The clear and obvious festival favourites this weekend were the long-running, legendary hip-hop group, The Roots, who headlined the festival with an unassailable, two-hour tour de force on Saturday night. On the side stages, world music gems and rising Canadian indie bands all brought immaculate vibes to fans new and old alike, many of whom walked away from the weekend with a handful of new favourite bands in tow. 

We hit the grounds all four days in search of the best of the fest — some known entities, some wonderful surprises. What follows is our top picks of the festival to relive some of the most memorable moments of this year’s Calgary Folk Music Festival.

The Roots @ ATB Main Stage, Saturday, July 27

This was everyone’s pick for the must-see show of the weekend. If future music historians in some post-apocalyptic society ever had to rebuild the spine of Western postwar music, they could do it all on the backs of The Rolling Stones and The Roots. The sprawling, shifting ensemble, led by Black Thought and anchored by drummer Questlove, put on a masterclass of live hip-hop in front of what had to be one of the biggest crowds we’ve ever seen at CFMF.

For two hours, The Roots performed an impeccable mixtape that took everyone on a sonic history of hip-hop, seamlessly grooving between funk, jazz and rap for one of the coolest, most engaging sets in recent memory. There wasn’t a misstep or lull for the entirety of their marathon performance and, when it came time to close out the set and the night with the iconic crowd favourite, “The Seed,” it felt like a mass catharsis released into the summer night air. Rumour has it that The Roots are the most expensive band in CFMF’s history. If you were to ask anyone who was present in the heaving crowd that evening, they were worth every penny.

Etran de L’Aïr @ National Stage Four, Friday, July 26

Keen CFMF audiences are no stranger to the desert blues of Agadez, Niger. Previous years have brought adored icons like Mdou Moctar and Bambino to Calgary to entrance crowds with their hypnotic, rhythmic sonic explorations. Peers Etran de L’Aïr kept the party going, the trio instantly rousing the crowd at National Stage Four, whipping us all into an endless groove that looped and swirled back on itself, a circular celebration of Saharan music and society. For just under an hour, the power trio mesmerized a crowd that refused to give up the beat, hanging off every flick of their guitars and every wail of their voices as their set shifted and morphed like the hot sands of their native lands. 

Julianna Riolino @ Blue Sky City Stage Five, Saturday, July 27

Many first encountered Julianna Riolino as part of Daniel Romano’s The Outfit, with whom she played alongside for a handful of years before setting out to fully dedicate herself to her solo career. Despite the early noon slot on Saturday as her main performance, Riolino ripped through a set of tracks mainly stemming from her 2022 debut LP, All Blue. With a huge voice that belies her short stature, and backed by a tour-tight band of co-conspirators, she commanded her growing audience with seasoned ease. Riolino is fierce and funny, at ease at the helm of her own outfit. She’s still in the relative infancy of her career with a new album slated for release next year. And if her set on Saturday is any indication, it’s not the last we’ll be seeing of her on a national stage.

MOONRIIVR @ Field Law Stage 3, Saturday, July 27

It’s no surprise MOONRIIVR have hit the ground running since forming in 2020. Band leaders Gavin Gardner (The Wooden Sky) and “Champagne” James Robertson (Lindi Ortega, Dwayne Gretzky) have been around the block a couple of times in their respective careers, but together, they’re eyeing up new frontiers. Their aesthetic almost feels taped together by vintage gear and a deep love for the weirder fringes of ‘60s pop psychedelia, but it works in a way that only Gardner and Robertson could pull off. Intricate melodies drift over a rhythm section that feels eternal and timeless, touching on influences from the breadth and depth of Western pop music history while still feeling like a fresh, new sound. Their afternoon set at CFMF felt totally at home among the towering trees of Prince’s Island Park as their songs filtered far and wide on the island.

Fantastic Negrito @ ATB Main Stage, Sunday, July 28

It’s pretty rare for the CFMF to book the same artist twice in a row, but after last year’s stunning performance, it felt like the festival could not wait to bring Fantastic Negrito back for a victory lap. Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz is a consummate frontman, a second coming of Prince, and an artist that has redefined himself in his own vision. Clad in a flowing, golden robe and an impish grin not out of place during the height of the Summer of Love, Fantastic Negrito brought his bluesy, funky rock and roll to the party. Perhaps because it was the final day of the festival and people were a little tired, but Fantastic Negrito kept extolling people to their feet to meet the vibes — ”it should be illegal to sit at a concert,” he chided at one point. Despite that, Fantastic Negrito put on another memorable set that feels like a blast from a past most attendees weren’t around to live. Here’s hoping he comes back for the treble sooner rather than later.

Zar Electrik @ National Stage Four, Friday, July 26

From Ethiopia and Egypt by way of Marseilles, Zar Electrik formed a sort of double header of psych African rock on Friday night alongside Etran de L’Aïr. Traditional instruments, like the gumbri, oud, and an electric kora, were backed by a tabletop full of more recognizable drum pads, synthesizers and mixers as the trio blended cultures, histories and influences into a trance dance unlike any other. Countless bubbles soared from the audience as everyone seemed to dip right into the grooves and hit the pocket with fervent gusto — it was a communion under the night sky led by a trio of friends who were clearly present and enjoying the moment. This was not your mother’s world music set — more at home in a Boiler Room set than on the CKUA dial, perhaps — but rather an unexpected rave that could have easily gone until the sun came up.