Music

Music

A Quebec provincial police shoulder patch is seen in Montreal, on Sept. 10, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

Vehicle hits four pedestrians at Quebec country music festival

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 5:08 PM CDT

SAINT-TITE - A driver who allegedly struck and injured six pedestrians at a Quebec country music festival had not planned an attack, provincial police say.

The incident happened at a western-themed festival in Saint-Tite, Que., around 4:30 a.m. Saturday. 

Speaking at the festival site later in the day, police spokesperson Audrey-Anne Bilodeau said the person's alleged actions did not appear to be premeditated.

"We are not dealing with an individual using a ram truck who planned the attack to intentionally injure people," she told reporters.

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Music

Taylor Abram, left to right, Bobby Martin, Connor Stephen and James Barker, of the James Barker Band, accept the Group or Duo of the Year award at the Canadian Country Music Association Awards, in Kelowna, B.C., on Saturday, September 13, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Cameron Whitcomb takes home top honours at Canadian Country Music Awards

Aaron Sousa, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

Cameron Whitcomb takes home top honours at Canadian Country Music Awards

Aaron Sousa, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Updated: 2:32 AM CDT

SASKATOON - Cameron Whitcomb has seemingly solidified his place in country music as he and his debut album, which explores wrestling out of the throes of addiction, earned top honours at the 2026 Canadian Country Music Association Awards.

The former "American Idol" contestant from Nanaimo, B.C., won best album for his record "The Hard Way" at Saturday's awards. He later secured best male artist and entertainer of the year, ending a two-year streak set by hitmaker Josh Ross.

Whitcomb also clinched top-selling Canadian album at an industry event Friday.

The 23-year-old pipeline labourer-turned-musician was not in attendance for the awards at SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon.

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Updated: 2:32 AM CDT

Music

Ruth Bonneville / Free Press Quintin Bart is performing the Oroboro Vignettes, an original collection of neo-Baroque works for the hurdy-gurdy, at St. Norbert Arts Centre Sunday.

The sound of infinity: Hurdy-gurdy show coming to St. Norbert Arts Centre

Ben Waldman 3 minute read Preview

The sound of infinity: Hurdy-gurdy show coming to St. Norbert Arts Centre

Ben Waldman 3 minute read Friday, Sep. 18, 2026

Quintin Bart’s favourite instrument has a name that’s easy to remember and it makes a sound that’s difficult to forget.

Say it with us — hurdy-gurdy.

Functioning like a wheeled, crank-activated violin, Bart’s trapezoidal instrument produces a continuous range of sound by manipulation of two drone strings, two melody strings and one trompette string. As the wheel spins in a single direction, the music created can last as long as the crank turns.

“I like to think of it as an analogue synthesizer,” says Bart, a jazz-minded Winnipeg folk musician who has used the baroque tool in performances with artists including Matt Foster and Raine Hamilton.

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Friday, Sep. 18, 2026

Music

Cameron Whitcomb performs at the Canadian Country Music Association Awards, in Kelowna, B.C., on Saturday, September 13, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Cameron Whitcomb on success, sobriety and the fan letter he keeps in his wallet

Aaron Sousa, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

Cameron Whitcomb on success, sobriety and the fan letter he keeps in his wallet

Aaron Sousa, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Thursday, Sep. 17, 2026

The moment Cameron Whitcomb realized he needed to make it big in country music came on the side of a B.C. highway — while answering the call of nature.

Then a 19-year-old labourer, he'd just been eliminated from the Top 20 on "American Idol," where he'd wowed judges with his gritty vocals, bright enthusiasm and signature backflips.

But his R&B-infused performances of "Changes" by heavy metal band Black Sabbath and "If It Hadn't Been for Love" by bluegrass group The SteelDrivers proved unpopular with TV viewers.

So Whitcomb, feeling down and out, sulked for a few weeks before eventually landing a 15-minute festival gig near Kamloops, B.C.

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Thursday, Sep. 17, 2026

Music

JOEY SENFT PHOTO Sean Burns Sean Burns and his band, Lost Country, celebrate the release of their latest album, Better Off in Time & Other Songs for the Dance Floor, Friday at Sidestage.

Sean Burns and company head to Sidestage to celebrate album

Sheldon Birnie 5 minute read Preview

Sean Burns and company head to Sidestage to celebrate album

Sheldon Birnie 5 minute read Thursday, Sep. 17, 2026

Like so many country musicians before him, local troubadour Sean Burns just can’t wait to get on the road again, playing to listeners far and wide.

But for now, hot off 10 dates out west, Burns and his band Lost Country will celebrate the official release of the group’s latest record, Better Off in Time & Other Songs for the Dance Floor, with a gig at Sidestage Friday.

“I like to work with the band as much as I can,” Burns says. “There aren’t many bands that play the kind of country music we play. It’s the most rewarding gig.”

Burns, who sings and plays upright bass, tic-tac and acoustic guitars on the new record, laid down the tracks last October at Winnipeg’s No Fun Club, mostly live off the floor with Lost Country.

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Thursday, Sep. 17, 2026

Music

Rock duo Angine de Poitrine perform at The Mod Club in Toronto on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Arlyn McAdorey

Quebec rock duo Angine de Poitrine to perform at Polaris awards show

Kaitlyn McGrath, The Canadian Press 1 minute read Preview

Quebec rock duo Angine de Poitrine to perform at Polaris awards show

Kaitlyn McGrath, The Canadian Press 1 minute read Tuesday, Sep. 15, 2026

TORONTO - Canadian extraterrestrial rock band Angine de Poitrine is to land in Toronto next week.

The Polaris Music Prize says the duo from Saguenay, Que., will perform at its concert and award ceremony on Sept. 22 at Massey Hall.

The eccentric performers, who claim to be 333-year-old aliens, have been gaining global recognition and made their American TV debut Monday on Jimmy Fallon's show.

Angine de Poitrine is among the 10 artists shortlisted for the prestigious prize that awards $30,000 to the best Canadian album based solely on artistic merit.

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Tuesday, Sep. 15, 2026

Music

FILE - Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran performs during

Ed Sheeran’s tour in trouble after opening acts drop out in solidarity with rapper Macklemore

Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

Ed Sheeran’s tour in trouble after opening acts drop out in solidarity with rapper Macklemore

Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press 5 minute read Tuesday, Sep. 15, 2026

NEW YORK (AP) — Ed Sheeran’s tour of North and South America was plunged into chaos Tuesday when four of his supporting acts abruptly quit in solidarity with the rapper Macklemore, who was dropped for making pro-Palestinian comments onstage.

Hours after Sheeran posted on social media about Macklemore's ouster and attributed the decision to the tour's promoters, Irish acts Aaron Rowe and Beoga, the Danish band Lukas Graham, and Finneas posted on Instagram that they were leaving the tour.

Rowe and Lukas Graham would have been replacements for Macklemore on Sheeran’s remaining U.S. dates, while Beoga had been performing several songs — including some the Irish folk band co-wrote — with Sheeran around the middle of each set. Finneas, who is Billie Eilish’s brother and musical collaborator, was due to tour with Sheeran in South America later this year.

“Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed,” Finneas said on Instagram. “I have decided to withdraw from my upcoming tour dates with Ed Sheeran. I stand with Palestine and its people.”

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Tuesday, Sep. 15, 2026

Health

Singer Celine Dion performs during the opening concert of her 'Celine Dion Paris 2026' residency at the Plenitude Arena in Nanterre, outside Paris, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

Céline Dion makes emotional return to concert stage after nearly six years

Anja Conton, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Céline Dion makes emotional return to concert stage after nearly six years

Anja Conton, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Sunday, Sep. 13, 2026

PARIS - After nearly six years away from the concert stage, Céline Dion returned Saturday night with a fitting message: “On ne change pas”-- we don’t change.

The Quebec superstar opened her show before nearly 33,000 people at the Plenitude Arena in Nanterre, outside Paris, marking an emotional comeback after what she described as a “rocky road.”

Dion thrilled the crowd with a two-and-a-half-hour performance that began about 40 minutes late, revisiting her career and some of her biggest hits, including “My Heart Will Go On,” “J’irai où tu iras” and “Pour que tu m’aimes encore.”

She delivered powerful vocal performances throughout the night despite the health challenges she has faced. Fans who had travelled from around the world greeted her return with sustained applause as she wiped away tears.

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Sunday, Sep. 13, 2026

Music

People take part in a karaoke session featuring Celine Dion's songs, on the eve of her first concert in Paris, Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

‘Céline is everywhere in my life’: Thousands gather in Paris for Dion’s big comeback

Anja Conton, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

‘Céline is everywhere in my life’: Thousands gather in Paris for Dion’s big comeback

Anja Conton, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Saturday, Sep. 12, 2026

PARIS - Thousands of Céline Dion fans gathered along the streets of Paris ahead of the singer's comeback concert Saturday evening at the Plenitude Arena.

For many, it was a test of patience and determination to get their hands on one of the highly coveted tickets to the first of the Quebec legend's 16 sold-out shows in the city this year.

“I really had to fight for it,” said Elda Vauttier, 57, originally from the Yvelines region of France. “Unfortunately, I only got one ticket tonight, so I couldn’t bring my daughter, who’s also a fan. But luckily, I managed to buy more for May.”

Vauttier, whose son lives in Montreal, has been a fan of Dion since childhood. She has previously seen her perform twice in Paris and once in Las Vegas.

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Saturday, Sep. 12, 2026

Music

Kieran Michael MacNeill is shown in this undated handout photo. MacNeill, a third-year computer science student with Queen's University in Kingston, Ont., has spent his summer knocking on doors in Richmond, B.C., and serenading Chinese-speaking immigrants with iconic Chinese 1980s classic hits. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - Kieran Michael MacNeill (Mandatory Credit)

Student’s door-to-door Chinese ballads break down barriers, win fans and lamb chops

Nono Shen, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Student’s door-to-door Chinese ballads break down barriers, win fans and lamb chops

Nono Shen, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Saturday, Sep. 12, 2026

When Kieran Michael MacNeill started going door to door in Richmond, B.C., serenading householders in Mandarin, he was worried they might think he was a "weirdo."

But instead, they embraced the efforts of the 22-year-old student, who spent summer singing to residents at the urging of Chinese Canadian friends who were "blown away" when he sang a classic Mando-pop tune in a car with them one day.

MacNeill's renditions of the sentimental 1980s ballad, "A Spray of Plum Blossoms," videoed by friend Jason Chen, have received millions of views online, drawing fascination for both his singing and the reactions to it.

Some residents join in the song, rich in symbolism about hardship and longing. Others have shared food with MacNeill and Chen.

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Saturday, Sep. 12, 2026

Music

Clear signal

Hip-hop artist ready to release meticulously constructed album

Conrad Sweatman 4 minute read Preview

Hip-hop artist ready to release meticulously constructed album

Conrad Sweatman 4 minute read Friday, Sep. 11, 2026

The techniques of digital music production today are finicky.

Dizzingly so: a little surgical EQ to make your hi-hats less shrill, the subtle boost in the 30-Hz range to get your kick drum thumping just so, drawing out a reverb swell with a visual artist’s meticulousness.

If the artist is visually impaired, the challenge might seem next to impossible.

“It’s so tough. Spending hours on a little piece of audio, or, like, I want the delay on the word ‘home’ exactly — not the syllable after or before,” says Winnipeg-based musician Matthew Monias, whose stage name is Mattmac.

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Friday, Sep. 11, 2026

Music

Micah Baribeau photo Jocelyne Baribeau’s Atelier 48 venue in the RM of Taché hosts the Icebreakers series, bringing together an array of Manitoba artists.

Rural venue lets artists shine on more intimate stage

Ben Waldman 4 minute read Preview

Rural venue lets artists shine on more intimate stage

Ben Waldman 4 minute read Friday, Sep. 11, 2026

With cooler temperatures on their way, Jocelyne Baribeau wants to break the linguistic ice between musicians with a new concert series at her home near Ste. Geneviève, about 30 minutes east of the Perimeter.

A onetime Western Canadian Music Award winner as best francophone artist, the St. Vital-raised Baribeau intends the Icebreakers series — which has its first concert this Sunday — to provide musicians with an intimate, rural setting to experiment and collaborate with peers with whom they might not otherwise share a bill.

“A goal for me to sort of erase a bit of that invisible line that we put. ‘It’s a French event,’ or ‘It’s an English event,’” says Baribeau, the vice-president of the Canadian Folk Music Awards.

“The more we can do that, the more opportunity there is for everyone. Music is music, and I don’t think it’s a language thing. You can feel a lot of things even when someone is singing in a language you don’t understand.”

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Friday, Sep. 11, 2026

Movies

Blackpink star Lisa is pictured in this still taken from

K-pop idol Lisa, athlete Rick Hansen hit the red carpet at TIFF on Day 2

The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

K-pop idol Lisa, athlete Rick Hansen hit the red carpet at TIFF on Day 2

The Canadian Press 3 minute read Friday, Sep. 11, 2026

TORONTO - Thousands of fans screamed and chanted as K-pop superstar Lisa arrived on the red carpet of the Toronto International Film Festival to debut a new documentary about her solo career.

"Always Lalisa," directed by Sue Kim, offers an intimate look at the Blackpink singer's career during the year she spent away from the pop quartet.

Speaking on the red carpet Friday, Kim said Lisa truly immersed herself in the process, allowing the crew to capture every moment as it happened.

Coincidentally, Rebel Wilson was also in town promoting "Girl Group," a film she wrote, directed and starred in alongside Jennifer Coolidge.

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Friday, Sep. 11, 2026

Music

FILE - Snoop Dogg poses at the premiere of

Snoop Dogg brings the VMAs back to Los Angeles as host for Sept. 27 show

Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Snoop Dogg brings the VMAs back to Los Angeles as host for Sept. 27 show

Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press 2 minute read Thursday, Sep. 10, 2026

NEW YORK (AP) — The MTV Video Music Awards are returning to the West Coast this month and they've got a very West Coast host — Snoop Dogg.

The rapper and entrepreneur will MC the telecast live from Los Angeles on Sept. 27, marking the first time since 2017 that the VMAs have picked a location that's not in New York or New Jersey.

The VMAs are scheduled to air simultaneously from the Peacock Theater on CBS, MTV, and Paramount+.

Snoop Dogg is a 13-time VMAs nominee and has won three of the Moon Man awards. Snoop made his debut on the VMAs stage in 1994. In 1999, he closed the show with Dr. Dre and Eminem. He returned for a tribute to the Notorious B.I.G. and again for a performance with Eminem in 2022.

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Thursday, Sep. 10, 2026

Music

Harry Styles is photographed on the red carpet of The Princess of Wales Theatre for the film

Harry Styles to play two shows in Toronto at Rogers Stadium next year

Kaitlyn McGrath, The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

Harry Styles to play two shows in Toronto at Rogers Stadium next year

Kaitlyn McGrath, The Canadian Press 2 minute read Thursday, Sep. 10, 2026

TORONTO - Harry Styles fans, get ready to dance some more.

The British pop star will play two shows in Toronto next year as part of his expanded "Together, Together" tour.

The "Watermelon Sugar" singer will perform at Rogers Stadium on May 7 and May 8, marking his first tour stop in Toronto since 2022.

It's the only Canadian stop listed among the 25 new dates across 12 cities.

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Thursday, Sep. 10, 2026

Music

Supplied Brew at the Zoo returns Friday with a selection of alcoholic and non-aloholic options.

What's Up: Brew at the Zoo, Neighbour x Neighbour fest, Fiver, Exploration of Contentment, Mangofest

5 minute read Preview

What's Up: Brew at the Zoo, Neighbour x Neighbour fest, Fiver, Exploration of Contentment, Mangofest

5 minute read Thursday, Sep. 10, 2026

Brew at the ZooAssiniboine Park Zoo, 2595 Roblin Ave.Friday, 7-10 p.m.Tickets $68 hereIn July, Winnipeg beer drinkers flocked to Blue Cross Park for the return of Ballpark Brewfest; in August, they convened at Le Patio 340 for the Winnipeg Beer Festival.

And on Friday, lager lovers and hop heads will descend on the Assiniboine Park Zoo for the annual Brew at the Zoo, which sees local breweries pouring their wares alongside a range of national and international products. (Note: the zoo proper is not open to Brew at the Zoo guests.)

Among the locals taking part at this year’s Brew at the Zoo are Kilter Brewing Co., Heritage Farms Brewing Co., Dastardly Villain Ale Works, One Great City Brewing Co. and Barn Hammer Brewing Co. Locals pouring non-beer options include Brat Cat Mead Co., Shrugging Doctor Beverage Company and Patent 5 Distillery.

Brew at the Zoo, then, offers much more than beer, with a range of ready-to-drink cocktails, coolers, cider, wine and spirits being poured throughout the event; non-alcoholic options include kombucha and non-alcoholic beer.

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Thursday, Sep. 10, 2026

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