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Arts + Culture

HAMILTON FRINGE FESTIVAL 2026 MINI-REVIEWS

HAMILTON CITY Magazine theatre reviewers are taking in Hamilton Fringe Festival shows all across our city and delivering fast and fun takes on what they see. Check them all out here! Fringe 2026 is 55 plays and 400 performances at 16 indoor and outdoor venues and runs until…
Made in Hamilton

Festival of Friends at 50

The iconic Festival of Friends, a Hamilton summer music tradition, celebrates a half-century of harmonies by looking back at what makes a lasting and much-loved legacy. For the Festival of Friends, the magic is the moments. From unforgettable musical acts to iconic artists returning year after year,…
Arts + Culture

Festival season: Summer on parade

Here is your hot 2026 summer festivals guide for Hamilton and Burlington. You’ll find everything from inaugural events to two local traditions that are turning 50 years old this year! Our summers may be short but fortunately for us, the list of local festivals is long. Spend warm-weather…
Food + Drink

ON THE MENU: WHAT’S OPENED AND CLOSED ON THE LOCAL RESTAURANT SCENE

Here's a list of what has come, gone and changed in Hamilton and Burlington in June. Launched & opening soon Burgers n’ Fries Forever (738 Burloak Dr., Burlington) This Ontario franchise has recently expanded to Burlington with its Halal Triple A Canadian beef smash…
Arts + Culture

THE PLAYLIST

Born Ruffians – Beauty’s Pride For a band that once felt like it might combust from sheer nervous energy and mileage logged, Born Ruffians have aged in a surprisingly graceful, and still charmingly unpredictable way. Beauty’s Pride finds the long-running Toronto/Hamilton group loosening their grip on that early, jittery urgency…
City Life

PRIDE: Kenadie, how do you shake off judgment?

Welcome to the first monthly column from Hamilton drag queen Kenadie St. James! Read on for the best bad advice you’ve ever had! Hamilton, your problems are officially about to get WORSE. 💋 Local drag legend Kenadie St. James is serving up catastrophically bad life advice in her…
Made in Hamilton

OPINION: Election 2026 is the time to build

The last municipal election saw just over 35 per cent of eligible Hamiltonians vote. We must do better this time because this city needs to deliver on its potential.  October 2026 will define Hamilton’s next chapter. We are entering a municipal election that will shape how our…
Arts + Culture

Hamilton’s music scene: What is and what could be

Music writer Dylan Hudecki asked Hamilton’s music insiders for their opinions about how to keep the local music scene thriving and reinventing itself. Think of it as a suggestion box to turn up the volume on Hamilton. Hamilton’s music scene continues to thrive as one of Canada’s most…

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HAMILTON CITY Magazine’s mission is to tell the stories that celebrate the city’s past, present and future by featuring stunning photography, illustrations and world-class writing. It’s your city. It’s your magazine.


Happening Now

THINGS TO DO IN HAMILTON, BURLINGTON

We are spoiled for things to see and do in #HamOnt and #BurlOn. HAMILTON CITY Magazine helps you keep up with it all. Think of us as your plugged-in friend who knows all the cool stuff happening around town! Get out and enjoy – and tell them HCM sent you!
City Life

Hounds of Hamilton

We need a big dose of dogs these days so HAMILTON CITY Magazine's new feature celebrates the city's canines. Send in your dogs (and cats)! Escape the relentless news cycle, doom scrolling and polarizing politics, and find joy and laughter in pets. Hounds of Hamilton…
HCC
City Life

Wesley: Never standing still

The made-in-Hamilton non-profit began its work in a church basement 71 years ago. Focused on poverty, homelessness, and the complex social challenges at the root of those issues, Wesley’s more than 300 staff lead critical social programs in 17 locations in Hamilton and beyond. Ryan S. was…
City Life

CITY VIEW: A cancer crusader

Nancy McMillan is a breast cancer survivor who has chaired the BRIGHT Run fundraiser since 2012. It has raised $6.6 million for local cancer research. NANCY McMILLAN was born in Ottawa and spent time growing up in Toronto, New York, Vancouver, and Ottawa, mostly in that order. She…
City Life

FOR THE LOVE OF HAMILTON

This regular feature highlights people from all walks of life who have embraced Hamilton as their new home. PRIYA MOHAN is the founder of sariKNOTsari, a Canadian fashion brand built around one-of-a-kind upcycled silk clothing, ethical production, and the belief that women deserve to feel both comfortable…
City Life

LIFE IN THE CITY

HAMILTON CITY Magazine gets out on the town to capture folks in our city dressing up, celebrating, raising money, performing, and just generally having a good time. Strike a pose and smile for the camera and you might just find yourself in the next issue of the magazine!…
Arts + Culture

HAMILTON FRINGE FESTIVAL 2026 MINI-REVIEWS

HAMILTON CITY Magazine theatre reviewers are taking in Hamilton Fringe Festival shows all across our city and delivering fast and fun takes on what they see. Check them all out here! Fringe 2026 is 55 plays and 400 performances at 16 indoor and outdoor venues and runs until…
Made in Hamilton

Saving the strays at Ladybird Animal Sanctuary

After rescuing nearly 1,900 animals over 16 years, Hamilton-based Ladybird Animal Sanctuary is close to creating a farm that will be a refuge for animals in desperate need. It all started with three friends working together for one unforgettable cat. Sweet Oliver the cat was the first…
Arts + Culture

HAMILTON FRINGE 2026: Victoria Schneider: Verified is an ‘important piece of theatre’

Victoria Schneider: Verified by Hamilton resident Scarlett Gillespie explores the story of a trans woman who sued and won over an unlawful strip search by San Francisco police. In her Fringe Festival debut, playwright Scarlett Gillespie (AKA Jelena Vermilion) introduces Hamilton to the legacy of Victoria Schneider in…