Here's everything we know about Ontario's Bonnaroo-related festival so far

by Mark Teo

Last week, rumours began circulating that a large-scale, multi-day, camping-centric festival was coming to Ontario, and best of all, it was being spearheaded by the minds behind Tennessee’s Bonnaroo. We found out that it was being launched in partnership with veteran Ontario promoter Republic Live; it would take place at Burl’s Creek, just north of Barrie; and tantalizingly, it’d have an 80,000-person capacity, meaning that in scale, it could be just as large as Bonnaroo itself. Its name, as we reported last week, was HomeAway.

Today, however, Exclaim! reporter Sarah Murphy uncovered a few more details about the festival. Speaking to Republic Live executive director Shannon McNevan, Exclaim! corrected a few details: The grounds don’t hold 80,000 people—but they’ll happily host 70,000 revellers and 45,000 campers. HomeAway isn’t its formal title; it was, however, the festival’s working name, but its moniker may yet change. The event now has formal dates locked down; it’ll happen from July 24 to July 26. And there will be four stages, food trucks and beer provided by local Ontario businesses, a farmer’s market and—for those who choose to stay on the campgrounds—a “late night forest.”

According to the National Post, the fest is shaping up to be affordable, too: McNevan said the prices will be “the lowest of this nature in Canada,” and expects to offer transportation to the site from Toronto, as well as alternative accommodations for those who don’t wish to camp (or glamp, for that matter).

It’s all shaping up to be pretty big—and if executed properly, it could become a Bonnaroo-esque multimedia explosion. Its sister festival, after all, hosts everything from silent discos to comedy theatres, to film screenings and a Christmas barn, to gardening workshops and silent auctions. Along with Amnesia Rockfest and Quebec City’s Festival D’Êté, it could be one of the biggest festivals in Canada—but with a sleepover component.

McNevan told Exclaim! that beyond its sheer size, the festival hopes to recreate the atmosphere of its U.S. relative.

Excited? You should be. [H/T Exclaim!]