise Against
Chicago’s politically charged punks haven’t let up. Rise Against’s 2021 record Nowhere Generation was a sharp and timely reminder that Tim McIlrath still has things to shout about, and their live shows prove they’re not slowing down. Their latest EP, Nowhere Generation II, keeps that same fire going. Seeing Rise Against live is a full-body experience. Their shows feel urgent. Between fan-favourites like Savior and Prayer of the Refugee, and the newer material, the energy never drops. They bring a kind of emotional weight that makes you want to punch the air and start a conversation afterward.
The Veronicas
We weren’t expecting to be this excited about The Veronicas, but here we are. The Aussie twins are leaning into their pop-punk roots again after a few years playing with synths and ballads. Their recent album Gothic Summer feels like it could’ve come out during the Warped Tour heyday, in the best way. It’s raw, catchy, and kind of angry. Their live set is a little chaotic, a little camp, and very fun. Tracks like 4ever and Untouched still go off, but they’ve got newer ones like Perfect that fit right in.
Winona Fighter
This is one of the new names we’re betting big on. Winona Fighter makes gritty, catchy punk with serious attitude. Think early Paramore energy, but messier and weirder, in a good way. Their song “I’m in the Market to Please No One” is a standout: bratty lyrics, gnarly guitars, and a hook that stays with you. They’ve been grinding the DIY circuit and are finally getting some bigger festival love. Their live shows are sweaty and unhinged, like a basement gig with better lighting. If you like your punk loud and unpolished, show up early and catch their set.
Simple Plan
Montreal’s pop-punk sweethearts are still bringing it, two decades deep. They’ve fully leaned into being the soundtrack for millennial angst, and they do it with heart. Simple Plan always feels like a family reunion. Everyone knows the words, everyone’s a little emotional, and you leave sweaty and smiling. Whether it’s Perfect, Welcome to My Life, or I’d Do Anything, they hit that nostalgia nerve just right.
The Starting Line
For anyone who had a MySpace profile pic with side-swept bangs, this one’s for you. The Starting Line hasn’t toured much lately, so catching them here feels like a treat. Say It Like You Mean It still holds up, and “Best of Me” is basically a festival anthem waiting to happen. They’re one of those bands that soundtracked a whole era, and they still deliver.
Relient K
They’re back! Relient K made their name with tongue-in-cheek lyrics and pop-punk hooks, but the band has aged surprisingly well. After a long quiet stretch, they’ve released anniversary vinyls for Mmhmm and Forget and No Slow Down. Their songs feel familiar, but there’s enough self-awareness and charm that it doesn’t feel stale. We’re curious to see how their updated style plays on stage.
State Champs
State Champs are a safe bet for one of the most fun sets of the weekend. Their album Kings of the New Age still holds strong, and their newer album State Champs keep them sounding sharp. These guys know how to pace a show: all hooks, all bounce, no filler. It’s going to be a full singalong, full jump-around set. They’re tight as a band and know how to get a crowd going. Expect big circle pits and lots of smiles.
Boys Like Girls
They’re having a moment again, and we’re not mad about it. Their 2023 album Sunday at Foxwoods leans more alt-rock than emo, but the hooks are still there. Of course, everyone’s going to lose it for The Great Escape and Thunder, and if they play Two Is Better Than One, prepare for tears. They’ve toured heavily in 2024and seem genuinely stoked to be back in the mix. A great pick for anyone who needs a little drama with their pop.
Moneen
This one’s for the emo heads. Moneen’s blend of chaos and melody was always a little ahead of its time. They’ve been doing sporadic reunion shows and still bring serious emotional weight to their sets. Expect lots of feedback, screaming, and passionate fans yelling every word. They might not be a household name, but their cult following is loud for a reason.
More TBA, but this is already stacked. Whether you’re reliving your peak emo years or discovering these bands for the first time, All Your Friends Fest is shaping up to be a sweaty, loud, and deeply cathartic time.
Head to their website for more info.
Festivals
Governors Ball 2026 Release Daily Schedules
The set times are in. Governors Ball Music Festival just dropped its daily schedules for June 5–7, and the usual game begins: mapping your day, picking your battles, and accepting you can’t see everything.
Friday, June 5
Day one leans indie-pop into rap by night. Lorde closes the main stage at 8:30, opposite the tail end of Baby Keem(7:30–8:30). That’s your first big call: polished pop spectacle or Keem’s high-energy set.
Earlier, things get messy in a good way. KATSEYE (6:35–7:30) overlaps with Pierce the Veil (5:30–6:30) bleed, and The Beths (6:00–7:00) sit right in between. Indie fans will feel that pinch.
Midday conflicts are lighter, but The Dare (4:00–4:45) vs. Arcy Drive (3:30–4:15) creates a small fork in the road.
If you’re pacing yourself, the cleanest run is late afternoon into Mariah the Scientist (4:45–5:30), then pick your lane.
Saturday, June 6
Saturday is the most chaotic on paper. Stray Kids headline at 8:30, directly after Kali Uchis (7:30–8:30). That transition is smooth if you stay put.
The real trouble hits earlier. Major Lazer (6:30–7:30) collides with Blood Orange (5:30–6:30) and the start of Amyl and the Sniffers (7:30–8:30). Dancehall vs. alt-R&B vs. punk. Pick a mood and commit.
Mid-card is stacked with clashes: Ravyn Lenae (4:00–4:45) overlaps with Jane Remover (3:30–4:15), and Snow Strippers (4:45–5:30) runs right into Wet Leg (4:45–5:30). That last one is a true coin flip, two buzzy acts at the exact same time.
Sunday, June 7
Sunday might be the strongest day top to bottom. A$AP Rocky closes at 8:45, opposite the end of JENNIE (7:45–8:45) and Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist (7:45–8:45). That’s the toughest final hour of the weekend.
The lead-up is just as tight. Dominic Fike (6:45–7:45) overlaps with Clipse (5:45–6:45) and Hot Mulligan (6:15–7:15). Three different crowds, same window.
Earlier, Japanese Breakfast (4:00–4:45) and Holly Humberstone (3:15–4:00) form a nice back-to-back if you stay mobile, but Between Friends (2:30–3:15) cuts into that flow.
The takeaway
Friday is manageable. Saturday is conflict-heavy. Sunday is stacked late.
If you hate missing songs, plan short splits. If you want full sets, accept you’ll miss something big. That’s part of the deal, and honestly, half the fun.
Festivals
PNE Summer Night Concerts Announce 2026 Lineup
Vancouver’s summer concert calendar is locking into place. The annual Summer Night Concerts are set to return to the Pacific National Exhibition from August 22 through September 7, bringing live music back to one of the city’s biggest seasonal events.
This year carries a bit more weight than usual. The series will debut at the brand-new Freedom Mobile Arch, a 10,000-seat outdoor amphitheatre built for large-scale performances. The venue promises better sightlines, improved sound, and a more immersive setup for fans. It’s a major shift for the fair, which spent much of last year dealing with construction that limited its footprint and contributed to a drop in attendance.
Now, with the full site back in action, organizers are aiming for a reset. The 2026 lineup leans into that idea, mixing legacy acts with newer names across genres like rock, pop, hip-hop, and electronic.
Headliners include Blue Rodeo, The Guess Who, The Beaches, Nelly, and Zedd, alongside artists like Mt. Joy, Train, and Barenaked Ladies. Special performances include Cynthia Erivo backed by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, as well as appearances from Punjabi Virsa, Weird Al Yankovic, Earth, Wind & Fire, Pierce the Veil, Sarah McLachlan, and Boy George & Culture Club.
The full schedule runs nightly:
- Aug. 22: Blue Rodeo
- Aug. 23: The Guess Who
- Aug. 25: The Beaches
- Aug. 26: Nelly
- Aug. 27: Zedd
- Aug. 28: Mt. Joy
- Aug. 29: Cynthia Erivo with VSO
- Aug. 30: Punjabi Virsa
- Sept. 1: Train
- Sept. 2: Barenaked Ladies
- Sept. 3: Weird Al Yankovic
- Sept. 4: Earth, Wind & Fire
- Sept. 5: Pierce the Veil
- Sept. 6: Sarah McLachlan
- Sept. 7: Boy George & Culture Club
Tickets start at $49 plus fees and include admission to the PNE Fair. Presale began April 19, with general on-sale launching April 20 through TicketLeader.
New venue, full fairgrounds, and a lineup that leans both nostalgic and current. After a quieter year, the PNE looks ready to feel busy again.