River & Sky is a festival encompassing various types of music, with the style being softer in the daytime with a family atmosphere, followed by more daring nighttime acts where the adults party until the sun comes up. It’s a strength that these two blend so harmoniously.
The festival is at Fisher’s Paradise, a site sitting roughly between Sudbury and North Bay, and it lives up to its name. There are three stages, with the main sitting beside a reflective river, a sandy beach stage, as well as an ethereal setting in the trees.
For the 2026 edition, I arrived on Thursday to what felt like a slow start, though that was somewhat due to personal taste. I’m not that into Country music, and Thursday seemed to be all about that twangy genre. I did think Wyatt C. Louis was a solid addition, however, producing warm and mellow music that was fitting for a secluded place waiting to burst into life.
On Friday, the day started on the beach with BBQ Pope, an indie punk band in the Blur/Oasis mould. There were slick bass grooves underpinned by guitar, as well as some spacey guitar tones. The songs were solid, if not the most original, though the band did a great job of raising the energy with a catchy set which built to a crescendo, accompanied by the frontman wading into the crowd. Canadian crowds aren’t always the easiest to penetrate, but they did a great job of getting people on their feet so early in the day.
After that, I caught the beginning of Aniqua Dear’s set, which had an ominous beauty to it. Dear’s huge voice contrasts with her stature; using effects, it sounded like there were three of her, accompanied by guitar and drums. These first two performances set the tone of what the festival is about, with uptempo and introspective music sitting side by side.
On the main stage, there was Strange Happenings, a collection of old rockers with undeniable quality. The drum rhythms kept you guessing, with the sound oscillating between classic guitar tones and grungy psychedelic sequences. I felt like I’d barely taken in the full range of sound and would happily experience it all again.
After that was doom metal band Witchrot, who opened really strong, with a progressive guitar introduction to boomy singer Lea Alyssandra Reto joining the mix. Throughout the set my attention gradually waned, however, as the sludgy tracks rolled on and on. At its best, the band has an element of progression involved, but sometimes simple riffs are asked to do too much heavy lifting to carry a song from start to finish.
Headlining was Bad Waitress, a Toronto-based punk rock band with slamming guitar riffs and a real sense of fun to get the crowd moving. I’ve not seen the band for years, but I recognized some old bangers mixed in with newer tracks, which were just as good if not better. Some songs started heavy while others took their time to build, and there’s an element of chaos in the songwriting process that adds some welcome unpredictability. The chemistry is on full display too, with a joyously childish camaraderie between Kali-Ann Butala (lead vocals, guitar), Katelyn Molgard (guitar), as well as Moon Palmar (drums) passionately mouthing the lyrics from behind, and Nicole Cain (bass) underpinning the tracks with self-assured playing. The crowd was never bored, and in my book they’d be a worthy addition to any rock festival. The only downside was on the tech side, as at times Butala’s vocals felt like they were overpowering the two guitars from where I was standing.
Performing in the iconic ‘threshold stage’ was Blue Light, and the winged-adorned forest was the perfect backdrop for their dreamy set, with Amii Spears’ trancelike high-pitched vocals towering over dreamy reverb-laden synth. For this set, she partnered with electronic music producer Bryan Sutherland, who generally performs as Zoom Owl, who added some crunchy post-production effects into the mix. The gig then ended with an uptempo number with the electronic element taking centre stage. The audience gradually stirred at this punchy ending, standing up and eventually dancing, while kids who had been invited to stay up before their usual bedtime also joined in. This was one to remember for all involved.
Closing off the beach stage was OLGA, a darkwave band generally known for their demonic and provocative sets. The show featured real and electronic drums, heavy guitar overlaying keyboard sequences, as well as energetic lead vocals. Having seen them a few times, it feels like they’ve really progressed. Julia Robin’s vocals were forceful, sometimes going into all-out screaming, but it never felt overdone. Nic Waterman brings a darkly forceful production that underpins the songs in the form of sequences and guitar. Joseph Bradley on drums was particularly masterful, sitting alongside some of the electronic sequences to the point where it looked easy, even though it isn’t. Mixing organic and electronic drum pads also really worked well in defining the darkly electronic industrial sound. This was by far their most accessible and tightest performance I’ve seen, so OLGA is surely a band to watch going forward.
Sunsetter started the Saturday in style on the beach stage, bringing a mix of positive shoegaze-inspired music with liberal amounts of reverb but with a grungy edge. There’s an element of desperation in Andrew McLeod’s vocals, with him singing in gravelly tones about trying to be grateful when we all know that’s not always easy. This was an opening act with intensity, and I look forward to McLeod’s future offerings.
Up next on the beach stage was Hélène Barbier, whose blend of simplistic indie pop felt like a solid accompaniment to a swim in the river, which is refreshing if you can handle the cold. Then Knitting kept up a similarly mellow energy on the main stage, which was followed by indie band Housewife, which featured tracks exploring themes of motherhood.
Atsuko Chiba was Saturday’s standout act, however. The Montreal-based band started with a bang, with an uptempo number getting the audience on their feet almost immediately. The five piece band then brought some melodic numbers, often culminating with two squealing guitars in tandem, supported by a synthesizer, while there was a sense of chemistry as the band faced each other to stay in sync throughout the hypnotic tracks. Every track was different and expressive, while the vocalist Karim Lakhdar helped bring a great variety, depending on what the track needed. Sometimes his singing was melodic and at other times punchy, at some points prancing to the front of the stage to deliver lyrics like Zack de la Rocha. This was a self-assured and exciting set from a band that deserves more recognition.
The Dears took the Saturday headline spot, but I soon wished they hadn’t. While the music was serviceable in a dark indie pop way, the lyrics and vocals soon had me running for the festival hills. The crowning example was in the track Lost in the Plot, which featured the repeated lyrics “Our love, don’t mess with our love. Our love is so much stronger” – at times the lyrics felt like placeholders which the band never properly developed. Later in the set, vocalist Murray Lightburn also broke into an Elvis impression, in what was another unintentionally comedic moment. I won’t beat around the bush, this really wasn’t for me.
The threshold stage had time to host a second spine-tingling act in Bilal Nasser, the innovative classical guitarist and composer. The Palestinian-Canadian created a dreamy, atmospheric soundscape with the help of pedals and effects loops, building up the tracks gradually with beautifully constructed acoustic soundscapes, all the while speaking out against the atrocities against his people. While much of the sound was crafted live, Nasser also utilized tape loops to integrate violin, creating an evocative and melancholic sound to send a shiver down your spine.
This being my third River & Sky festival, I’d argue it surpassed last year’s edition in terms of the performances, though 2024 was also a strong year. When speaking to the festivalgoers, it strikes you how many are incredibly loyal to this event. Many show up year after year to experience music surrounded by nature, escaping the grind of day-to-day life to warm themselves by the increasingly ambitious beach campfire every night. When you add the workshops into the mix – as I enjoyed Alexia Cousineau’s ‘Poetry Circle ’-there’s plenty to keep you coming back year after year.
