Plan your July vacation around the Top 5 fests north of the border.

By Ken Richardson

Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest
Ottawa, Ontario, July 5-17, ottawabluesfest.ca

Soundgarden (shown), My Morning Jacket, Death Cab for Cutie, John Fogerty, Ben Harper, the Black Keys, the Steve Miller Band, Erykah Badu, Peter Frampon, the Tragically Hip, the Roots, the Flaming Lips, the Meters.

Quebec City Summer Festival
Quebec City, Quebec, July 7-17, infofestival.com

Elton John (shown), Metallica, John Fogerty, Ben Harper, the Black Keys, Simple Plan, Joe Satriani, Marianne Faithfull, Buddy Guy with Quinn Sullivan, M. Ward, the Sword, the Low Anthem.

Vancouver Island Music Fest
Vancouver Island, British Columbia, July 8-10, islandmusicfest.com

Alison Krauss & Union Station (shown), David Crosby, Randy Newman, Arrested Development, Rodney Crowell, Jon Anderson, Holly Cole, Albert Lee & John Jorgenson, Red Horse (with Eliza Gilkyson, John Gorka & Lucy Kaplansky), Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, Gurf Morlix.

Calgary Folk Music Festival
Calgary, Alberta, July 21-24, calgaryfolkfest.com

k.d. lang and the Siss Boom Bang (shown), Blue Rodeo, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Yo La Tengo, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Nanci Griffith, Bernie Worrell’s SociaLybrium, the Felice Brothers, the Punch Brothers, the Flatlanders, Carl Hancock Rux, the Herbaliser.

Osheaga Music and Arts Festival
Montreal, Quebec, July 29-31, osheaga.com/en

Eminem (shown), Elvis Costello & the Imposters, the Flaming Lips (performing The Soft Bulletin), Death Cab for Cutie, Cypress Hill, the Tragically Hip, Broken Social Scene, Bright Eyes, Sam Roberts Band, KiD CuDi, Lupe Fiasco, Eels.