There are dozens and dozens of free concerts, by big names. Wilco, Blue Rodeo, one of the Marleys, tons of Canadian bands, ... Here's a partial list I found. All free Fri Feb 12th - Venice Queen - 10:15 @ Ozone Fri Feb 12th - Bedouin Soundclash - 10:00 @ Ontario Pavillion Fri Feb 12th - Yelo Molo - 7:30 @ la Place de la Francophonie Fri Feb 12th - Adam Woodall Band - 9:30 @ West Van Community Center Fri Feb 12th - The Phonix - 8:00 @ Plaza Of Nations Fri Feb 12th - Blue Rodeo - 9:15 @ Holland Park Fri Feb 12th - Delhi 2 Dublin - 10:00 @ Holland Park Sat Feb 13th - Pubstep Celebration - 8:00 @ Darby's Pub *19+ Sat Feb 13th - CJ Li - 3:30 @ Plaza Of Nations (Edgewater) Sat Feb 13th - Matthew David - 3:15 @ Ozone Sat Feb 13th - Mes Aïeux - 7:30 @ la Place de la Francophonie Sat Feb 13th - Wil - 6:00 @ Holland Park Sat Feb 13th - Current Swell - 7:00 @ Holland Park Sat Feb 13th - Jet's Overhead - 8:00 @ Holland Park Sat Feb 13th - Five Alarm Funk - 9:00 @ Holland Park Sat Feb 13th - Daniel Wesley - 10:00 @ Holland Park Sat Feb 13th - Califone! - 7:30 @ Livecity Yaletown Sat Feb 13th - Hey Ocean - 8:00 @ Ozone Sat Feb 13th - Bedouin Soundclash - 9:30 @ Ozone Sat Feb 13th - Jessie Farrel - 10:00 @ Livecity Downtown Sat Feb 13th - Default - 6:15 @ Livecity Yaletown Sat Feb 13th - Wilco - 10:00 @ Livecity Yaletown Sun Feb 14th - Paul Filek - 1:00 @ Doolin's Pub Sun Feb 14th - Skavenjah - 9:00 @ Saskatchewan Pavillion Sun Feb 14th - Keisha Chante - 10:00 @ Ontario Pavillion Sun Feb 14th - Mother Mother - 8:00 @ Livecity Yaletown Sun Feb 14th - F.I.R. - 9:30 @ Ozone Sun Feb 14th - Rich Hope - 8:00 @ Livecity Downtown Sun Feb 14th - Pierre Lapointe - 6:00 @ la Place de la Francophonie Sun Feb 14th - Daniel Wesley - 9:30 @ Livecity Yaletown Sun Feb 14th - Elliot Brood - 9:30 @ Livecity Downtown Sun Feb 14th - Serena Ryder - 9:00 @ Holland Park Mon Feb 15th - Ima - 6:00 @ la Place de la Francophonie Mon Feb 15th - Jenn Grant - 8:30 @ Ozone Mon Feb 15th - Sloan - 10:30 @ Atlantic Canada House *19+ Mon Feb 15th - Skavenjah - 9:00 @ Saskatchewan Pavillion Mon Feb 15th - Serena Ryder - 10:00 @ Ontario Pavillion Mon Feb 15th - Garou - 7:30 @ la Place de la Francophonie Mon Feb 15th - Kathleen Edwards - 9:45 @ Ozone Mon Feb 15th - Balligomingo - 9:00 @ Plaza Of Nations Mon Feb 15th - Jet's Overhead - 9:30 @ Livecity Downtown Mon Feb 15th - Matisyahu - 9:30 @ Livecity Yaletown Tue Feb 16th - Grand Dérangement - 6:00 @ la Place de la Francophonie Tue Feb 16th - Fresh IE - 7:30 @ Livecity Downtown Tue Feb 16th - Spirit Of Uganda - 8:00 @ Ozone Tue Feb 16th - Skavenjah - 9:00 @ Saskatchewan Pavillion Tue Feb 16th - Alexisonfire - 9:30 @ Livecity Yaletown Tue Feb 16th - Buck 65 - 9:30 @ Livecity Downtown Tue Feb 16th - Eliot Brood - 10:00 @ Ontario Pavillion Tue Feb 16th - The Trews - 10:30 @ Atlantic Canada House *19+ Wed Feb 17th - DRUM! - 5:00 @ Livecity Yaletown Wed Feb 17th - Corb Lund - 9:30 @ Livecity Yaletown Wed Feb 17th - Ryan Dahle - 7:30 @ Holland Park Wed Feb 17th - Bend Sinister - 8:15 @ Holland Park Wed Feb 17th - Karkwa - 6:00 @ la Place de la Francophonie Wed Feb 17th - Porn Flakes - 7:30 @ la Place de la Francophonie Wed Feb 17th - Jill Barber - 8:00 @ Ozone Wed Feb 17th - Two Hours Traffic - 8:30 @ Atlantic Canada House *19+ Wed Feb 17th - The Arkells - 10:00 @ Ontario Pavillion Wed Feb 17th - Hawksley Workman - 9:30 @ Ozone Wed Feb 17th - Hot Hot Heat - 9:00 @ Holland Park Wed Feb 17th - Ivy League Brawlers - 10:00 @ Plaza Of Nations (Edgewater) Thur Feb 18th - Leoffenders - 6:00 @ la Place de la Francophonie Thur Feb 18th - Vishten - 6:30 @ la Place de la Francophonie Thur Feb 18th - Soirée DJ and Plastic Bertrand - 7:30 @ la Place de la Francophonie Thur Feb 18th - Paul Filek - 5:00 @ The Cellar Thur Feb 18th - Jully Black - 10:00 @ Ontario Pavillion Thur Feb 18th - Two Hours Traffic - 10:30 @ Atlantic Canada House *19+ Thur Feb 18th - Keisha Chante - 8:00 @ Livecity Yaletown Thur Feb 18th - Corb Lund - 9:00 @ Holland Park Thur Feb 18th - Rumba Calzada - 9:30 @ Livecity Downtown Thur Feb 18th - The Arkells - 8:30 @ Ozone Thur Feb 18th - Our Lady Peace - 9:45 @ Ozone Thur Feb 18th - Marianas Trench - 9:30 @ Livecity Yaletown Fri Feb 19th - Redgy Blackout - 9:00 @ West Van Community Center Fri Feb 19th - Allez Ouest - 6:00 @ la Place de la Francophonie Fri Feb 19th - Pascal Lejune - 6:30 @ la Place de la Francophonie Fri Feb 19th - Éric Lapointe - 7:30 @ la Place de la Francophonie Fri Feb 19th - Paul Filek - 1:00 @ Doolins Pub Fri Feb 19th - Town Pants - 9:30 @ Livecity Downtown Fri Feb 19th - Deadmau5 - 9:30 @ Livecity Yaletown Fri Feb 19th - DRUM! - 8:00 @ Ozone Fri Feb 19th - Jully Black - 10:00 @ Holland Park Fri Feb 19th - The Arkells - 7:00 @ Holland Park Fri Feb 19th - Canadian Tenors - 9:30 @ Ozone Fri Feb 19th - Dan Mangan - 8:00 @ Holland Park Fri Feb 19th - Sam Roberts - 9:00 @ Holland Park Sat Feb 20th - Paul Filek - 1:00 @ Doolins Pub Sat Feb 20th - Mary Barry et Mimosa - 6:00 @ la Place de la Francophonie Sat Feb 20th - Rallycar - 3:00 @ Ozone Sat Feb 20th - Hey Rosetta! - 7:30 @ Atlantic Canada House Sat Feb 20th - Ultimate Power Duo - 8:00 @ Ozone Sat Feb 20th - The Arkells - 6:30 @ Livecity Yaletown Sat Feb 20th - Sam Roberts - 9:30 @ Livecity Yaletown Sat Feb 20th - Marianas Trench - 9:30 @ Ozone Sat Feb 20th - Mother Mother - 10:00 @ Holland Park Sat Feb 20th - Allez Ouest - 3:30 @ Holland Park Sat Feb 20th - Shane Phillip - 4:30 @ Holland Park Sat Feb 20th - Zuco 103 Soundsystem - 5:30 @ Holland Park Sat Feb 20th - DRUM! - 6:30 @ Holland Park Sat Feb 20th - Said The Whale - 7:30 @ Holland Park Sat Feb 20th - Hey Ocean - 8:30 @ Holland Park Sat Feb 20th - Tiger Style - 9:00 @ Holland Park Sat Feb 20th - Malkit Singh - 10:00 @ Holland Park Sun Feb 21st - Ode à l’Acadie - 6:00 @ la Place de la Francophonie Sun Feb 21st - Swank - 8:15 @ Ozone Sun Feb 21st - Les Cowboys Frigants - 7:30 @ la Place de la Francophonie Sun Feb 21st - Dustin Bentall - 9:30 @ Ozone Sun Feb 21st - Hey Rosetta! - 8:30 @ Atlantic Canada House *19+ Sun Feb 21st - The Odds - 7:30 @ Holland Park Sun Feb 21st - 54-40 - 9:00 @ Holland Park Sun Feb 21st - Jully Black - 9:30 @ Livecity Yaletown Mon Feb 22nd - Édith Butler - 6:00 @ la Place de la Francophonie Mon Feb 22nd - Zachary Richard - 7:30 @ la Place de la Francophonie Mon Feb 22nd - Colin James - 9:30 @ Livecity Yaletown Mon Feb 22nd - Classified - 7:30 @ Atlantic Canada House Tue Feb 23rd - Wintersleep - 9:30 @ Livecity Yaletown Tue Feb 23rd - Anique granger - 6:00 @ la Place de la Francophonie Tue Feb 23rd - Les 3 Accords - 7:30 @ la Place de la Francophonie Wed Feb 24th - Bridges And Breakdowns - 9:00 @ Plaza Of Nations (Edgewater) Wed Feb 24th - Andrea Lindsay - 6:00 @ la Place de la Francophonie Wed Feb 24th - Mighty Popo - 6:30 @ la Place de la Francophonie Wed Feb 24th - André-Philippe Gagnon - 7:30 @ la Place de la Francophonie Wed Feb 24th - Wintersleep - 10:30 @ Atlantic Canada House *19+ Wed Feb 24th - Damian "Jr.Gong" Marley - 9:30 @ Livecity Yaletown Thur Feb 25th - Geneviève Toupin - 6:00 @ la Place de la Francophonie Thur Feb 25th - Daniel Roa - 6:30 @ la Place de la Francophonie Thur Feb 25th - Adriane Moffat - 7:30 @ la Place de la Francophonie Thur Feb 25th - Paul Filek - 5:00 @ The Cellar Thur Feb 25th - Illscarlett - 6:30 @ Livecity Yaletown Thur Feb 25th - Head Pins - 7:30 @ Holland Park Thur Feb 25th - Street Heart - 9:00 @ Holland Park Thur Feb 25th - Wintersleep - 9:30 @ Ozone Thur Feb 25th - Inward Eye - 11:30 @ Livecity Downtown Fri Feb 26th - Robert Charlebois - 7:30 @ la Place de la Francophonie Fri Feb 26th - Paul Filek - 5:00 @ The Cellar Fri Feb 26th - Bridges And Breakdowns - 5:00 @ Holland Park Fri Feb 26th - Tokyo Police Club - 9:45 @ Ozone Fri Feb 26th - Two Hours Traffic - 7:00 @ Holland Park Fri Feb 26th - Jaydee Bixby - 6:00 @ Holland Park Fri Feb 26th - The Higgins - 9:00 @ Holland Park Fri Feb 26th - Doc Walker - 10:00 @ Holland Park Fri Feb 26th - Inward Eye - 6:00 @ Holland Park Fri Feb 26th - Illscarlett - 8:00 @ Holland Park Fri Feb 26th - Marianas Trench - 9:00 @ Holland Park Fri Feb 26th - TBC - 8:00 @ Livecity Yaletown Fri Feb 26th - Girl Talk - 9:30 @ Livecity Yaletown Sat Feb 27th - Samiane - 6:30 @ la Place de la Francophonie Sat Feb 27th - Alfa Rococo - 7:30 @ la Place de la Francophonie Sat Feb 27th - Paul Filek - 1:00 @ Doolins Pub Sat Feb 27th - Matt Mays - 6:30 @ Livecity Yaletown Sat Feb 27th - Matt Mays - 10:30 @ Atlantic Canada House *19+ Sat Feb 27th - The Stills - 10:15 @ Ozone Sat Feb 27th - Illscarlett - 10:00 @ Ontario Pavillion Sat Feb 27th - Blue Rodeo - 9:30 @ Livecity Yaletown Sat Feb 27th - Hey Rosetta! - 6:00 @ Holland Park Sat Feb 27th - You Say Party!We Say Die! - 7:00 @ Holland Park Sat Feb 27th - Wide Mouth Mason - 9:30 @ Holland Park Sat Feb 27th - Tokyo Police Club - 9:00 @ Holland Park Sat Feb 27th - Wintersleep - 10:00 @ Holland Park Sun Feb 28th - Five Alarm Funk - 9:30 @ Ozone