Hillside preview 2026

Ontario's best fest + Toronto live music listings

The 42nd Hillside Festival happens next weekend, July 17-19. It’s been a can’t-miss event for me since the first summer I spent in Guelph, in 1992. Many of my favourite musical memories have taken place there, particularly first impressions (recently Altin Gün, NoBro) and spontaneous collaborations (too many to list). It’s a community festival, not a corporate one, and artists will tell you the audiences there are more than receptive to the unfamiliar. My kinda town.

I’ve written about the festival almost every year I’ve ever attended, including on its 40th anniversary, for and many other times since this newsletter began.

This year Hillside Festival’s weekend passes are sold out, for the first time since 2012. If you don’t have one, you should still get a day pass, and here are 12 musical reasons why:

Angine de Poitrine

Pretty sure you don’t need me to explain this at this point, but here’s an essay arguing that we’d have more creative bands like this one if society embraced UBI, or at least something like the recent Irish model for artists (although of course neither Quebec nor any Canadian jurisdiction has yet done so). Playing Sunday at 10 p.m. on the main stage — sure to be the biggest Hillside moment since Arcade Fire’s return engagement in 2005.

Austra

Katie Stelmanis’s latest record is a queer electro breakup disco party. This will be where the rave is this weekend: Saturday at 7.05 p.m. at Island Stage. She’s also in a workshop with Amy Millan, Torquil Campbell and Charlotte Cornfield on Saturday at 4 p.m. on the Sun Stage.

Charlotte Cornfield

Sure to be the weekend’s MVP, the Toronto singer-songwriter — who’s currently having an international breakthrough (thanks in part to Merge Records, original home of Waxahatchee) — is playing not only on Friday night at 7.15 p.m. on the Island Stage, but with members of Stars and Austra at the Sun Stage on Saturday at 4.20 p.m., the 10.30 a.m. Sunday morning gospel workshop on the Island Stage, and another Sun Stage workshop at 2.55 p.m. on Sunday, with Housewife.

Cowboy Junkies

These veterans, whose story I told in Have Not Been the Same, feature local Guelph hero Jeff Bird, who’s been in the band since The Trinity Session in 1988. Their latest, 2023’s Such Ferocious Beauty, is a recent career highlight; they’re not just an oldies act. The Cowboy Junkies are playing Sunday at 8 p.m., right before… Angine de Poitrine. At any other festival I’d be worried for the old-timers, but not here. Plus, during the Junkies’ slot, AdP fans should be checking out Fulu Miziki with Mad Professor at the Island Tent.

Donovan Woods

This former University of Guelph student has written a lot of great songs, but I think it will be hard for him — or anyone — to top this one:

Last time Woods played Hillside, his set was cut short by a thunderstorm. Maybe that’s why he’s getting 15 minutes more than a regular one-hour slot when he plays Saturday at 7.55 p.m. on the main stage.

Fulu Miziki

I’ve been waiting years to see this Congolese junkyard band, who look like the wildest dreams of Black Panther’s costume department. (They played Sunfest and Drom Taberna last year, but I had to miss it.) I’m beyond thrilled that they will be at Hillside — who, it must be said, has done an excellent job with African programming in recent years (BCUC, Bombino, Etran de l’Aïr, etc.).

This was one of the videos that first hooked me:

Do not miss Fulu Miziki’s set on Sunday — a.k.a. the Angine de Poitrine day — at 4.15 p.m. on the main stage, co-presented with Exclaim!.

Gord Grdina’s Haram

Grdina is a staple of Vancouver’s jazz scene, playing oud and guitar in various ensembles. He made a rare Toronto appearance recently at Wavelength’s Block Party, with German drummer Christian Lillinger. His Haram project, however, formed in 2008, is a sprawling big-band affair exploring Arabic repertoire, and their 2002 album featured guest Marc Ribot (Ribot will not be at Hillside).

This is their only (and first?) Ontario appearance; not sure who’s in the band right now, but it may include members of Destroyer (JP Carter) and Tagaq’s band (Jesse Zubot). They play Saturday at 2.15 p.m., on the Island Stage, co-presented by the Guelph Jazz Festival (where Grdina will be returning, solo and with Francois Houle, in September). Oddly enough, Haram is not booked into any workshops; hope they crash the microtonal one.

Horse Lords

Microtonal madness! Angine de Poitrine aren’t the only band at Hillside with twice as many frets on their guitars: Baltimore’s Horse Lords have been on this tip for a while. But don’t count on the two bands sharing a stage: while Horse Lords are in a microtonal workshop on Saturday at 7.05 p.m. on the Lake Stage, AdP will be finishing their set at Ottawa’s Bluesfest.

Mad Professor

Perhaps the best-known British dub master other than Adrian Sherwood, Mad Professor has been recombobulating an all-star client list for the past 40 years — most notably an album-length take on Massive Attack’s Protection, but also Depeche Mode, the Beastie Boys, Rancid, Horace Andy, U-Roy and more. Closer to Hillside, he delivered this 1994 remix for Guelph’s King Cobb Steelie:

He plays Saturday at 8.30 on the Island Stage, co-presented by Exclaim!. Here’s hoping the bass frequencies won’t interrupt Donovan Woods on the main stage. Mad Professor is also in a can’t-miss workshop with Fulu Miziki on Sunday at 8.30 p.m. on the Island Stage.

Magic Tuber Stringband

This North Carolinian trio may use traditional instrumentation in a folk context, but they do so alongside tape loops, field recordings, and with a sound that evokes ghostly landscapes and hidden histories. Their new album is inspired by the ecological fallout in a South Carolinian town from the military production of radioactive materials. Not exactly a hoedown; more of a haunting.

Magic Tuber Stringband play Saturday on the main stage at 1.05 p.m., at the Sunday morning gospel workshop on the Island Stage at 10.30 a.m., and in an “anything-goes” workshop with American Afro-pop artist Sinkane on Sunday at 7 p.m. on the Lake Stage. I hope they also crash the microtonal workshop with this next lady:

Gwenifer Raymond

Imagine Bert Jansch, Jimmy Page, John Fahey and Bruce Cockburn all embodied in a Welsh woman who moonlights as an astrophysicist, and you have Gwenifer Raymond. Seriously, check out this shredding:

She has a somewhat local connection in that her records are put out by Toronto label We Are Busy Bodies, which helps explain how she ended up at Mariposa and now Hillside. She plays Sunday at 2.40 p.m. on the Lake Stage, but also a strings workshop on the Sun Stage on Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 5.35 p.m., and the microtonal workshop on Saturday at the Lake Stage at 7.05 p.m.

Stars

Stars take time off from their summer tour with childhood friends in Metric and Broken Social Scene to return to Hillside, a festival that nurtured all three acts early in their breakthrough periods. Heroes of the Hearts on Fire era, their set is sure to be packed with old favourites and tracks from their very strong 2022 album From Capelton Hill — which, as always, they threaten to be their farewell. See them while you can! No, really! They headline the main stage on Saturday at 9.40 p.m.

6 more Hillside picks

Ebril: Dreamy ASMR folk-pop from 23-year-old Iraqi Canadian

Gizmo: PEI power-pop, in same vein as Absolute Losers, Two Hours Traffic and Sloan

Housewife: Young Toronto throwback to mid-2000s Canadian indie rock

Mae Martin: The comedian/writer/actor is not doing stand-up here; they’re performing their original music.

The North Sound: Saskatoon married couple Forrest and Nevada Eaglespeaker sing perfect harmony over Prairie country music.

Sinkane: Sudanese-American artist whose 2024 album produced by Money Mark conjures George Clinton, Stevie Wonder and modern Afro-pop. If we’re lucky, we may also get a William Onyeabor cover, because Sinkane is the musical director of the Atomic Bomb! Band, dedicated to the space-age funk of the Nigerian pioneer.

All news no snooze

Sneaky Dee’s has been saved — though not because of a groundswell of grassroots support, but because the developer couldn’t be bothered to find out that the land is actually owned by RBC, which councillor Dianne Saxe discovered. No one looks happier than Indie 88’s Lana Gay, but shout out to the mayor for this:

Project Nowhere has announced the preliminary lineup for its festival on Dundas West, from October 1-3. It includes Detroit proto-punks Death, U.S. Girls, Ducks Ltd., A Place to Bury Strangers, Horse Lords, Ora Cogan and more. Full lineup and schedule will be out July 28, with tickets on sale July 31.

Do you want a Tranzac residency this fall/winter? Learn how to apply here.

There’s a new Western Canadian equivalent to the Polaris Music Prize, called the Meridian Prize. The ten shortlisted albums have just been announced, including recent works by Begonia, William Prince, Andy Shauf’s Foxwarren (who play Harbourfront July 11), Home Front, and Jairus Sharif — plus five others this Laurentian elite has never heard of, which, of course, is the point. The $5,000 winner will be announced October 3 at the BreakOut West festival in Victoria.

Because we live in a world where arts are always pitted against sports for public funding, either at grassroots levels or megaprojects, it must be pointed out that according to preliminary reports, Taylor Swift is likely to have made more money for Toronto’s economy than FIFA did.

Last week Billy Bragg and Wilco played a full set of Mermaid Avenue songs for the first time ever, at Wilco’s Solid Sound Festival at Mass MoCA in western Massachusetts; Natalie Merchant was a (very pleasant) surprise guest. The No Fences Review takes a deep dive into the whole project and reviews the show.

Why did every little thing have to be so political

Wired reports on NYC’s Summer of Ludd(ites).

Mark Mattson of Swim Drink Fish (and a character in The Never-Ending Present) writes about the illegal catastrophe that is the proposed Island airport extension.

You might want to tweak your Instagram settings now that Meta has allowed anyone to use your posts in AI images, reports Wired.

T.O. SHOWS YOU SHOULD KNOW

An entirely subjective and by no means comprehensive look at Toronto’s concert calendar, tailored to musically curious people who are probably (but not necessarily) over 40. My strong recommendations in bold. Suggestions welcome.

Don’t live in Toronto? Most of these artists are on tour, so check your local listings. Just kidding! There are no local listings anymore. Check the artists’ websites.

JUST ANNOUNCED (mark your calendars)

Nadjiwan: July 19 at Trillium Park (Ontario Place), part of Indigenous Sound festival

Fiver, Isla and the Sorry Brothers: July 24 at Dina’s Tavern. Album release for Simone Schmidt’s Fiver.

Lilly Hiatt: Aug 3 at the Horseshoe

It’s OK* World Festival: Aug 8 at Trillium Park (Ontario Place), featuring Gena (Live.e + Karriem Riggins), KeiyaA, Clairmon the Second, more.

Pecker: Aug 10 at Paradise Theatre 8.30 p.m. To me, John Waters’s masterpiece.

Peterborough Folk Festival: Aug 13-16. Featuring Bahamas, Shad, Begonia, Georgia Harmer, Kelly McMichael, Slow Leaves, Burs, more. Details here.

Rhett Miller (Old 97s), Country Flash: Aug 16 at the Horseshoe

Dobranotch’s Klezmer Circus: Aug 31 at the Great Hall. Yes, there is a real circus involved. Presented by Ashkenaz.

Louisa Lyne & Di Yiddishe Kapelye: Sept 1 at Lula Lounge. Swedish band performing Leonard Cohen songs in Yiddish. Presented by Ashkenaz.

Neta Elkayam: Sept 2 at Lula Lounge. Morrocan-Jewish singer based in New Orleans. Presented by Ashkenaz.

The Surfrajettes: Sept 4 at the Horseshoe

Guelph Jazz Festival: Sept 11-13. Featuring Francois Houle, Gord Grdina, Gerry Hemingway, Joëlle Léandre, Myra Melford, more.

Rheostatics performing Great Lakes Suite: Sept 12 at Paradise Theatre. Help Dave Bidini celebrate his only slightly belated birthday! #HaveNotBeentheSame

Roger Miller (Mission of Burma): Sept 20 at Bsmt254

Cultivate Festival: Sept 25-27 at Haute Goat Farm, Port Hope. Featuring Lemon Bucket Orkestra, Terra Lightfoot, Cuff the Duke, Waahli, Ahmed Moneka, Melissa Payne, Jimmy Bowskill Band, Polky, more. Here’s the really interesting part: the festival is PWYC. Details here.

Tiffany Haddish (comedy): Sept 26 at Elgin Theatre. Presented by Just for Laughs.

Pete Davidson (comedy): Sept 26 at Meridian Hall. Presented by Just for Laughs.

The Supersuckers: Sept 29 at the Horseshoe

Cortex: Sept 30 at Massey Hall. Heavily sampled French psychedelic jazz-fusion band of the mid-’70s.

John Cleese (comedy): Oct 1-2 at Winter Garden Theatre. Presented by Just for Laughs.

Rachel Reid Q&A: Oct 13 at Massey Hall

Diles que no me maten: Nov 6 at Dance Cave (Lee’s). Mexico City psych-pop.

Protomartyr: Nov 7 at the Concert Hall

Mary in the Junkyard: Nov 13 at the Garrison

L. Shankar: Nov 22 at Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Presented by Small World Music.

The Saami Brothers: An Evening of Qawwali and Khayaal: Nov 27 at Toronto Pavilion. Presented by Small World Music.

Constantinople with Ghalia Benali; Oum Kalthoum & the Quatrains of Khayyam: Dec 4 at George Weston Hall. Presented by Small World Music.

Tonight and ev-er-y night!:

The Tranzac, Drom Taberna, Cameron House and the Rex Hotel all have several great acts a night — just go! JazzInToronto.ca’s Instagram page has essential daily jazz listings at various venues. East-enders: always something on at Castro’s or Sauce on the Danforth or jazz at Hirut. Latin and Caribbean scene: Lula Lounge. Check out the eclectic lineup at the micro-intimate Sellers & Newel bookstore. The Whole Note lists classical events and more. Fans of experimental music, report to Earlobe. Hamiltonians need HamOntLive.

Coming this week:

Beaches Jazz Festival: until July 26. Details here.

Yoo II with Nolan Potter, Colin Fisher: July 9 at Lee’s Palace. Québécois supergroup of Population II and Yoo Doo Right. Reviewed here.

Arielle Soucy: July 9 at the Burdock. Polaris-longlisted Québécois singer-songwriter.

Bob Wiseman: July 10 at Sellers & Newel #HaveNotBeentheSame

Musica Universalis, Not the Wind Not the Flag: July 10 at the Tranzac 9.30 p.m.

Jena Malone: July 10 at Baby G.

Peter Asher: Everywhere Man: July 10 at Hot Docs Cinema 7 p.m.

Digable Planets: July 10 at the Phoenix

Four Winds Music Fest: July 10-12 in Durham, Ontario, featuring Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, Bros. Landreth, Reuben and the Dark with Bullhorn Singers, Tom Wilson, more TBA.

Big Brave, the Body: July 11 at St. Stephen’s in the Fields

Foxwarren (Andy Shauf): July 11 at Harbourfront.

Jim E. Brown: July 11 at the Garrison. Sold out.

Sonido Torontonico’s Cumbia Lab: July 12 at the Tranzac 10 p.m.

Lord Huron, Goldie Boutilier: July 13 at Ontario Place Amphitheatre

John Oswald / Rob Clutton / Josh Cole / Nick Fraser: July 13 at the Tranzac 9.30 p.m.

Martin Loomer and his Orange Devils (big band): July 13 at the Monarch 7 p.m.

Buck Meek (Big Thief): July 13 at Great Hall

Angine de Poitrine: July 14, 15 & 18 at the Mod Club. Beyond sold out.

Jack White, Angine de Poitrine: July 14 at Ontario Place Amphitheatre

Marcos Valle: July 14 at Lee’s Palace

Lucy Dacus: July 15 at Queen Elizabeth Theatre

Buddy Guy: July 15 at Massey Hall. No, really, the 90-year-old is packing it in on this farewell tour—which is what, his fourth? Fifth?

Muse, Bloc Party: July 15 at Ontario Place Amphitheatre

Toronto Klezmer Society Epic Jam: July 15 at Tranzac 9.30 p.m. Come join! Sheet music and more info here.

Sate presents The Listening: July 15-18 at the Vault (2076 Danforth). A memoir/play directed by Djanet Sears.

Aziz Ansari: July 16 at Great Canadian Casino

Cypress Hill: July 16 at Fallsview Casino

Valerie June: July 16 at Queen Elizabeth Theatre Allied Music Centre (Massey Hall)

Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears: July 16 at Longboat Hall

Molly Johnson: July 16 at El Mocambo. Album release.

Butthole Surfers: The Hole Truth and Nothing Butt: July 16 at Revue Cinema 9.30 p.m.

Key summer dates

Billy Talent, Death From Above 1979, Hollerado: July 18 at Ontario Place Amphitheatre. Playing Billy Talent II for its 20th anniversary. #HeartsOnFire

Death Cab for Cutie, Japanese Breakfast: July 19 at Ontario Place Amphitheatre

Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets: July 21 at Mod Club

Herbie Hancock: July 26 at Massey Hall

Metric, Broken Social Scene, Stars: Aug 7 at Ontario Place Amphitheatre. #HeartsOnFire #HeartsOnFire #HeartsOnFire

Alexisonfire, Underoath: Aug 14-15 at Ontario Place Amphitheatre. Performing Crisis for its 20th anniversary. #HeartsOnFire

Summerfolk (Owen Sound): Aug 21-23. Featuring Dan Mangan, Jane Siberry, Tom Wilson, Empanadas Illegales, Julian Taylor, Good Lovelies, more. Details here.

Toronto Folk Festival: Aug 21-23 on Ward’s Island. Featuring Abigail Lapell, Ahmed Moneka, Bobby Dove, Burs, Kobo Town, Meredith Moon, Mia Kelly, Divka, Jadea Kelly, more.

Blue Rodeo, William Prince, Billiane: Aug 29 at Ontario Place Amphitheatre #HaveNotBeentheSame

More Toronto concert listings until May 2027 are here and updated weekly for paid subscribers.

Here come the regulars

Every Monday: Tranzac open stage, 6.30 p.m. (Sign up at 6 p.m.)

Every Monday: Sean McCarthy’s Taproom Gang (trad jazz) at Steadfast Brewing 7 p.m.

Every Tuesday: Julian Fauth at Sauce on the Danforth 6.30 p.m.

Every Tuesday: swing night at Drom Taberna

Every Thursday: Strangetooth (bluegrass) at Tranzac 7 p.m.

Every Thursday: Good Enough Karaoke (live band) at Wheat Sheaf Tavern

Every Thursday: Corin Raymond at Cameron House, 6 p.m.

Every Saturday: The Happy Pals at Grossman’s, 3.30 p.m. 56 years strong!

Every Saturday: Michael Louis Johnson and the Red Rhythm at Communist’s Daughter 4 p.m.

Every Saturday: Robertson & Kerr at Cameron House 8.30 p.m.

Every Sunday: Eastern European Brunch at Drom Taberna 1-4 p.m.

Every Sunday: John Borra at Communist’s Daughter 5 p.m.

Every Sunday: Colonel Tom at Cameron House 6 p.m.

Every Sunday: Doghouse Orchestra at Cameron House, 10 p.m.

Are you over 40 and/or did you grow up with freeform radio?

If so, curated Toronto concert listings from now until May 2027—are here for paid subscribers, and updated weekly.

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