The Burnaby Blues and Roots Festival is a Vancouver music festival that takes place on the lawns of Deer Lake Park in August.
The one or two-day event features great bands and attracts up to 5000 people.
The Burnaby Blues and Roots Festival didn’t happen in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022 the festival took place on Saturday, August 6th.
In 2023 the festival happens on Saturday, August 12th. It’s just a one-day event again this year. Different from past years, however, admission is free!
BLUES & ROOTS IN FORT LANGLEY
If you like Blues & Roots then you’ll likely also want to check out the Odlum Brown Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival. It’s a 4-day event that features two full days of Blues & Roots concerts. In 2023 the festival runs from July 20th until the 23rd.
Deer Lake Music Festival
In 2020 the Burnaby Blues and Roots Festival was supposed to be on Friday, August 7 and Saturday, August 8. Unfortunately, the event was cancelled due to concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. The festival didn’t happen in 2021 either.
The next Burnaby Blues and Roots Festival is scheduled to take place on Saturday, August 12th in 2023. Additional details are to be confirmed.
Bands that performed last year included The War on Drugs, Kathleen Edwards, The Soul Rebels, Ruby Waters and Balkan Shmalkan.
Some of the great performers from past festivals included Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Matt Andersen, Sue Foley, Leeroy Stagger, and Jesse Roper.
About the Festival
The Burnaby Blues and Roots Festival usually takes place at Deer Lake Park in central Burnaby not far from the City Hall and Burnaby Village Museum. The park is a beautiful venue, and the festival features three different stages, a market, food vendors and (very importantly) beer and wine service.
Concert Lineup
Below was the schedule for the 2022 festival. (Note: Times and performer details were subject to change.)
- 1:00 pm – A Blues Journey with Brandon & Jack: a six-piece band fronted by the duo of Brandon Isaak and Jack Lavin.
- 2:00 pm – Robert Connely Farr: an American singer now living in Vancouver who is releasing his second album this year.
- 3:00 pm – Balkan Shmalkan: a Vancouver-based group that combines traditional Serbian music with western pop and jazz.
- 4:05 pm – Ruby Waters: an up and coming Canadian singer who received her first Juno Award nomination this year.
- 5:15 pm – The Soul Rebels: a brass band ensemble from New Orleans that mixes various styles of music together.
- 6:45 pm – Kathleen Edwards: a Canadian artist who has performed for around two decades with multiple charting albums.
- 8:30 pm – The War on Drugs: the Grammy Award-winning indie rock band who recently released their newest album in 2021.
Things to Take and Leave at Home
There are a number of things that the festival recommends you bring to the event, as well as items you should leave at home.
TIP: NOT allowed at the festival are the usual things like outside alcohol, drugs and weapons, but also not welcome are pets, frisbees, balls, BBQs, musical instruments, shaded canopies and even umbrellas (so hope it doesn’t rain)!
Things to take include sunscreen and/or a raincoat depending on how the weather looks. Items you can take with you include low back beach style chairs (not more than 8″ in height off the ground) and small blankets.
The Burnaby Blues and Roots Festival is a fabulous family-friendly event with great music. The crowd is all ages.
Festival Admission
Most years the gates open at noon on the Saturday and performances run from 1:00 until 10:00 pm. 2022 ticket prices were as follows (plus taxes and service charges). In 2023, however, admission is free.
Early Bird (available until June 15th, 2022)
- General Admission – $40
Bought in Advance (June 16th to August 5th, 2022)
- General Admission – $50
- 4 Pack of Tickets – $150
Day-Of Tickets (August 6th, 2022)
- General Admission – $60
In past years children 12 and under were free with an accompanying adult, but they still needed tickets. There is a usually designated family area which is an alcohol-free zone.
Other Information
For more information on the event, check out the official Burnaby Blues + Roots Festival website.
For more ideas on things to do in the month of August, check out our Events Calendar.
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