The TIME festival organizers have never been afraid to shake things up. Over the years the festival has changed from a 2-stage indie/electronic affair held at Sunnyside Pavilian, to a 4-stage monster at Sound Academy with a heavy dance music bias. After 2010, TIME went on hiatus for a few years before moving to Fort York in 2014 with a single stage and a more varied lineup.
While most festivals will spread various genres over different stages, TIME didn’t have this luxury in 2014 or 2015. The organisers also chose not to stagger the acts by bpm or energy, rather ordering the performers by popularity, leading to some odd musical pairings. Last year saw attendees get hype for Alison Wonderland and Ryan Hemsworth in the late afternoon, before the pace was dropped for Ariel Pink and Mac DeMarco once the sun set. By the time Die Antwoord came on stage, the audience had lost the energy which had been building earlier in the day, and the performance suffered as a result.
Thankfully this year the organisers are once again shaking up the formula by adding a second stage which will pump out electronic music throughout the day. This will give attendees the chance to stage hop to fit their current mood, which should lead to a much more pleasant festival atmosphere. KiNK will be headlining the second stage, and is well worth checking out if you don’t already know him. The Bulgarian producer will be playing a live set which should incorporate the giddy rave sounds of last years Cloud Generator EP. The TIME organisers have also confirmed Bob Moses, Jacques Greene and Jonas Rathsman will be playing the smaller stage, so there is plenty to look forward to.
Many have been bemoaning the lack of hip hop acts at the major Toronto festivals this year, and thankfully TIME is picking up some of the slack, bring heavyweights Run The Jewels and Joey Bada$$, as well as undercards Kirk Knight & Nyck Caution. Run The Jewels are always a highlight, and in this case are worth the admission price alone. TOKiMONSTA will also be present, performing what is sure to be a high-energy set featuring her many hip hop productions. Further diversifying the lineup are R&B singer-songwriter Kehlani, New Zealand indie pop duo Broods and indie rockers Everything Everything.
One thing that hasn’t changed this year is the price. Selling at $30 for regular and $50 for VIP tickets, TIME festival is worth the admission price even if you only like a few acts on the bill. You can view the full lineup and buy tickets over at time-fest.com.