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Celebrating all things Hamilton / Welcome Message
Arts + Culture

Readers and writers: Your guide to gritLIT 2026

The literary festival offers five days of readings, panels, workshops, and social events that celebrate writers of all kinds and the readers who read them. For 22 years, the Hamilton-born gritLIT has celebrated established writers, helped new ones develop, and given readers a front-row seat to well over…
Arts + Culture

World premiere shines a light on Canada, The Hip, and what home really means

It’s A Good Life If You Don’t Weaken, opening April 22 at Theatre Aquarius, is about connection, love, and saying something that needs to be said. That spirit, and the spirit of Gord Downie, are in the rehearsal room as this show comes to life, say its stars.
Arts + Culture

REVIEW: Calendar Girls is balm for weary souls

Story of group of English women posing nude to raise money for their church is a nuanced exploration of aging, expectation, disappointment, and refusing to accept limitations. Binbrook Little Theatre’s production features brave performances and a solid focus on the story. Uplifting stories seem hard to find these…
Arts + Culture

New music venues: This booker is back

Brodie Schwendiman, operator of the late and beloved Casbah, is back booking music in a new downtown venue called Ridiculous, and other live-music locations in the region. 2025 was a rollercoaster ride of a year for Brodie Schwendiman. The music club operator and booker has played a crucial…
Food + Drink

Chef Matty Matheson: By the books

The celebrity chef has now made his mark in Hamilton, with elevated pub Iron Cow Public House at TD Coliseum. So what can we glean about him from the recipes and stories in his three cookbooks?  For months, his name was on the lips of Hamilton food…
Arts + Culture

THE PLAYLIST

Dylan Hudecki is a Canadian indie-rock vet having played in many different bands, including By Divine Right, Cowlick, Slow Beach and The Dill. He’s a proud Hamiltonian who covers local album releases for HAMILTON CITY Magazine. TV FREAKS  – Blue Genie (garage, punk rock) Devotion, distortion, and the…
Food + Drink

Getting out: Music & menus

If live tunes help your food taste better, here’s a list of places where the grub is as good as the setlist! With this issue being HAMILTON CITY Magazine’s music issue, it seemed fitting to round-up a bundle of local restaurants where you can see and enjoy some…
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…

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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.


Arts + Culture

Maybe I’m amazed? No, I was astonished

Neither Paul McCartney or the newly unveiled TD Coliseum disappointed when I was among a sold-out crowd for the grand opening of Hamilton’s downtown arena. Rock ‘n’ roll royalty came to Hamilton last evening when Sir Paul McCartney graced the stage at 8:15 p.m. for a voracious crowd…
City Life

The Hamilton Biosphere Park: A new eco-destination

There is an internationally recognized ecological gem running right through the middle of our city. It’s time to recognize the fabulous opportunity before us to celebrate and protect the Niagara Escarpment. “This is amazing!”  “The views are incredible.” “It’s so close to neighbourhoods.”  “I never knew Hamilton…
Arts + Culture

The art of Revival

Jerrold and Marta Hewson aim to make their newly opened art store, café, photography studio and event space on Cannon Street East near Ottawa a hub for ‘creative disruptors.’ It might be hard to immediately see the silver lining in being struck by a car while crossing…
City Life

Reason for the season: Where you can help those in need during the holidays

There are many worthy local organizations dedicated to ensuring every child, adult and senior can experience some joy and hope this season. Giving Tuesday on Dec. 2 is the perfect opportunity to donate.  It’s that time of year again, when our hearts are full with the magic…
Arts + Culture

Considering Matthew Shepard explores shocking murder, but finds peace and hope, too

Oratorio being performed by HPO and the Elora Singers on Nov. 26 brings together elements of musical theatre but also includes elements of jazz and blues, gospel, country and opera. A terrible thing happened in Wyoming in October 1998. A university student left a bar with a…
Arts + Culture

146-year-old feminist tale a treat for theatre-goers

A production of Ibsen’s A Doll’s House in historic performance space is a collaboration between Rook’s Theatre and Same Boat Theatre. Premiering in 1879, Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House is a three-act Norwegian play about anxious and unsatisfied housewife Nora and her relationship to her paternalistic husband…
Arts + Culture

Hamilton represents at birthday bash for Neil Young

The legendary singer-songwriter has turned 80 and a tribute show at Massey Hall last week brought out plenty of musicians with deep local connections. All photos by Bob Hatcher A roster of Canadian musicians turned out for NY80: A Celebration of Neil Young and his Music on the…
Happening Now

6 chances to get your pet’s photo with Santa in Hamilton

Father Christmas likes to take a break from children’s wish lists to hang out with pooches, cats and other pets to raise money for fantastic local animal rescues. Who doesn’t want a festive photo of their dog with Santa? Or simply a holiday-themed pet pic you can…