Outstanding music, incredible art, great company and much more – WayHome had it all. The inaugural WayHome Music & Arts Festival went down this past weekend (July 24-26) and the much-a-buzz festivities brought world-famous names like Neil Young, Modest Mouse, St. Vincent and Sam Smith to the small, intimate town of Oro-Medonte, ON, just over an hour north of Toronto.

There was plenty going on and much to do and see at any point during each of the 3 days of the festival – art displays, ball pits, food trucks and the WayMarket presented by online “DIY” retailer Etsy, among countless others. However, none drew more attention than the 4 main entertainment stages across the event grounds – WayHome, WayBright, WayBold and WayAway (presented by Sirius XM). Fans, better known as WayHomies, made their way between stages to catch all of their favourite performers which were evenly spread throughout the weekend.

Here are just some of the highlight performances from this year’s festival:

Hozier (July 24 @ 6:45PM, WayHome)

Critically acclaimed and much-loved Irish singer Hozier drew one of the biggest crowds throughout the entire weekend. He truly entertained, singing fan favourites like “Work Song” and “Jackie and Wilson”, as well as a creative cover of Ariana Grande’s “Problem”. Hozier’s performance of his big hit “Take Me to Church” resulted in a mass sing-along with over 35,000 new friends.

alt-J (July 24 @ 8:15PM, WayBright)

Indie-rock band alt-J performed to the sunset and a large crowd of festivalgoers on the first night. Currently touring in support of their 2014 release ‘This Is All Yours’, alt-J performed a selection of songs from the album including singles “Left Hand Free” and “Every Other Freckle”. They also showed love to their fans who have been supporting them since the beginning by including a number of tracks from their 2012 debut ‘An Awesome Wave’ in their not-to-be-missed set.

Neil Young + Promise of the Real (July 24 @ 9:00PM, WayHome)

He may be 69 years old, but Canadian rock-n-roller Neil Young has definitely still got it! His Rebel Content Tour, which has made stops across the United States, made a special Canadian stop at WayHome and attracted music lovers of all ages. Neil Young + Promise of the Real didn’t miss a single beat throughout their entire 3-hour set which was filled with classics as well as new tunes from their 2015 collaborative album, ‘The Monsanto Years’. Neil Young is an ageless wonder!

Kaytranada (July 24 @ 11:15PM, WayBright)

Haitian-born, Canadian-raised electronic artist Kaytranada brought his sick beats to the WayBright stage for a late Friday night set that had fans dancing their shoes off. Every Kaytranada set is different and this one was tailored perfectly for the hype festival crowd. It was exactly what everyone wants from their school dances!

Scott Helman (July 26 @ 3:45PM, WayAway)

Canadian cutie Scott Helman, who is a pop radio staple with his hit “Bungalow”, surprised his fans at WayHome with an unannounced set. He performed songs off his EP ‘Augusta’ including “That Sweater” and the emotional “Machine”. He bounced around the stage and stood on the speakers to get close to his fans, taking many opportunities to thank them for their incredible support.

St. Vincent (July 26 @ 5:00PM, WayHome)

One of the most talked-about artists at WayHome was American singer/songwriter St. Vincent. Although she is well-known in the media for being model Cara Delevingne’s girlfriend, there is a lot more to this chick worth knowing and appreciating than her love life. Her music is honest, catchy and festival-ready. Songs like “Severed Crossed Fingers” and “Digital Witness” share messages of holding on to hope and finding what’s truly important in life. St. Vincent’s WayHome set was a pleasure to watch – she was very interactive with her fans, talking to them about her music and even jumping off stage to high five them. She also offered the crowd a great mix of popular singles and old-time favourites.

Sam Smith (July 26 @ 9:30PM, WayHome)

Closing this year’s festival on the main stage was everyone’s new favourite Brit, Sam Smith. His fans, the Little Sailors, came out in full force to watch Sam perform his many hits, including “I’m Not The Only One” and “Lay Me Down”. Sam brought the vocals and the moves, inviting the crowd to two-step with him and his band during “Restart”. He continued to impress the crowd with a stellar cover of Amy Winehouse’s “Tears Dry On Their Own” as well as performances of his collaborations with Naughty Boy (“La La La”) and Disclosure (“Latch”). In fact, Sam gave Disclosure’s Guy and Howard Lawrence a special shoutout, wishing that they could be there with him as their new collaboration “Omen” premiered mere hours after his WayHome set. Sam brought the evening to a final close with a standout performance of his smash single “Stay With Me”.

WayHome Music & Arts Festival was an experience like no other. WayHomies who travelled from near and far have had zero complaints and, in response, the festival’s 2016 dates have already been announced! So, if you’re feeling PFD (post festival depression) or are regretting not having gone this year, the party picks back up July 22-24, 2016. See you there!