The humble Field Trip Music & Arts festival ably turns Toronto’s downtown into the quintessential summer spot that you must absolutely be at on the 6th and 7th day of June.

To all of you who equate summer to some quality, outdoor family time, surrounded by the best in arts, Field Trip probably has a package you’ll enjoy. By bringing the most enjoyable aspects of the cultural space together, the festival is a genuine, all-inclusive affair. Let The Sherp tell you why.

Fort York and Garrison Common

The vast green expanse of Fort York and Garrison Common is neatly turned into a festival spot, replete with modest stages, food area called mess hall, art space, and activities area. The entire vibe is in tune with the season, as the festival resembles a mini-sized carnival! It’s the true representation of a boutique festival.

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Musical variety

While it’s easier to dismiss the line-ups of most small-sized festivals, make no mistake of doing the same for Field Trip. Boasting of one of the finest line-ups of the year, the acts are evenly spaced out between the two days, making it a well balanced schedule. Read on for our picks of the lot.

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Alabama Shakes

This band amalgamates rock and blues with the style reminiscent of a long-gone era. If that isn’t enough to check you out, then we seriously hope lead front woman Brittany Howard’s powerful voice compels you into their albums. Their recent album, Sound & Color has earned them rave reviews, along with appearances at various other festivals, including Coachella.

My Morning Jacket

This Kentucky band gained mainstream recognition with the rising popularity of their unique rock sound, that was a resulting combination of indie factors, psychedelic and alternative notes coming together. After four year, the band is just about everywhere taking their new album to festival audiences. You shouldn’t miss this.

The War on Drugs

In a very short span of time, indie rock band The War of Drugs popularised shoegaze with their extremely interesting work, while working within the periphery of a non-commercial sound. Their Ellen Degeneres Show performance was highly acclaimed and they’re playing at Bonnaroo, Governors Ball, and Lollapalooza as well!

Marina and the Diamonds

Marina and the Diamonds works with a clear indie conscience as she experiments with pop tunes. Her music is extremely catchy, without ever resorting to poor-style gimmicky, and that is what has made her an extremely sought after singer-songwriter.

Father John Misty

With a strong indie band cred under his sleeve in the past, Father John Misty has turned in some of the more memorable festival performances of this year, including the recent Sasquatch performance that raked him high points. With the popularity of his recent album – I love you, Honeybear on the rise, his will be a set quite looked forward to.

Songhoy Blues

This band from Malia has gained massive respect for all the right reasons. Apart from fleeing their homes bludgeoned to submissiveness by radicals, they have followed their music with a keen passion from the very start. Their rousing sound, employing methods of folk and desert blues has made them incredibly favoured.

Cultural shenanigans

What ups the experience at Field Trip is their dedication to a stronger cultural inclusiveness. By including some of Toronto’s leading artists and their work at a dedicated art section, along with including some interesting comedy acts as part of the line-up, the programme is truly holistic. This coupled with a strong food curation, featuring some of the popular and better food vendors from across Canada makes the festival that much more notable.

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(all images courtesy: Field Trip Music & Arts Festival Facebook)