The Burnaby Blues and Roots Festival is a Vancouver music festival that takes place on the lawns of Deer Lake Park in August.
In 2023 the festival happened on Saturday, August 12th. Unlike in past years, admission was free! As of the spring, 2024 details are to be confirmed.
Deer Lake Music Festival
In 2020 the Burnaby Blues and Roots Festival was supposed to be on Friday, August 7th and Saturday, August 8th. 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 took place on Saturday, August 12th in 2023. Gates opened at 1:00 pm and the show began at 2:00 pm. Up to 9,000 people were able to attend.
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 typically features three stages, a market, food vendors and (very importantly) beer and wine service.
Concert Lineup
Artists at the 2023 festival included Buffy Sainte-Marie, Allison Russell, The Dip, Boy Golden, The Trade-Offs, and more. The 2024 lineup is to be determined.
For an idea of what to expect in future years, below was the schedule from the 2023 festival. (Note: Times and performer details were subject to change.)
- 2:00 pm – Bebe Buckskin
- 3:00 pm – The Trade-Offs
- 4:00 pm – Boy Golden
- 5:15 pm – The Dip
- 6:45 pm – Allison Russell
- 8:30 pm – Fleet Foxes
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 most years are the usual things like outside alcohol, drugs and weapons. 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.
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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