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ConcertsBaby Nova’s Festival Debut
Role Model Brings Star Power — And Charlotte Cardin as Sally
Best Moments from All Things Go Toronto 2025: Charlotte Cardin Joins Role Model as 'Sally,' Kacey Musgraves' Kermit Meme & More
The two-day festival took over Budweiser Stage this weekend, on Oct. 4 and 5. Toronto headliners included Reneé Rapp and Kacey Musgraves, as well as Remi Wolf and Role Model. Rapp headlined both All Things Go festivals last year, so it’s a welcome return for the pop artist, who released her sophomore album Bite Me in August.
Notably, the Toronto lineup featured 16 artists — with eight performing each day — including recent chart breakthrough Ravyn Lenae, Billboard Canada’s Global Rising Star Julia Wolf and indie singer Blondshell. There was a focus on Canadian artists taking the stage too, with singer-songwriter ELIO, newcomer Baby Nova, indie band Valley and pop darling Charlotte Cardin representing the nation.
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One of the best parts of the festival is that there were no overlapping set times. Every artist’s set followed an organized schedule on one stage, giving fans the chance to see everyone.
The Toronto expansion signified the festival’s growth while maintaining its commitment to cultivating inclusive spaces within the music community. This year’s edition was in collaboration with Live Nation Women, a new initiative within the mega-promotion company.
“We remain committed to championing women and expanding opportunities for emerging talent across the live music landscape,” said Ali Harnell, Live Nation Women president and chief strategy officer.
Reflecting on the impact of the festival's inaugural edition, All Things Go co-founders Stephen Vallimarescu and Will Suter tell Billboard Canada: "Toronto instantly felt like a perfect fit for All Things Go. To see the passion from both artists and fans come alive at Bud Stage was everything we hoped for."
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While Saturday boasted a stacked lineup of EMEI, Elio, Julia Wolf, Blondshell, Chelsea Cutler, Ravyn Lenae, Remi Wolf and Rapp, Sunday’s roster kept the energy going, with sets from Baby Nova, Alemeda, Joy Oladokun, Valley, Noah Cyrus, Charlotte Cardin, Role Model and Kacey Musgraves.
Here are the highlights from day two of All Things Go’s first-ever Toronto edition.
Baby Nova’s Festival Debut
Baby NovaAll Things Go
Opening up the festival’s second day of performances, the rising Nova Scotia singer-songwriter held her own, donning a white sheer dress and knee-high boots. She launched her set with two unreleased songs, including one called “Death Wish.” While the gathering crowd may not have been familiar with the singer’s small but mighty discography, everyone was swaying to the music and captivated by Baby Nova’s presence.
“I’m so excited All Things Go is in Toronto,” she softly told the crowd. It was clear how grateful she was to be on stage, as she pinpointed that it was her first time performing at a festival, which elicited cheers from audience members.
Days after making a big mark at Billboard Canada Women in Music, she was vulnerable and honest with the crowd like they already knew her well, sharing the story of “Great White Sharks,” a track written while she was high and visiting her hometown. As she sang tracks like “Killed for Sport” and “Virgin Heartbreak,” the crowd was standing in awe.
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The singer closed out her set with “Too Pretty for Buffalo,” her breakout song and the one she performed at Billboard Canada Women in Music. As she left the stage, it was clear this won’t be her last spotlight gig.
Joy Oladokun Does an Acoustic Set
Joy OladokunAll Things Go
“Most of my band couldn’t get into Canada, so I’m going to rock acoustic style,” Joy Oladokun told the crowd, inciting encouraging cheers from the festivalgoers.
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Sporting a black, embroidered variant of a Blue Jays cap, the American singer-songwriter — who has broken down walls for representation of Black and queer voices in folk and roots scenes, working with the likes of Noah Kahan and Brandi Carlile — carried her own performing fan favourites like “Drugs” and “Sunday,” alongside covers of classic tracks including The Temptations’ “My Girl,” and The Beatles’ “Blackbird."
During Oladokun’s acoustic set, she shouted out to the trans community, apologizing for the scrutiny they’re currently facing and even explained her presence at the festival, ultimately crediting her identity. “I’m a queer person, I think that’s why I got invited to this festival.” But it was Oladokun's strong artistry and charm that kept listeners entranced during her 30-minute set.
Valley Amps Up the Afternoon Crowd
ValleyAll Things Go
Toronto-based group Vaalley hopped on a red-eye from Los Angeles to make their festival slot, but they didn’t appear tired in the slightest bit. From the opening chords of their track “Bass Player’s Brother,” the group ran on stage, with frontman Rob Laska taking his place centre stage, alongside drummer Karah James and bassist Alex Dimauro. The band was outwardly happy to be in their home city, as Dimauro sported Blue Jays attire and Laska sprinkled subtle nods to the festival through a lyric change in “Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden,” singing: “Threw a party for myself, but All Things Go was there.”
Valley bopped around on stage throughout their entire set, engaging with the audience on tracks like “There's Still a Light in the House” and “Bop Ba” and amongst themselves as Laska and Dimauro filled the amphitheatre with their banter leading into “A Little More.” James stepped away from her drum set to play “Let It Rain,” joining in on the centre stage fun, before the group played a cover of MGMT’s “Kids,” which continued to amp up the mid-day crowd. They saved “When You Know Someone” for last, which hit No. 6 on the Billboard Canada Modern Rock Airplay chart this past June.
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The Warner Music Canada group has recently paired with Billboard Canada Manager of the Year Laurie Lee Boutet's Wednesday Management, home of The Beaches, which could signal an even bigger breakout to come.
Charlotte Cardin Performs Her Penultimate 99 Nights Show
Charlotte CardinAll Things Go
The last time Charlotte Cardin was in Toronto, she performed a sold-out show at Massey Hall. Now, she’s playing amphitheatres and arenas across North America and Europe. Billed as the festival’s special guest, the Montreal-born hitmaker — and former Billboard Canada Woman of the Year — walked on stage in a casually cool manner, after the sweet sounds of Shania Twain’s “Man, I Feel Like a Woman!” filled the space.
She kicked off her almost hour-long set with 99 Nights hit “Looping” before going into “Meaningless” from her debut record, Phoenix, sporting a consensually thrown friendship bracelet on her wrist. She kept up her cool-girl aura on tracks like “Passive Aggressive” and “Daddy’s a Psycho,” while strolling on stage in a black frilly crop top and oversized dark denim.
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“This is the second to last show on the 99 Nights tour,” she told the crowd, eliciting cheers. Cardin’s performance was one of celebration, even when she was playing the piano ballad “Anyone Who Loves Me,” which she encouraged the crowd to sing along to. “There’s nothing I love more than having you guys sing along with me,” she said — and the crowd delivered, confidently continuing through Cardin’s set. As she transitioned to “99 Nights,” the audience’s energy levelled up, carrying Cardin to the final part of her set, with nods to her Francophone background, including her new release, “Tant pis pour elle,” her first French language single since 2023’s Une semaine à Paris and “Feel Good,” a bilingual single that peaked at No. 94 on the Canadian Hot 100. The penultimate moment maintained its stamina into Cardin’s closer, “Confetti."
But it wasn’t Cardin’s last time on stage that night.
Role Model Brings Star Power — And Charlotte Cardin as Sally
Role ModelAll Things Go
Throughout the day, it was clear that Role Model (one of the few male acts on the All Things Go lineup) was drawing a large crowd, as copious amounts of fans walked around the amphitheatre wearing “Diva!” t-shirts from the merch booth, a reference to his No. 1 Modern Rock track, “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out.” Role Model, born Tucker Pillbury, was set to open for Gracie Abrams’ The Secret of Us deluxe tour in July, but was replaced by Djo due to scheduling conflicts. The American singer has experienced a massive boom in fans over the past year, which has noticeably extended across the border.
As he emerged on stage in a simple button-up, jeans and cowboy boots, fans couldn’t keep the screams to themselves. “Oh, it’s sexy tonight,” he said, gearing up to play “Writing’s on the Wall” off his album Kansas Anymore. The crowd was at its most lively during Role Model’s set, as everyone seemingly knew the words to every song, including “Blind,” a deep cut from his 2020 EP, Our Little Angel. Fans chanted the lyrics to tracks like “Look At That Woman” and “Superglue," cheering as he changed the lyrics to: “Tell you all this s–t from Toronto.” He interacted with the crowd often, responding to their dog barking sounds — “They let the dogs out tonight,” he said and encouraged someone to play their harmonica during “The Longest Goodbye.” During “Deeply Still In Love,” he sported a bedazzled “Diva” cowboy hat from a devoted fan while dancing around on stage.
He treated fans to a cover of The 1975’s “Somebody Else,” calling his band The 1965, before introducing the group, saying, “We are Twenty One Pilots, thank you for having us,” an inside joke between fans. They were the loudest during Kansas Anymore deluxe tracks, “Some Protector" and of course, “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out.”
That song has become a social media sensation, with Role Model bringing a surprise guest as "Sally" each night, including everyone from fans in the audience to Bowen Yang, Olivia Rodrigo and Hilary Duff. On this night, he had a special Canadian Sally.
Charlotte Cardin made her return to the stage with two flutes of white wine, lip-syncing the lyrics and dancing to Role Model’s biggest track, while the crowd cheered. With fans cheering and their phones held up, it was clearly a major moment for the artist.
Kacey Musgraves Brings The Forest to the Stage — and Kermit the Frog
Kacey MusgravesAll Things Go
As the night sky was in full force, the country-pop star took the stage for the final performance of All Things Go’s inaugural Toronto edition. Mirroring the night sky in her own visuals, Musgraves emerged with her acoustic guitar, stepping into greenery neatly placed ahead of taking the stage. “What’s up, Toronto?” she asked softly, sporting a 1970s moment with her feathered hairstyle and flare jeans. While Musgraves has been promoting her most recent project, Deeper Well, the tracks from her Grammy-winning album Golden Hour received the most cheers. While it peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart, as she sang hits like “Butterflies” and “Happy & Sad,” the crowd was increasingly louder, but wasn’t disrespectful to other eras of Musgraves’ music.
While her follow-up, Star-Crossed, wasn’t as immediately well-received among fans, the Toronto crowd gave it their all, as she strummed the chords to “Justified” and “Good Wife” — plus, Musgraves herself acknowledged the album’s reception: “justice for Star-Crossed,” she said, which encouraged the audience to keep up their singing. Musgraves had wise words — and jokes — for the Canadian crowd, asking them to let their freak flag fly and ignore the chaos of the world outside of the amphitheatre for the duration of her set. During “Lonely Weekend,” a photo of Kermit the Frog — which has become a well-known meme in her fandom — appeared on screen.
Still, Musgraves’ set had a healthy dose of Deeper Well, as “Cardinal” bloomed as her opening song, with “Lonely Millionaire” and “Jade Green” sprinkled throughout and the title track, which closed out her set. Boasting serene soundscapes and introspective lyrics, her performance was the perfect way to close out the festival's two-day stint in Toronto.
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