For its sophomore year, WayHome Music & Arts Festival drew a crowd of 40,000 people to Burl’s Creek Event Grounds in Oro-Medonte. My camera and I had the pleasure of attending the festival. Take a look at some of the sights and sounds we experienced over the course of this incredible weekend!
Welcome home, WayHomies!
RFID enabled bracelets served as high tech tickets and mobile wallets during the weekend
Almost there! The road to the music was line with distinctive and colourful flags designed by Angus Watt. Some might recognize these flags from other festivals such as Glastonbury and Bestival Toronto.
Edmonton-based brother-sister duo kept exchanging excited smiles during their funky electronic instrumental set.
Three piece dream pop outfit, LANY, helped set the mood on Friday afternoon.
British electronic musician and songwriter, Tourist, on the WayBright stage.
Nigerien guitarist Omara “Bombino” Moctar
Toronto producer and singer-songwriter, River Tiber on the WayAway stage
The WayAway stage served host to many up and coming artists throughout the weekend.
English electronic duo, AlunaGeorge, treated the audience to songs from their own discography, as well as selections from their collaborations with Disclosure and ZHU.
English rock band, The Struts, entertained the crowd with their stage antics, classic Brit rock, and popped bottles of champagne
Calgary’s Braids on the WayAway stage
Festival squad!
American folk singer-songwriter Nathaniel Rateliff on the WayBright stage
Toronto’s own Shad weaving his literary heavy rhymes for the WayBold crowd
Punk rockers, White Lung, led by the enigmatic Mish Way
Montreal indie rockers, Wolf Parade, having recently ended their indefinite hiatus, graced the WayBright stage
Toronto’s own Tory Lanez bounced around the WayBold stage
Metric’s Emily Haines
Twilight at Burl’s Creek
CHVRCHES’ Lauren Mayberry
The crowd at the WayBright stage for CHVRCHES
Showers may have been $9 each for those who braved the campgrounds, but Foals provided them absolutely free
My personal favourite set of the weekend, Foals.
LCD Soundsystem played their first Canadian show since returning from their five year hiatus.
At night, the WayHome grounds lit up
LCD Soundsystem may have been Friday’s headliner, but as hip-hop duo Rae Sremmurd took to the stage, they proved that the party had just begun.
Mac DeMarco
Marian Hill, composed of production artist Jeremy Lloyd, vocalist Samantha Gongol, and featuring improvisational jazz saxophonist Steve Davit, were my unexpected discovery of the weekend. Their AlunaGeorge meets jazz sound was perfectly paired with the peaceful evening ambiance of the WayAway stage
Keys N Krates
The music of WayHome lasted well into the evening, with the night’s final performers, Matt & Kim, taking the WayBold stage at 1AM.
Lindsey Stirling paired her theatrical violin performance with fully choreographed dance moves to open up Day 2
X Ambassadors on the WayHome stage
Montreal indie rockers Half Moon Run
Afie Jurvanen, known by his stage name Bahamas, at the WayBright stage
With a heatwave all weekend long, this cactus was a very fitting totem
Nineties nostalgia was alive and well at Third Eye Blind set on the WayHome stage
Liverpudian singer songwriter, Banners
A Tribe Called Red performed their First Nations music infused electronic music, alongside dancers dressed in traditional Native garb
Kurt Vile at the WayBright stage
Toronto’s BadBadNotGood performed their genre defying brand of jazz to a packed WayAway stage
French electronic band, M83, at the WayHome stage
Some impromptu Luchadore Wrestling
Arkells’ treated to the crowd to a handful of songs off their upcoming 4th album, including ‘Drake’s Dad’, which released just two days prior
Saturday’s headliners, Arcade Fire
A fireworks display at the finale of Arcade Fire’s set
Australian singer-songwriter, Chet Faker, performed his downtempo electronica tunes for the WayBright stage audience
Vince Staples is an absolute ball of energy. During his performance, he bounded from side to side of the WayBold stage.
The dim lighting of Savages’ set paired perfectly with their haunting and aggressive noise rock
Major Lazer treated the crowd to a high production show, complete with confetti, background dancers, CO2 cannons, and crowd surfing in giant inflatable balls.
Thank you WayHome for an incredible weekend! See you again next year!
Words and Pictures by Katrina Lat. Follow her on Instagram for more incredible visuals.
