The Cape Breton Annual Drum Festival has been very fortunate to have the following performers and artists take part in past events (numbers in brackets represent the amount of times a particular performer has appeared at the Festival):

USA
Billy Ward (2) - Joan Osborne, Yoko Ono, BB King
Denny Seiwell (3) - Paul McCartney & Wings,
Ndugu Chancler - Michael Jackson, Miles Davis, Santana
Michael Shrieve (2) - Santana , Rolling Stones
Rick Van Horn - Drummer/Senior Editor Modern Drummer
Dom Famularo (7) - World Drumming Ambassador
Mike Mangini - Drum Head Berklee
Ed Mann (2) - Frank Zappa
Bernard Purdie (2) - Steely Dan, Aretha Franklin
Todd Sucherman - Styx
Paul Wertico (2) - Pat Matheny
Camile Gainer - Top New York Session drummer
Troy Luccketta - Tesla
Skip Hadden (2) - Berklee, Weather Report
Derek Roddy - Hate Eternal
Curt Bisquera - Elton John, Tina Turner, Bonnie Raitt
Rich Mangicaro - Tubes, Glen Frey, Eagles, Joe Walsh
Uriel Jones (3) - Motown Funk Brothers, Marvin Gaye, Steve Wonder
Joe Bergamini - Independent
Neil Garthley - Educator
Gil Sharone - Stolen Babies
Will Kennedy - Yellow Jackets
Yvette “Baby Girl” Preyer - Michael MacDonald
“Tiger” Bill Meligari - Educator
John Favicchia - Educator
Carmine Appice
Danny Seraphine
Liberty DeVitto

UK
Alan White - John Lennon George Harrison, Yes
Bill Bruford - Yes, Genesis, Earthworks, Gong, King Crimson
Pete Lockett - Peter Gabriel, Master percussionist
Gary Husband - John McLaughlin, Level 42

CANADA
Ethan Ardelli - Independent
Darren Gallop - Sessions, Slowcoaster
Mitch Dorge - Crash Test Dummies
Keith Dawson Jr - Independent
Devon Strang - Tom Fun Orchestra
Dale Anne Brendon - Canadian drumming sensation
John Morrison - Independant
Asani - Cree Vocal Drum group
Brian Talbot - Slowcoaster
Lucy MacNeil - The Barra MacNeils
New Brunswick Percussion Ensemble - Independent
Matt Foulds - Independent
Joe MacIntyre - Independent
Sonny Hogan - Independent
Maureen Brown - Independent
Paul De Long - Independent
Shawn Paris - Spyder
Kitpu Singers (2) - Dance and Drum Troup
Wilson Laurencin - Independent
Elloit Polsky - Independent
ST FX Big Band - St FX School
Ashley Chalmers - Independent
Mark Kelso - Independent
Bob Gaudreau - Independent
Jerry Granelli - Jazz Legend
Membertou 3D Drum Circle - School drum Troup
JD Sampson - Independent
Marcel Bourgeois - Independent
Randy Chaison - Independent
Joel Payne - Independent
Amber Buchanan - Heartbeats, Independent
Allan MacEarhcern - the Buzz, Independent
Andrew Brown - Independent
Samantha Digby - Independent
Ronnie Leadbeater - Men of the Deeps, Independent
Daniel Tweedie - Independent
Mark Marshall - Independent Educator
Brendon Peters - Independent
Mathew Casey - Independent
Nathan Petipas - Independent
Dustin Brown - Independent
Sarah Beth Harrison - Heartbeats
Hannah Buhariwalla - Heartbeats
Amanda Greaves - Heartbeats
Josey Lovett - Heartbeats
Rosi Smith - Heartbeats
Charles Urich - Independent
Stephane Chamberland
Aldo Mazza
David Langguth
Larnell Lewis
Pamela Lynn
Dylan Mombourquette (2)

PANAMA
Bill Cobham - Miles Davis, Drumming Legend

BRAZIL
Vera Figueiredo - Brazilian Drumming Legend

GERMANY
Marco Minnemann - German drumming legend

NEW ZEALAND
Bruce Aitken - Irish Rovers, John Campbelljohn, Andrea Curry
Billy Nuku
Tania Roberts

AUSTRALIA
David Jones

EGYPT
Hossam Ramzy - Peter Gabriel, Chick Corea, Plant & Page

CUBA
Lenny Castro - Legendary Percussionist, Toto, Oasis
Walfredo Reyes Jr - Sanatana, Steve Winwod, Robbie Roberston

ARGENTINA
Gustavo Meli - Argentina's hottest product
Phil Maturano - Latin sensation Independent

ITALY
Alessandra Belloni - Percussion Educator
Sergio Belotti - Berklee

FRANCE
Flo Mounier - Cryptopsy

BELGIUM
Dalton Drum Syndicate Belgium

MEXICO
Evaristo Aguilar - Independent

INDIA
Ganesh Anandan - Percussion, Independent