We have seen a few major festivals release their lineups for 2016.

Though each festival is it’s own beast and tries to be as “unique” as possible, their offerings are usually a great place to start when trying to establish the artists that will be playing other festivals you may be attending.

So lets look at some lineups that have been dropped in the last few months, and see if we can find some probable candidates for our Pemberton Music Festival (PMF) – July 14th-17th , and Squamish Valley Music Festival (SVMF) – August 5th-7th. These are both just outside of Vancouver, where we operate from, and we love poking around to guess the lineups.

Here are the festivals we looked at:

We compiled the data for these festivals, to try to see if we could find anything.

First we took the artists that were slotted within the top 6 head slots for each festival, and only dug into them if they were scheduled to play 2 or more festivals.

Even though the data shows a lot of artists available for both Pemby and Squamish, here are my thoughts.

Pearl Jam Open For Pemberton

No Squamish

The listing on their sites has their current tour ending on June 9th-12th at Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, and then starting again to play two shows at Fenway Park in Boston, MA. One show on August 5th and another on August 7th. With a flight time of 5 hours and 31 minutes from Boston to Vancouver (as per TravelMath.com), this means there is little to no chance they can play SVMF, but they could possible play PMF.

LCD Soundsystem Open For Pemberton

Open For Squamish

The only confirmed dates for James Murphy and Co. at this time are; Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Primavera Sound, Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, and Panorama Music Festival. We would imagine they plan on continuing their festival kick and will be added to the bill of a few more major festivals. Since they have openings for both Pemberton and Squamish, it comes down to which festival they would more properly blend with. Cases could be made for both, but we would suspect that Live Nation would push harder to book Mr. Murphy. So when they hit the West Coast we would bet it is either at Squamish, curated by Live Nation, or at Rogers Arena as a Live Nation presented show.

J. Cole Open For Pemberton

Open For Squamish

Mr. Cole only has two confirmed dates right now; Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, and New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Since he played Pemberton last year, we don’t see him returning. Since he was a headliner at Pemberton last year, we don’t see him hitting Squamish either. If he comes to the West coast it may just be an arena show.

Ellie Goulding Open For Pemberton

Open For Squamish

The Love Me Like You Do songstress starts the North American leg of her latest tour in Vancouver at Rogers Arena on April 1st, that is no joke. But the fact of the matter is she is making a bunch of festival appearances. So far she is slotted for, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Hangout Music Festival, Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, and Firefly Music Festival, and then her stadium tour ends on June 21st. This leave her open for a slew of additional festivals in the summer. Live Nation did a lot of double booking last year. Where they brought in artists early in 2015, and then brought them back for Squamish. If they were to do the same thing this year we could see Ellie hitting SVMF. If not we see her missing the left coast of Canada during the summertime.

Sia Open For Pemberton

No Squamish

This musician has me completely infatuated.wewould love nothing more than to see her return to the Vancouver area. Her USA tour has her hitting Coachella in April and then ends May 27-29 in Boston for Boston Calling Music Festival. She isn’t booked again until August 4th when she plays a show in Russia. Well that rules out SVMF. This does mean, however, that she has availability to perform under the majesty of Mt.Currie in Pemberton. Her unique sound would mesh extremely well with the artistic, free-spirit vibe of the festival. Let’s hope this happens.

Disclosure No Pemberton

Open For Squamish

Since this group puts out giant hits and is a huge name right now, we would see them playing Squamish. They will be playing at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Boston Calling Music Festival, Sasquatch! Music Festival, and Firefly Music Festival. Which puts them in North America until mid-June. Then they get into the European festival circuit and will be in Germany for Melt! on July 17th. This means No Pemberton, but leave Squamish open to them. Since Squamish is about widely palatable artists, this could definitely work.

Robyn Open For Pemberton

Open For Squamish

Only Boston Calling Music Festival and the Governors Ball Festival have snagged this Swedish soprano. This leaves July and August open for the time being. This one is a really hard call, but agan we could see her hitting Pemberton. Much like Sia she has is truly unique. This one has my racking my brain, but we think she would be more likely to be scooped up by Squamish.

Odesza No Pemberton

Open For Squamish

Even though they are playing a few festivals this year,wethink they will skip our two festivals. They play July 14 in France for Vieilles Charrues Festival, so Pemberton seems like it would be a no go. They played Squamish last year, so we don’t see them making a return. Maybeweam wrong.

Sufjan Stevens Open For Pemberton

Open For Squamish

He is wide open after the Boston Calling/Sasquatch! weekend. It is possible that he could play either SVMF or PMF. We don’t think we can choose on this one. Again, points can be made for both. Okay fine we will make a choice. Lets say Squamish. He was just here for a Live Nation presented show, so maybe that tips the scale in their favor.

HAIM Open For Pemberton

Open For Squamish

With 4 festivals booked, Bonnaroo is their last confirmed date. Another complete crap shoot on this one. We would go with Pemberton though. No real reason other than it just seems to fit.

Red Hot Chili Peppers Open For Pemberton

Open For Squamish

BottleRock, New Orleans Jazz, Rock On The Range, and Reading/leeds, these funky men are on a festival kick this year. With a short run ending on July 9th at Park Live in Moscow, they are open for the rest of July through to Reading/Leeds from August 26-28. They are yet another band that are open for both Pemby and Squamish. The best artist to festival fit though would see them headline at Squamish.wehave said RHCP at Squamish for a month or so now.

Florence + The Machine Open For Pemberton

Open For Squamish

A total of 5 festivals booked, she is on the circuit. Firefly being the last one chronologically, she is open for summer slots. Pemberton! We can see no better fit than Florence Welch and Pemberton.

Stevie Wonder Open For Pemberton

Open For Squamish

This musical master has 2 festivals confirmed. Does he play Squamish because of his status? Or does he play Pemberton because of his soul? We would say neither. He doesn’t fit the formula of either.

Death Cab for Cutie Open For Pemberton

Open For Squamish

This is another artist that is slotted to play Vancouver already. They hit the UBC area on April 1st with local favorite Metric for a co-headlining night. They are slotted for 5 other festivals, so it isn’t unrealistic that they hit one of our fests. Squamish all the way on this one.

Lenny Kravitz Open For Pemberton

Open For Squamish

Bottlerock and Hangout have him confirmed. He is wide open otherwise. Since Hangout is put on by Huka Entertainment, and they put on Pemberton, it would seem like he is more likely to play there over Squamish. As long as we get to see him perform and there are no wardrobe malfunctions, we will be happy.

Calvin Harris Open For Pemberton

Open For Squamish

Headlining Coachella is a big deal. He currently sits unbooked around both SVMF and PMF. Just like Lenny Kravitz he is playing Hangout festival and we think that gives Huka the leg up on this one. We can see the Bass Camp tent at Pemberton now, lights and confetti-a-plenty.

Mumford & Sons Open For Pemberton

Open For Squamish

A couple festivals, and tour dates that have them out until July 8th. We don’t see them playing Pemberton, and we don’t see Squamish bringing them back. We would look towards a possible Vancouver or Seattle show Win the calendar year.

Beck Open For Pemberton

Open For Squamish

A slew of festival bookings has Beck darting from North America to Europe with his last slot at Bests Kept Secret Festival in Hilvarenbeek, Netherlands on June 17. Another one that comes down to my tiny brain trying to compile minute amounts of data. This one is a fifty-fifty split, dealers choice.

Alabama Shakes Open For Pemberton

Open For Squamish

A Hangout slot booked, and they play Deer Lake Park in Burnaby in May. Which promoter will scoop them up? Does Squamish grab them and move them up to headliner? We don’t think so, they aren’t big enough for that yet. Does Pemberton add them because they fit the vibe? That is very possible. But we don’t see Huka grabbing a near-headliner after they play Squamish a year earlier. We think this is another one that misses the West coast festival circuit.

The Avett Brothers Open For Pemberton

Open For Squamish

They play Forecastle Festival – July 15-17 2016, but then hit Oregon right after. It is plausible that they play Forecastle in the first few days and then come up and play Pemberton on one of the last two days. Then their tour goes from July 30 at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado and then skips to September 16-18 at Kaabo Del Mar in California. They are open to play either of the fests in question. Huka doesn’t have them at Hangout and Live Nation hasn’t had them here for a few years. My gut tells me they would fit a later slot at Squamish a bit better.

Porter Robinson Open For Pemberton

Open For Squamish

This EDM powerhouse is slotted for a couple festivals, but is open after mid-June. He played Squamish last year, but it is very possible that Pemberton grabs him this year. Even though he is a huge name in the electronic scene, he is still not as widely known throughout the general music world. They could pick him up and slot him as a sub-headliner. He is playing in Vancouver in March, but we don’t see this as a deal breaker for Pemberton.

Gary Clark Jr. Open For Pemberton

Open For Squamish

A slew of fest filings. This man is making the rounds this year. He is already scheduled to play 2 nights at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver, which are sold out. This makes me think he will be coming out to Squamish. Live Nation know a good thing when they see it. Many artists with sold out Live Nation shows in Vancouver in 2015, ended up playing Squamish 2015. Bands like Milky Chance, George Ezra, and Royal Blood. We feel like Gary will follow that trend.

Gov’t Mule Open For Pemberton

Open For Squamish

The Southern rockers are on the rise again. In 2016 they will be out at New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and at Mountain Jam in June. After that they are without other dates. Your guess is as good as mine. Wewill say Pemberton because they keep bringing those slightly older rock bands into the mix. Maybe we will see more this year, like a slash/axl thing.

Major Lazer No Pemberton

Open For Squamish

It doesn’t seem like they could play Pemberton because on July 8-10 they are slotted at Ruisrock in Turku, Finland, and then they are playing July 14-18 at FIB Benicàssim Festival in Benicàssim, Spain. So it comes down to Squamish. They did play the festival back in 2011 when it was still called Live At Squamish, so it is possible. We am not in touch with the EDM tours as much as we should be, but it feels like they will maybe hit Fvded In The Park 2016 in Surrey, put on by Blueprint Events.

A$Ap Rocky Open For Pemberton

Open For Squamish

Coachella, then Sasquatch!, and then rounding out his current booking at Firefly Music Festival in mid-June. He blasted Squamish last year with a super intense performance, butwethink he will be left out from both festivals.wemostly think that because he was just in Vancouver in November at Rogers Arena. Ifweam wrong, well then Excuse me, [email protected]$# out my face.

My Morning Jacket Open For Pemberton

Open For Squamish

The are wide open come May, and they are an act that played the original, one-time-only-edition Pemberton festival back in 2008. It would be spectacular to see Pearl Jam and My Morning Jacket at the same fest. It’s a long shot, but if that happenedwewould be a happy little man-baby.