After a five-year wait, Frank Ocean is finally returning to town – sort of.
The R&B auteur is one of three headliners playing at the third annual WayHome Music and Arts Festival, which takes place 90 minutes north of the city at the Burl’s Creek Event Grounds in Oro-Medonte, Ontario.
Ocean, who is playing festivals this year in support last year’s acclaimed Blonde album, was due to play OVO Fest in 2013 but dropped off the bill, so his last gig in Toronto was at the now-defunct Kool Haus in 2012.
The other headliners are top-40 rockers Imagine Dragons and Australian DJ/producer Flume. Holding down the second-tier list of acts are French duo Justice, R&B singer/songwriter Solange, masked EDM producer/DJ Marshmello and pop singer/songwriter Vance Joy.
Other artists on the lineup include Schoolboy Q, Tegan and Sara, the Shins, Constantines, Jazz Cartier, Daniel Caesar, Andy Shauf, Danny Brown, Tanya Tagaq, Mitski, PUP, Death from Above 1979, Noname, Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires, Charlotte Cardin, Louis the Child, Banks, Jahkoy, Mura Masa and Dashboard Confessional.
Last year, WayHome attracted 40,000 concertgoers with a lineup that included Arcade Fire, the Killers, LCD Soundsystem and FKA Twigs. The festival’s success has forced the long-running Hillside Festival to change weekends and sparked opposition from a local residents’ group called Save Oro.
July 28-30 at Burl’s Creek Event Grounds (Oro-Medonte), all ages. $229.99-$599.99. On sale Friday (February 17) at 10 am. wayhome.com.
Frank Ocean – ‘Nikes’ from DoBeDo Productions on Vimeo.
Brandy, Vita Chambers Fairmont Royal York Hotel Black Diamond Ball. 7 pm, $100-$250. blackdiamondballto.com. February 25.
Tchami Maison Mercer doors 10 pm. -$28.75-$34.50. wantickets.com. February 25.
AGO First Thursdays: d’bi.young anitafrika & The 333 Art Gallery of Ontario doors 7 pm. $13-$16.
ago.net. March 2.
Tanya Tagaq, Toronto Symphony Orchestra Roy Thomson Hall New Creators Festival. 8 pm, $33.75-$148. tso.ca. March 4.
GZA Opera House doors 8 pm, $26. –ticketmaster.ca. March 11.
Gay Cum Daddies, Retired, Cutout Lover The Baby G doors 9 pm, $8. March 15.
Mako Velvet Underground doors 9 pm, $15. ticketweb.ca. March 18.
Against Me! The Music Hall (Oshawa) doors 8 pm, $35-$38. ticketfly.com. March 18.
Red Alert, Bitter Grin, No Time, La Gachette, Night Stalker Hard Luck Bar doors 8 pm, $10.50. ticketweb.ca. March 18.
Dave x AJ Tracey Mod Club doors 8 pm, all ages. $25. ticketmaster.ca. March 22.
Schwefelgelb, Kontravoid, DJ Joel Eel Bambi’s doors 10 pm, $10. March 23.
FKJ Velvet Underground doors 10 pm, $25. ticketweb.ca. March 24.
Mantra, Champion Lover, Heavy Hearts, Knifey Hard Luck Bar doors 8 pm, $12. soundscapesmusic.com, rotate.com, ticketfly.com. March 25.
The Regrettes Smiling Buddha doors 7 pm. $13.50. soundscapesmusic.com, -rotate.com, ticketfly.com. March 30.
Finger Eleven Phoenix Concert Theatre $29.50. On sale February 16. ticketweb.ca. March 31.
The Acorn Drake Hotel doors 8 pm, $12.50. rotate.com, soundscapesmusic.com, ticketfly.com. April 8.
Pouya X Fat Nick, Ghostmane, DillanPonders, Flexatelli, WYBMF Mod Club doors 7 pm, all ages. $25-$45. ticketfly.com. April 9.
Kyle, Superduperbrick, Cousin Stizz Mod Club doors 7 pm, all ages. $23.50. rotate.com, soundscapesmusic.com, ticketfly.com. April 11.
Crash Vegas Danforth Music Hall doors 7 pm, all ages. $29.50-$39.50. ticketmaster.ca. April 13.
Pick A Piper, Yoo Doo Right, Edna King The Baby G doors 9 pm, $8. rotate.com, ticketfly.com. April 15.
Sweet Crude, Motel Radio Drake Hotel doors 8 pm. $11.50. soundscapesmusic.com, rotate.com, ticketfly.com. April 25.
Old Dominion Danforth Music Hall doors 7 pm, $25-$35. ticketmaster.ca. April 27.
Colleen Green, The Memories, Goodbye Honolulu, Bald Britney Smiling Buddha doors 9 pm, all ages. $12, adv $10. ticketfly.com. April 28.
The Black Angels, A Place To Bury Strangers Danforth Music Hall doors 7 pm, $24.50-$35.50. ticketmaster.ca. May 6.
Perfume Genius, Serpentwithfeet Mod Club doors 8 pm, $18. rotate.com, soundscapesmusic.com, ticketfly.com. May 11.
Ry X The Great Hall doors 8:30 pm, $22.50. rotate.com, soundscapesmusic.com, ticketfly.com. May 12.
Future, Migos, Tory Lanez, Zoey Dollarz Budweiser Stage doors 6 pm, all ages. $33.50-$108. ticketmaster.ca. May 16.
Arkona, Sirenia, MindMaze, Sicosis Mod Club 7 pm. $24. rotate.com, ticketfly.com. May 17.
Lagwagon, The Real McKenzies, Raygun Cowboys Phoenix Concert Theatre doors 7 pm, $27.50. ticketfly.com, rotate.com, soundscapesmusic.com. May 19.
Cryptopsy, Decrepit Birth, The Zenith Passage, Rivers Of Nihil, The Kenndedy Veil, Gloom Hard Luck Bar doors 6 pm, $30. rotate.com, ticketfly.com. May 23.
Chance the Rapper Budweiser Stage doors 7 pm, all ages. $29.50-$115. chanceraps.com. May 24.
Jack Johnson, Bahamas Budweiser Stage doors 7:30 pm, $45-$85. ticketmaster.ca. June 4.
Princess Nokia Velvet Underground doors 9 pm, $21. ticketweb.ca. June 9.
Arkells, July Talk Budweiser Stage doors 5 pm, all ages. $20.50-$76. On sale February 17. ticketmaster.ca. June 24.
Metallica, Avenged Sevenfold, Volbeat Rogers Centre 6 pm, $55.50-$183. On sale February 17. ticketmaster.ca. July 16.
Jimmy Eat World, Incubus Budweiser Stage ticketmaster.ca. July 22.
Belle and Sebastian, Julien Baker Sony Centre doors 7 pm, $59.50-$99.50. On sale February 17. ticketmaster.ca. July 27.
WayHome Music and Arts Festival: Imagine Dragons, Flume, Frank Ocean, Justice, Solange, Marshmello, Schoolboy Q, Vance Joy, Tegan and Sara, the Shins and more Burl’s Creek Park General admission passes $230, VIP $600. On sale February 17. wayhome.com. July 28-30.
Boots & Hearts Music Festival with Keith Urban, Dan + Shay, Eli Young Band, Luke Bryan, Brantley Gilbert, Lindi Ortega, Brett Eldredge, Kiefer Sutherland, Brooke Eden and more Burl’s Creek Park $230-$270. bootsandhearts.com. August 10-13.
Cult of Luna, Julie Christmas Mod Club 7 pm, $33.50. ticketfly.com. August 22.
Lady Gaga Air Canada Centre Second show added. 7:30 pm. $45-$275. ticketmaster.ca. September 6-7.
Get more Toronto show listings here.
