Festivals
Boots & Hearts Festival 2025 – Day Three Recap & Photos
By the time Saturday rolled around at Burl’s Creek, lightning and thunder was a thing of the past and the sun was back in full force, already claiming its victims. Red shoulders, parched throats, and hats lost the battle against dust. But that did not slow down the fans. Day Three of Boots & Hearts Festival 2025 sold out before the gates even opened, and the Burl’s Creek grounds felt like every country fan in Ontario had shown up with one mission: make it a day worth losing your voice over.
While we didn’t manage to catch all the amazing artists performing that day, here are the highlights of the ones we saw:
Kelsi Mayne wasted no time firing up the Front Porch stage, jumping between country grit and surprise genre shifts. One minute she was tearing through her own songs, the next she was blending Kings of Leon with Coolio. It was the kind of set that makes early arrivals grateful they skipped sleeping in.
Right after, Karli June kept the energy glowing in the mid-afternoon sun. Warm, conversational, and with vocals that could carry across the field without a mic, she turned her set into something intimate, even pulling in Justin Legacy for a duet that felt like a small-town porch jam with a few thousand friends watching.
Hailey Benedict was the first act on the Main Stage and proved why she’s being called one of country’s fastest-rising stars. She balanced high-energy confidence with the charm of someone who still looks genuinely grateful to be there. Her cover of “Sweet Child O’ Mine” got the crowd belting so loud you almost forgot it was still daylight.
As evening crept in, Chase Rice rolled in with swagger, striding down the catwalk like it was his own front driveway. His set jumped between party anthems and heart-tugging moments, with “Eyes on You” sending the crowd into one giant, swaying chorus of couples and friends.
At one point, he cracked open a bottle of Jack Daniels, tossed it into the pit, and promised the band wouldn’t stop until the bottle was drained. It was reckless, and perfectly on brand.
The night’s closer, Sam Hunt, took the stage like a man ready to finish the festival in style, but fate had other plans. A sudden power outage hit early in his set, halting the momentum. Hunt shook it off, came back swinging, and had the crowd screaming even louder… until it happened again. Unfortunately, this time the lights stayed out, cutting short what was shaping up to be an incredible headline set.
That didn’t stop the after-hours chaos. Down With Webster turned the late-night party into a full-body workout, with a spin on “A Thousand Miles” that somehow had more energy than any daylight set all weekend. By the time the last beat dropped, the festival grounds looked less like a tired crowd and more like a second wind had just kicked in.
Saturday at Boots & Hearts had it all: heat, hiccups, and a whole lot of music worth remembering. The only question now is how Sunday could possibly top it!
Stay tuned for our review of Sunday and our artist portraits!
Check out our favourite photos of the day below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
SAM HUNT
DOWN WITH WEBSTER
CHASE RICE
HAILEY BENEDICT
KARLI JUNE
KELSI MAYNE
All Photo Credit: Kieran Delport
Festivals
FIFA Fan Festival Vancouver – Kaytranada
The FIFA Fan Festival™ at the PNE closed out another memorable week on Sunday with the biggest match in world football and a fitting musical finale. Fans packed the site well before kickoff, creating a sea of jerseys, flags, and face paint as they gathered to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final between Spain and Argentina. Every big chance was met with gasps and cheers, and when Spain secured the victory, the celebrations spread across the festival grounds as supporters soaked in the final moments of a month-long tournament.
There was little time for the excitement to settle before the day’s entertainment shifted from football to live music. Montreal’s Kaytranada took over the Amphitheatre stage, giving fans one last reason to keep the energy going after the trophy presentation. Known for blending house, hip-hop, R&B, and electronic music into a sound that feels uniquely his own, Kaytranada delivered exactly the kind of set the festival needed to close the weekend.
With Spain crowned world champions and Kaytranada providing the soundtrack to the celebration, the FIFA Fan Festival wrapped up another successful day at the PNE. It was a reminder that throughout the tournament, football and music proved to be the perfect combination, bringing thousands of people together to celebrate on and off the pitch.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
KAYTRANADA
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer
Festivals
FIFA Fan Festival Vancouver – The Dead South, Jesse Roper, Colin James
The FIFA Fan Festival™ at the PNE Grounds delivered another full day of football and live music on Saturday, July 18, as fans packed the site to watch the FIFA World Cup third-place match before spending the afternoon discovering Canadian talent across the festival stages.
The day opened with one last piece of World Cup drama before the tournament finale. England defeated France in the third-place match, giving English supporters plenty to celebrate before the music began. Groups wearing England shirts could be spotted throughout the grounds after the final whistle, adding to the lively atmosphere that has become a daily feature of the Fan Festival.
Once the football wrapped up, the focus shifted to the Amphitheatre and Park Stage. Vancouver’s own Jesse Roper was among the first artists we caught, bringing his signature blues-rock sound to an enthusiastic crowd. His guitar work and easy stage presence made for a strong start to the afternoon, with plenty of fans gathering in front of the stage despite a full day of entertainment still ahead.
Over on the Park Stage, Canadian blues-rock legend Colin James reminded everyone why he has remained one of the country’s most respected performers for decades. His set mixed polished musicianship with plenty of groove, drawing listeners of all ages who appreciated every guitar solo and familiar chorus.
The Dead South closed out the day. The Saskatchewan quartet’s blend of bluegrass, folk and country proved to be a perfect fit for the outdoor setting. Fans sang along, clapped in time and danced throughout the performance.
With the World Cup final less than 24 hours away, there was already a sense that the tournament was nearing its conclusion. Even so, July 18 showed that the FIFA Fan Festival remained much more than a place to watch football. It continued to bring together sport, live music and community in a way that has made it one of Vancouver’s standout events of the summer.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
THE DEAD SOUTH
JESSE ROPER
COLIN JAMES
FANS
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer