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Halifax Music Fest Brings Rock Back To The Hill
It’s been many years since there’s been a solid rock concert to Halifax’s Garrison Grounds, commonly referred to as the “Hill.” Many Haligonians have reflected on 2011’s Rock The Hill – which brought heavy hitters such as Metallica, Coheed And Cambria, and Seether to the Maritimes – as the last great outdoor concert. Fans have been eager for the city to bring rock concerts back to the Hill, growing more hopeful for granted wishes as successful events on the grounds start becoming more regular.
Sonic Concerts delivered on that hope in the final weekend of June and brought us Halifax Music Fest – three nights jam packed with great music, good vibes, and lots of dancing in the rain in true Maritime fashion.
Tenille Townes Kicks Off The Weekend
The afternoon was off to a great start with Tenille Townes‘ brand of pop-fused country. She had the crowd locked in with her beautiful voice and dynamic stage presence. I’m not generally a fan of country music, but Tenille quickly won me over.
Despite being the very first opening act for Halifax Music Fest, the crowd was swelling and ready to jam with Tenille. Her setlist was full of fan favourites like “Somebody’s Daughter” and “The Thing That Wrecks You,” the latter of which she recorded with Bryan Adams after wowing him with her demo album.
Big Wreck Gets Big Love From Halifax
It’s no secret how much Halifax loves Big Wreck, myself included – I’ve been at every show they’ve played here over the last decade. The crowd roared for the band the second the house music cut. As always, Big Wreck absolutely nailed their performance.
Their set was packed with nostalgic bangers, like “The Oaf,” “Albatross” and “That Song.” They concluded with “Come Again,” one of my favourite music pieces from Ian Thornley – and the song that led me to discovering Big Wreck in my teens. This was one of my favourite sets of the weekend. I’m already eager for the next time this band visits Halifax.
The Glorious Sons Dominate The Stage
The energy in the crowd erupted when Ontario’s The Glorious Sons hit the stage. This band dominates the stage with their electrifying energy and punchy riffs. Brett Emmons is all over the place, essentially running laps across the stage, belting his lyrics from atop massive stage monitors, commanding the crowd from start to finish.
The Glorious Sons’ setlist spanned across their entire discography. They kicked things off with “The Union,” heavy hitters including “S.O.S. (Sawed Off Shotgun),” “Everything Is Alright” and “Heavy,” and concluded with “Pink Motel.” As always, an incredible performance from these guys.
Nickelback Triumphantly Caps Off Night 1
Nearly 20,000 Haligonians took over the Hill by the time Nickelback hit the stage. The city had been eagerly awaiting this show, and it absolutely delivered. Beer was flowing, pyrotechnics were blasting, and the crowd on the grounds was exploding.
It was great to hear some of my own favourite Nickelback tracks like “Figured You Out” and “Savin’ Me.” I appreciated Chad Kroeger leaning into the meme rabbithole that came about from “Photograph.“ Robb Wells and JP Trembley of The Trailer Park Boys joined the band to sing “Rockstar.” The night wrapped up with a double encore that featured “Gotta Be Somebody” and “Burn It To The Ground.”
It was wild to sit at the very top of the Hill and so see many thousands of people gathered together for a phenomenal night of rock n’ roll. Stellar conclusion to the festival’s premiere night.
Terra Lightfoot Is A Folk Rock Delight
Terra Lightfoot is a treasure; she has a stage presence that draws you in and a voice that soothes you. Her performance shook off the chill that graced the grounds from a typical wet Maritime day.
Terra is an incredible storyteller, a skill on full display in her music. She kept the crowd engaged and her entire band was super fun to watch. Her set was a great start to the overcast Saturday.
Amanda Marshall Rocks In The Rain
It was fitting to have to rain fully start as Amanda Marshall took the stage and started off her set with “Let It Rain.” She took some time to jive with the audience and talk about her personal connections to our city, having lived here for many years while she grew up.
Amanda’s voice is still as dynamic as it’s always been. This was my first time seeing Amanda Marshall live, and it was easy to see why this woman has been a fixture in Canadian music for over three decades.
An Intimate Performance With Ben Harper
The tone turned down once Ben Harper got on stage. There’s no denying that this man is incredibly talented – he made his way through seven different instruments during his set. But I did find it to be an odd shift in energy, bringing the crowd down to a more chill vibe. I would love to see Ben Harper again in a different setting, where his artistry can really be taken in.
All things considered, Ben Harper delivered a great set. I particularly enjoyed his Bruce Springsteen cover of “I’m On Fire.”
Lenny Kravitz Electrifies The End Of Night 2
Despite the cold and delay in start time, the crowd lit up once Lenny Kravitz appeared on stage. For a guy in his 60’s, he can still shred the hell out of a guitar. His setlist was jampacked with fan favourites that spanned across his entire discography; “It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over,” “Fly Away,” “Are You Gonna Go My Way,” and “Again,” just to name a few. We were treated to an encore with the title track of 1989’s “Let Love Rule.”
It was awesome to have Lenny Kravitz in Halifax. Hopefully it won’t be the last time! His performance was a great ending to the second night of Halifax Music Fest.
Said The Whale Breaks Through The Mist
Is it really summertime in Halifax if we don’t have at least one full weekend of fog and rain? Not really. The grey skies weren’t enough to scare off Said The Whale, an indie rock band from British Columbia. They got the third – and final – day of Halifax Music Fest off to a great start.
This was my introduction to Said The Whale and I’m a fan. They had great energy throughout their set. They played many of their most popular songs, including “I Love You” and “Camilo (The Magician).”
Lights Brightens Up The Sky
I first got to see Lights when she opened for Avril Lavigne in Halifax in 2022, and I’ve been a fan ever since. Her stage presence keeps you fixated through every moment. She entrances you with her unique blend of rock and electro-pop, and her love for her fans is evident – she hopped off the stage and onto the grounds barricades at one point during her set, belting out her lyrics alongside the crowd.
Her setlist featured a mix of older favourites and newer hits, “Damage,” “Love Me,” and “Alive Again” being among them. The crowd danced and sang along the whole way through, giving no mind to the pickup in the rain. Lights gave one of my favourite performances of the entire weekend.
Alvvays
Indie pop group Alvvays triumphed through the heaviest period of rain across the entire weekend. Their more hypnotic sound was very fitting for the wet conditions on the grounds and kept the crowd dancing.
Similar to Lights, Alvvays played a set that blended both older hits and newer songs. A standout moment was their homage to Halifax’s own Sloan, rocking a cover of their song “I Am The Cancer.”
The Grand Finale: The Killers Take Over The Hill
Admittedly, I’d been looking the most forward to seeing The Killers out of the entire Halifax Music Fest lineup. I’ve been a fan of this band since they hit the circuit with “Mr. Brightside,” and I never thought I’d get the opportunity to see them. Since this band does not allow media, I found a good spot on the grounds and rekindled my love for being a concertgoer in the crowd. The crowd erupted when the band stepped onto the stage, kicking the night off with the night’s second tribute to Sloan with a teaser of “Underwhelmed.”
Their performance exceeded expectations. Brandon Flowers is an astounding performer. I had to chuckle when he apologized to the crowd for “not giving it his all because [he] didn’t want to fall and break [his] ass” – this man hit the stage full throttle and didn’t let up once, I’d never have guessed that he was being restrained in his performance (due to the rain). We got to hear all the greats, like “Somebody Told Me,” “When You Were Young,” and “All These Things That I’ve Done.” They wrapped up the night with a great encore, going out with a bang to the 50/50 version of “Mr. Brightside.” What an incredible show and festival finale! I can only hope The Killers make a return to Halifax some day.
A Successful Festival Debut
Halifax Music Fest brought a weekend packed full of incredible bands to our humble (and rainy) city. It was so good to see so much Canadian talent represented throughout the weekend, and to see so many people get together each night to rock out together. Here’s to hoping that this festival returns in 2026 with another stellar lineup.
Huge thanks to Sonic Concerts and the whole crew of Halifax Music Fest for pulling this one together, you all did an outstanding job. Halifax will certainly be buzzing about this stacked weekend for months, perhaps years, to come.
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