One of our favourite things to return with restrictions lifting is LIVE music and theatre! Concerts, shows, plays, and festivals are an amazing part of summer in The Maritimes, and we are never at a loss with an abundance of options and venues. From Convocation Hall in Sackville to the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium in Halifax, we have some of the best venues in all of Canada. If you’re planning a trip through the East Coast here are our favourite spots to check out for the arts.
Moncton/Dieppe
This summer, Southern New Brunswick welcomes back Festival Inspire, which became Canada’s longest festival during their 2021 8 week tour. There will be a number of shows and events in Moncton from July 11-16.
http://www.festivalinspire.com/
Acadie Rock is slated to return from August 12-20 in the Moncton area, with a large outdoor concert scheduled for August 15th! The lineup has not yet been announced, but keep your eyes peeled on their website and social media for news!
YQM Country Fest in Dieppe boasts a spectacular lineup, including Blake Shelton and Florida Georgia Line (with more announcements incoming!) from August 26-28. Check out the lineup here!
https://www.yqmcountryfest.ca/
Presenting some of the best in Acadian, French, and New Brunswick theatre, since 1978 théâtre l’Escaouette has another amazing season of locally crafted plays ready to hit the stage!
Sackville
Founded in 1988 and presenting entertaining and innovative professional theatre, Live Bait Theatre is the only professional theatre company operating in English in the region, and one of only a few fully professional companies operating in New Brunswick. Over the years, they have nurtured playwrights, actors, directors, and designers from the Atlantic region, while also introducing audiences to plays from elsewhere in Canada and the international repertoire. Check out their 2022 lineup here!
The greatest little indie music festival in the Maritimes returns for its 17the iteration. Sappyfest 17 will return to Sackville, NB July 29th-31st, 2022. They are currently accepting submissions to the fest, and will be announcing their lineups soon!
Antigonish
Antigonish becomes the centre of Nova Scotia music in August of 2022 with the Nova Scotia Summer Fest welcoming Walk Off the Earth, The Trews, and Jimmy Rankin to the home of St. FX for a weekend of high-quality entertainment!
https://novascotiasummerfest.ca/
If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to see The Hobbit as a play outdoors then Festival Antigonish has you covered! Learn about this play, their podcasts, as well as film screenings on their website!
https://www.festivalantigonish.ca/
Halifax/Dartmouth
Rounding out the dog days of summer, the Halifax Urban Folk Festival presents some of the best in Canadian folk music. Local stalwarts like Postdata and Reeny Smith prop some of the best new voices all throughout Halifax in August and September.
https://www.halifaxurbanfolkfestival.com/
If you’ve never taken in a show at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium at Dalhousie University, put it on your list now. They have an amazing assortment of concerts, plays, and performances all year round.
https://www.dal.ca/dept/arts-centre/events-schedule.html
Community theatre is an important part of any city’s arts community. The Dartmouth Players is ready to wow you with wonderful performances by some of the best amateur actors the HRM has to offer.
https://dartmouthplayers.ns.ca/
What’s better than taking a break during a day of meetings, or going for a walk through Dartmouth and finding a talented local musician? The Dartmouth Summer Sunshine free concerts wants to help you with that! They’re in the process of booking their artists and dates now and will be updating after June 1st!
https://www.halifax.ca/parks-recreation/events/dartmouth-summer-sunshine-free-concerts
