Now in its 32nd year, Canadian Music Week is recognized as one of the premier music festivals in North America. CMW spans 5 nights of performances, with 1,000 band showcases held at over 60 venues in downtown Toronto. This year, summer festival fever will come early, as CMW 2014 makes its official move from March over to May 6th to 10th. The musical roster includes some of the year’s best bands as well as rising talent, ranging from electronic to experimental, indie pop to alternative, punk to hip hop, and much more in between. Despite what the name might suggest, there are actually tons of artists coming to play from outside our home and native land. There will be acts from US cities like Brooklyn and L.A., plus a surprising amount from around the world, including Peru, Australia, Germany, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden and plenty more. Below is the initial lineup of bands CMW has just officially released, and I’ve also included a list of local bands to keep an eye out for. There’s a high likelihood that you’ll find yourself pre-ordering a $75 festival wristband.

Hot tickets
M.I.A., City and Colour, Ellie Goulding, Tegan and Sara, Television, Neko Case, The 1975, Walk Off The Earth, Flatbush Zombies, OFF! The Dodos, The King Khan and BBQ Show, Basecamp, Odesza, No Age, Woods, Cheetah Chrome, Sleepy Suns, Comeback Kid, Breton, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Indian Handcrafts, Jon Batiste, Three O’Clock Train, Cerebral Ballzy, The Organ Thieves, Tasha the Amazon (The Truth), The Nils, Jr Gone Wild, Richard Duguay, Bipolar Sunshine, Elizabeth Rose, The Damn Truth, Tiger Bell, White Hills, Tanika Charles, Maylee Todd, The Dirty Nil, Parade of Lights, Oscar Key Sung, Sean Leon & Daniel Caesar of IXXI, Noname, Gypsy, King Reign, The 6th Letter (Bakers Club) , OSIYM, Roney, and The Wyld.

Local Hot Tickets
Kirty, The Little Black Dress, Fast Romantics, Bizzarh, beau, HIGHS, LYON, Papermaps,The Dead Projectionists, The Wilderness of Manitoba, Union Duke

The festival music schedule has yet to be announced, but check back at cmw.net in early March for the full details.