If you haven’t heard of the widely-celebrated All Things Go music festival, then you may be missing out.
Founded in 2014 in Washington DC, All Things Go was built with a commitment to create a music festival that focuses on featuring more female and LGBTQ+ performers in their lineup. Over the past 11 years, the festival has grown into one of North America’s most recognizable indie-pop gatherings, having previously hosted headliners such as Charlie XCX, Billie Eillish and even Canadian stars like Jessie Reyez and Tegen & Sara.
With all the garnered hype, it felt inevitable that All Things Go would eventually make its way to Toronto. The festival’s Canadian debut took place in October at Budweiser Stage, bringing with it a lineup of genre-bending artists that kept fans engaged throughout an exciting weekend. In addition to the previously mentioned artists, their first festival in Toronto had a well-balanced lineup, including Remi Wolf, Charlotte Cardin, Noah Cyrus, and other alternative-pop stars that each brought a distinct presence, living up to the festival’s malleable identity.
The festival opened on a sunny afternoon on October 3rd, and both days followed a well-structured schedule. The absence of overlapping set times allowed attendees to experience each performance in its entirety, with generous breaks between acts. These pauses made it easy to explore the transformed space behind the stadium seats, filled with food trucks and activation sites. While the downtime occasionally felt slow, the trade-off was worth it — a rare opportunity to see every artist without having to choose between sets.
Day one featured an all-female lineup, opening with ELIO’s quirky charm and gradually building momentum throughout the afternoon. By the time Chelsea Cutler took the stage with her grunge-pop edge, the crowd had already been introduced to the varied aesthetics and sounds of the opening acts. The night culminated in what felt like a triple-R moment: Ravyn Lenae, Remi Wolf, and Renée Rapp, each delivering performances that contrasted yet complemented one another.
Seats that may have been empty earlier in the day quickly filled during Ravyn Lenae’s set, as her warm and soft melodies drew more attendees into the venue. Her performance provided the perfect segue into Remi Wolf’s high-energy set, where she transformed the stage into a dancing powerhouse. Renee Rapp, bringing her Bite Me tour to the festival, closed the night out with an effortlessly confident performance that was intimate, captivating and unapologetically her. Together, the trio showcased the range of artistry that defines All Things Go.
The second day leaned deeper into genre variety. From Alemeda’s alternative rock sound to Joy Oladokun’s gentle and soulful songwriting, the lineup captured the breadth of the festival’s alternative-pop umbrella. Canadian artists Charlotte Cardin and Valley brought smooth, pop vocals tunes that added a level of familiarity from that home-grown touch, creating a sense of community in the crowd. The weekend closed with Kacey Musgraves, the country-pop princess and Role Model’s theatrical set, where excitement had built throughout the day from attendees hoping to walk away being Role Model’s ‘Sally’ that night.
Across the weekend, All Things Go proved to be as much about discovery as it was about fandom for me. I walked in unfamiliar with some of the lineup and left with a renewed Spotify playlist featuring more genres. At the same time, seeing long-time favourites for me, like Ravyn Lenae, Charlotte Cardin, and Remi Wolf, command a stage of that scale felt especially rewarding as a fan, a reminder of how far these artists have come.
As a debut, All Things Go Toronto delivered a promising first impression. While the festival may have faced visible challenges in seating at times, the heart of the event remained intact. Attendees left with a clear understanding of what All Things Go stands for: an inclusive, alternative music festival that lives up to the meaning behind its name – because all music goes. If this first year is any indication, All Things Go’s return to Toronto feels less like a question of if and more a matter of when — and next time, it may arrive even stronger.
