The Vancouver Folk Music Festival (VFMF), founded in 1978, is an outdoor multistage music festival, located at Jericho Beach Park on the west side of Vancouver, British Columbia. It takes place annually on the third weekend of July, drawing over 30,000 attendees each year.
The festival has attracted artists from across the world, including Adam Cohen, Ani Difranco, Utah Phillips, Pete Seeger, Tuvan throat singers, Sarah Harmer, Veda Hille, Feist, K'naan, and Ferron, among many others.
History The Vancouver Folk Music Festival was founded in 1978 by Mitch Podolak and Colin Gorrie, who also helped establish the Winnipeg Folk Festival; Ernie Fladell and Frances “Frannie” Fitzgibbon, employees at the City of Vancouver's social planning department; and Gary Cristall, who coordinated the event. The inaugural festival took place from August 11 through 13, 1978 in Stanley Park, and an estimated 10,000 people were in attendance. Performers included Mary McCaslin and Jim Ringer, Odetta, Stan Rogers. Leon Redbone, Leon Bibb, and John Hammond.
In 1979, the event was changed to take place the third weekend of July at Jericho Beach. Late in the year, the Vancouver Folk Music Festival Society was established as a non-profit organization and given control of future versions of the festival. In early years, the organization operated a dedicated record label called Festival Records.
Previous Lineups
2023 Lineup The 46th annual festival was held July 14–16, 2023.
American Beauties Jill Barber Blick Bassy Tré Burt Jim Byrnes Las Cafeteras Calexico Celeigh Cardinal Joachim Cooder Steve Dawson and the Hooded Mergansers Maya de Vitry Krystle dos Santos Ferron Derek Gripper Joe Henry The High Bar Gang Rich Hope Melón Jiménez & Lara Wong Kalàscima feat. Andrea Ramolo Kayhan Kalhor Trio Amythyst Kiah Albert Lee Don McGlashan w/ Anita Clark Ruth Moody Namgar Aoife O'Donovan Susan O'Neill Samantha Parton Jocelyn Pettit & Ellen Gire William Prince Cláudio Rabeca Quartet w/ Serena Eades Rum Ragged San Pedro Cinco Ruby Singh and The Future Ancestors The Sojourners Tiny Habits True Loves Twin Flames Cedric Watson & Jourdan Thibodeaux
2019 Lineup The 42nd annual festival was held July 19–21, 2019.
Aerialists Black String Danny Boudreau Band Basia Bulat Matthew Byrne Celeigh Cardinal Andrew Collins Trio Copperhead The Dardanelles Steve Dawson Desirée Dawson Trio Brother Tito Deler Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers Bobby Dove Ramblin' Jack Elliott Mike Farris & The Fortunate Few Luca Fogale Front Country Amos Garrett & Julian Kerr Raine Hamilton String Trio The Hamiltones David Hidalgo Zaki Ibrahim Illiteratty Kirchen, Cox and McRae Kitty And The Rooster La Mexcalina Joey Landreth Larkin Poe Le Vent du Nord George Leach Band Locarno Lonesome Ace Stringband Los Pachamama y Flor Amargo Corb Lund Don McGlashan Pablo Mendéndez & Mezcla Midnight Shine Irish Mythen Namgar Oktopus Marin Patenaude The Rad Trads Rebirth Brass Band John Reishman And The Jaybirds Riit Sam Roberts Band Pharis and Jason Romero Lucy Rose Rosie & the Riveters Ruby & Smith Sarah Shook & the Disarmers Vivek Shraya/Too Attached Son of James Nano Stern Trio Tal National Emily Triggs Tsatsu Stalqayu Sunny War
2018 Lineup The 41st annual festival was held July 13–16, 2018.
Art Bergmann Wallis Bird Mariel Buckley Steph Cameron Neko Case Ry Cooder feat. the Hamilton's Joachim Cooder Rodney Crowell Alex Cuba DakhaBrakha Dálava Darlingside Guy Davis The Dead South Las Estrellas de Vancouver Mick Flannery Dori Freeman Gamelan Bike Bike Ilaria Graziano e Francesco Forni Gordon Grdina's Haram Jimmy "Duck" Holmes Iskwé Kacy & Clayton Martin Kerr Ezra Kwizera Grant Lawrence and Friends Little Miss Higgins John Lowell Band A Familia Machado James McMurtry Mike Munson Murfitt and Main Dawn Pemberton Petunia and the Vipers Carole Pope Les Poules a Colin Professor Banjo & Estro Jennies Quantum Tangle Ranky Tanky Steve Riley & Mamou Playboys Archie Roach Small Glories Son de Madera Jayme Stone's Folklife Leonard Sumner Three Women and the Truth Viper Central Skye Wallace Wazimbo and Banda Kakana Donovan Woods
2017 Lineup The 40th annual festival was held July 13–16, 2017.
C.R. Avery Bahamas Barenaked Ladies Blick Bassy Begonia The Belle Game Blind Pilot Bob Bossin Billy Bragg & Joe Henry Jim Bryson Jim Byrnes Choir! Choir! Choir! Chouk Bwa Libète Cold Specks Shawn Colvin Delgres Cris Derksen Alpha Yaya Diallo Kathleen Edwards Ellika Solo Rafael Ramy Essam Ferron & her All Star Band Roy Forbes The Funk Hunters Rhiannon Giddens Ganga Giri Noah Gundersen Hillsburn Matt Holubowski ILAM Emmanuel Jal Eilen Jewell Jonah Blacksmith Si Kahn Korrontzi Jim Kweskin & Meredith Axelrod The Mae Trio Mbongwana Star Paul McKenna Mélisande Tift Merritt Katie Moore and Andrew Horton Jake Morley Native North America: A Gathering of Indigenous Trailblazers Nive Nielsen & The Deer Children Aoife O'Donovan & Noam Pikelny Grace Petrie Leonard Podolak The Revivalists Archie Roach Nell Robinson & Jim Nunally Band RURA Clinton & Lorna St. John John K. Samson & The Winter Wheat La Santa Cecilia Andy Shauf Nick Sherman Gabrielle Shonk Sidestepper The Slocan Ramblers The Sojourners Tomato Tomato True Blues feat. Corey Harris & Alvin Youngblood Hart Will Varley Leif Vollebekk Luke Wallace Wesli
2016 Lineup The 39th annual festival was held July 15–17, 2016.
Jojo Abot Ajinai Elida Almeida The Americans Faris Amine Geoff Berner The Bills Birds of Chicago Hayes Carll Martin and Eliza Carthy Bruce Cockburn The Crooked Brothers Élage Diouf Mike Edel Emilie and Ogden Lee Fields and the Expressions Dominique Fricot Martin Harley The Harpoonist & the Axe Murderer Les Hay Babies Jolie Holland and Samantha Parton I Draw Slow Hubby Jenkins Kaumakaiwa Kanaka‘ole with Shawn Pimental Shane Koyczan and The Short Story Long Lakou Mizik Land of Talk Lisa LeBlanc Leftover Salmon Terra Lightfoot Little Scream Lord Huron Betsayda Machado y La Parranda el Clavo Mandolin Orange Mexican Institute of Sound Moulettes Nahko and Medicine for People Flávia Nascimento The New Pornographers Les Noces Gitanes Cian Nugent Lisa O'Neill Oh Pep! Oysterband Chris Pureka The Ragpicker String Band Karim Saada San Fermin Sarah Jane Scouten Ten Strings and a Goat Skin Trad.Attack! Twin Bandit Henry Wagons The Wainwright Sisters M. Ward Lucy Ward The Weather Station Yemen Blues with Ravid Kahalani The Young’uns
2015 Lineup The 38th annual festival was held July 17–19, 2015.
100 Mile House Ross Ainslie and Jarlath Henderson Annie Lou Matthew Barber and Jill Barber Beans on Toast Lurrie Bell Blind Pilot Breabach Basia Bulat Bustamento Sousou and Maher Cissoko Adam Cohen Diyet Cécile Doo-Kingué The Down Hill Strugglers Frazey Ford Fortunate Ones La Gallera Social Club Mary Gauthier Jenn Grant Ash Grunwald I'm With Her The Jerry Cans Angélique Kidjo Bassekou Kouyaté & Ngoni Ba Pokey LaFarge Sam Lee (folk musician) and Friends The Lowest Pair Lucius Bongeziwe Mabandla Mama Kin Matuto Rory McLeod Melbourne Ska Orchestra Old Man Luedecke The Once Lindi Ortega Parsonsfield Perch Creek Grace Petrie Phosphorescent Les Poules à Colin Rising Appalachia The Sadies Said the Whale Scarlett Jane Shtreiml & Ismail Fencioglu Son Little Söndörgö The Strumbellas Tanga Richard Thompson Trampled By Turtles Ivan Tucakov and Tambura Rasa The Wilderness of Manitoba Marlon Williams Hawksley Workman Jasper Sloan Yip
2014 Lineup The 37th annual festival was held July 18–20, 2014.
Banda Kakana Andrew Bird and the Hands of Glory Born Ruffians Brasstronaut David Bridie The Carper Family The Como Mamas Rose Cousins The Casey Driessen Singularity Dulsori Quique Escamilla Alejandro Escovedo and the Sensitive Boys Fish and Bird Flying Mountain Ashleigh Flynn & the Back Porch Majority Beppe Gambetta Geoumungo Factory Eliza Gilkyson Great Lake Swimmers Grievous Angels James Hill The Honeycutters The Howlin' Brothers Tamar Ilana & Ventanas Iskwew Singers Stephen Kellogg Roger Knox Seun Kuti and Egypt 80 Mary Lambert Jon Langford and Jean Cook Amos Lee Lemon Bucket Orkestra Lost Bayou Ramblers Jay Malinowski & The Deadcoast La Manta Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar Tift Merritt Mokoomba Leo Moran and Anthony Thistlethwaite The Nautical Miles Oh My Darling Ozomatli Pacifika Karine Polwart Alejandra Ribera Jenny Ritter David Rovics Noura Mint Seymali Langhorne Slim & the Law Leonard Sumner Oliver Swain's Big Machine Riccardo Tesi & Banditaliana Les Tireux D'Roches Typhoon Foy Vance Suzie Vinnick Wagons Leo "Bud" Welch Josh White Jr. Wintersleep Frank Yamma
2013 Lineup The 36th annual festival was held July 19–21, 2013.
Lena Anderssen Sam Baker Del Barber Black Prairie Bon Debarras Dalannah Gail Bowen Briga The Brothers Comatose Jeffery Broussard & the Creole Cowboys Brown Bird Jason Burnstick The Cat Empire Tim Chaisson Cold Specks Debo Band Delhi 2 Dublin DeVotchKa Joaquin Diaz The Raghu Dixit Project Maria Dunn Kathleen Edwards Steve Earle & The Dukes Elephant Revival Hannah Georgas Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion Habadekuk Hanggai Hayden Hazmat Modine Hurray for the Riff Raff Reid Jamieson Anthony Joseph and the Spasm Band The Alan Kelly Gang Mo Kenney Kaki King Aidan Knight Kobo Town The Latchikós The Littlest Birds Mamselle Natalie Maines Maria in the Shower Danny Michel Nomadic Massive Jerron "Blind Bow" Paxton Phildel Martha Redbone Roots Project Pharis and Jason Romero Justin Rutledge Stefano Saletti and Piccola Banda Ikona The Shirleys Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars moira smiley & VOCO Kinnie Starr Jayme Stone Stringband Vancouver Chinese Music Ensemble Tinpan Orange Los Vega The Waterboys Loudon Wainwright III Sara Watkins Whitehorse The Wooden Sky Fatma Zidan Laetitia Zonzambé
2012 Lineup The 35th annual festival was held July 13–15, 2012.
The Atomic Duo The Barr Brothers Geoff Berner Mark Berube Besh o droM Bette and Wallet Blitz the Ambassador Bombolessé Bryan Bowers Canailles The Cave Singers Chatham County Line The Johnny Clegg Band Amelia Curran Dala Kat Danser Ani DiFranco Colleen Eccleston Ramblin' Jack Elliott e.s.l. David Essig Mike Farris & the Cumberland Saints Fearing & White Roy Forbes Jaron Freeman Fox and the Opposite of Everything Tret Fure Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto Leela Gilday Good for Grapes The Head and the Heart Hey Rosetta! Veda Hille H'Sao Jaffa Road Martyn Joseph K'naan Murray McLauchlan Dan Mangan Marley's Ghost Emel Mathlouthi Minor Empire Mrigya Holly Near The Once evalyn parry Pied Pumkin Possessed by Paul James River City Extension Alejandra Robles Serena Ryder Shakura S'Aida Silk Road Music Sidi Touré Wake Owl Cedric Watson et Bijou Créole Wazimbo Ken Whiteley and the Levy Sisters Lucinda Williams The Wood Brothers Royal Wood
2011 Lineup The 34th annual festival was held July 15–17, 2011.
Freshlyground Justin Townes Earle Gillian Welch James Cotton Superharp Tim Robbins and the Rouges Gallery Band Ti-Coca and Wanga Neges Rosanne Cash The Jayhawks La-33 Josh Ritter and the Royal City Band Tinariwen Emmanuel Jal Beats Antique The Duhks Buck 65 Jim Bryson and The Weakerthans C.R. Avery Pokey LaFarge and the South City Three Elliott BROOD Kathryn Calder The Burning Hell David Wax Museum
2010 Lineup The 33rd annual festival was held July 16–18, 2010. Artists included:
Gadelle Shane Koyczan and the Short Story Long The Avett Brothers Calexico Sarah Harmer Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens Brett Dennen Natacha Atlas Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder
2009 Lineup The 32nd annual festival was held on July 17–19, 2009.
Los De Abajo Justin Adams and Juldeh Camara Matt Anderson Darol Anger, Mike Marshall with Vasen Arrested Development Bellowhead Geoff Berner Mark Berube and the Patriotic Few The Blue Voodoo Bop Ensemble The Breakmen Basia Bulat CaneFire Eliana Cuevas The Ebony Hillbillies Tony McManus Jorge Miguel Flamenco Los Misioneros del Norte Mr. Something Something Matabaruka Idy Oulo Jonathan Edwards Joel Fafard Roy Forbes