Have you ever been to a live music event and felt joyfully connected to the people around you, even the ones you’ve never met? How about feeling more friendly, relaxed and happy at a festival?
If you answered “yes,” you're not alone — and there's even science to back up these feel-good vibes.
To try and figure out what motivates people to seek out live music, SiriusXM Canada commissioned Dr. Matt Sachs, a neuroscientist at Columbia, to do some research. Well, he found that there are a whole bunch of reasons concerts and festivals leave people feeling on top of the world.
One of the insights he shared with SiriusXM was that simply the presence of a live performer can make you feel more relaxed than listening to a recording.
And that feeling of connection with fellow fans? It’s not just in your head. People who are together, sharing the awesome IRL vibes of a concert, can end up with synchronized heartbeats and breathing patterns.
Dr. Sachs also found that unpredictability is one of the huge appeals of seeing music in the flesh. Being surprised by the one-of-a-kind moments that happen during a live show feels really good, and that’s backed up by science too.
When it comes to music, SiriusXM knows what they’re talking about. As Canada’s leading audio entertainment company, they offer subscribers more than 425 channels (including ad-free music for every genre and decade), artist-created channels, plus exclusive behind-the-scenes and live moments.
With SiriusXM, you can recreate that sensation of feel-good surprise by listening to refreshed versions of jams you already know and love. Just check out the Covers Channel or Steve Aoki’s Remix Radio.
Plus, this summer, SiriusXM has partnered with Live Nation to bring you some of the hottest concerts and festivals in the country. Subscribers can even get perks at Live Nation events, including access to exclusive lounges, live broadcasts, VIP access and memorable fan experiences.
This summer, SiriusXM is your best friend when it comes to Canada’s top live music moments, and here are some you won’t want to miss.
Festival D'Été De Québec
Price: $60-$180 (only Le Jardin tickets left)
When: July 6-17
Address: Plains of Abraham, Quebec City, QC
Accessibility: Reserved sections for people who are mobility-impaired
Why You Need To Go: At this unique festival in the historic Fields of Abraham, you can enjoy music under the stars alongside thousands of people of all ages.
Not to mention the incredible lineup, including Maroon 5, Halsey, Charlotte Cardin and more. The tickets are quite affordable for such a huge event, and they’re selling out fast.
FVDED In The Park
Price: $173 (one-day pass), $244.99 (two-day pass)
When: July 8-9
Address: Holland Park, Surrey, BC
Accessibility: Accessible seating area (wheelchair accessible)
Why You Need To Go: FVDED is back for the first time since 2019. As Western Canada's largest urban music festival, it's the place to be if you love EDM and hip-hop.
According to Dr. Matt Sachs, the anticipation of novelty is one of the things that makes live music so thrilling. This means, scientifically speaking, waiting for the beat to drop while dancing in a crowd of fellow music lovers is guaranteed to feel awesome.
Rockin' River
Price: $88-178 (one-day pass), $270 (weekend pass), camping and parking are extra
When: July 28-31
Address: Merritt, BC
Accessibility: Accessible seating area (wheelchair accessible)
Why You Need To Go: Rockin’ River is the place where country music fans come together for their most epic weekend of the year.
How good does camping with friends, swimming in the Coldwater River and listening to some of your favourite artists sound? Just be sure to dry off in time to catch sets by Tim McGraw and Darius Rucker.
Website
Osheaga
Price: $145+ (single-day pass) $375+ (weekend pass)
When: July 29-31
Address: Parc Jean-Drapeau, Montreal, QC
Accessibility: Wheelchair-accessible platforms, para-transit shuttle, dedicated parking spaces, assistance dogs permitted, toilets for guests with reduced mobility
Why You Need To Go: Pretty much all Canadian music lovers know about Osheaga. With six stages spread across Montreal’s Parc Jean-Drapeau, it's arguably the country’s biggest and best-known music festival.
This year, Osheaga’s celebrating their 15th anniversary by continuing to do what they do best – feature your favourite acts while helping you discover up-and-coming talent. Plus, A$AP Rocky is headlining so, who knows? Maybe you'll catch a glimpse of Rihanna too!
Lasso Festival
Price: $130+ (single-day pass) $220+ (weekend pass)
When: August 12-13
Address: Parc Jean-Drapeau, Montreal, QC
Accessibility: Wheelchair-accessible platforms, para-transit shuttle, dedicated parking spaces, assistance dogs permitted, toilets for guests with reduced mobility
Why You Need To Go: It's not every day you get a country music festival in the heart of Montreal.
This year, Lasso Festival is bringing together legends and new stars with a lineup featuring Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Kelsea Ballerini and Tenille Townes.
Rolling Loud
Christian Bertrand | Dreamstime
Price: $369+ (weekend pass)
When: September 9-11
Address: Ontario Place, Toronto, ON
Accessibility: ASL interpretation for any performance, closed captioning, Braille (must request 30 days in advance), service animals permitted, accessible viewing areas, Accessibility Services kiosk, accessible parking, accessible entry lane, wheelchair accessible
Why You Need To Go: Celebrate the final moments of summer at the world’s largest hip-hop festival. Rolling Loud has festivals all around the planet and, based on the lineup, the Toronto edition will not disappoint.
This year, you can catch mega stars like Future and Migos, international artists like Dave, Wizkid and Skepta, and homegrown talent like Haviah Mighty. With so much talent on the roster, you may even discover a new favourite artist.
Being back at a live concert surrounded by thousands of others is a sure way to soak up some good feelings.
And if anyone tells you you're going to too many festivals this summer, tell them Dr. Matt Sachs says it’s for your health.
If you can't make it to a live performance, tune in to channels like The Verge, PopRocks, Classic Vinyl, LL Cool J’s Rock the Bells Radio or nugs.net Radio on SiriusXM to get that live-music vibe wherever you are.
To learn more about SiriusXM x Live Nation events happening this summer, check out SiriusXM's website or follow them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or YouTube.