Hamilton City Magazine - Page 26 Skip to main content
Celebrating all things Hamilton / Welcome Message
Arts + Culture

Hamilton stars at the Hamilton Film Festival

The 21-year-old film event features 100 shorts, documentaries and features, from established and new filmmakers, shown over 10 days. Here we talk with festival director Nathan Fleet and Hamilton filmmakers Rita Chiarelli, Liv Ellis, Maddy Foley, and Jeff Robinson. The Hamilton Film Festival works every year to…
City Life

State of the City: Hamilton needs 50 ideas to turn around the downtown

Business leaders, urban planners, and police officials call for well-executed small wins, stronger partnerships with other levels of government, and coordinated community action to restore confidence in the city’s core. Hamilton’s downtown revival will depend as much on fixing everyday problems as it does on major infrastructure…
Arts + Culture

Solo show shares stories from frontline shelters during the pandemic

Hamilton playwright Tommy Taylor will debut You Should Have Stayed Home Too at Theatre Aquarius. The show drawn from his decade working in emergency shelters and overdose prevention sites features lost music from his late aunt, who was best friend, roommate and collaborator of Joni Mitchell. A…
Arts + Culture

Learning to Breathe: Clara Hughes discovers life beyond the finish line

After a lifetime of pushing her body to extraordinary limits, the six-time Olympic medallist found herself facing an unfamiliar opponent: stillness. In her new memoir, the cyclist and speed skater explores a devastating injury, menopausal upheaval, and buried trauma that forced her to rethink everything she thought she…
Arts + Culture

Staats shines at folk awards in Hamilton

The Ontario Folk Music Awards kicked off the five-day Folk Canada conference taking place in downtown Hamilton. Six Nations of the Grand River singer-songwriter Logan Staats won big, along with Tanika Charles and Aysanabee at the awards show hosted by Terra Lightfoot. Six Nations of the Grand River…
City Life

CANDIDATE SURVEY: HAMILTON MUNICIPAL ELECTION 2026

The Hamilton Arts Council, Hamilton Phil, and HAMILTON CITY Magazine have teamed up to produce a four-question survey of mayoral and ward candidates vying for seats at City council in the Oct. 26 municipal election. Read on to for the candidates' thoughts about arts and culture in Hamilton.
Food + Drink

Your ultimate Hamilton fun & food guide

Are you looking to play with your food? From bowling, escape rooms, and axe throwing to open mics, batting cages, karaoke bars, and board game cafés, you'll never have to choose between a great meal and a great time. We’ve all been there. You and your besties are…
Arts + Culture

A winding musical road

James Bryan has had a long and varied career as a singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer, mentor, and concert producer who has worked with huge names in music in a variety of genres, and fronted two successful Canadian bands. His animated pop duo Prozzak will play FirstOntario Concert…
Arts + Culture

PREVIEW: Crown Point Players presenting unique companion plays

Lone Star and Laundry and Bourbon features two one-act plays set in 1970s Texas, one with an all-female cast and the other with an all male cast. It will run at Crown & Press from Oct. 16 to 24. New theatre company Crown Point Players is presenting…
Food + Drink

Buzz worthy: 5 restaurants in Hamilton, Burlington generating social media love

When you can’t make a decision about what restaurant to go to or order from, you simply can’t go wrong with any of these choices. These are eateries that consistently generate glowing reviews from patrons. Visit while they’re hot! Cowabunga 4.5-star average on Google Reviews Cowabunga…
Food + Drink

Jerk, done right

We are spoiled for local restaurants bringing big, bold Caribbean flavour to the table – just in time for the arrival of cooler weather. There is something heart-warming about the bold delicious flavours of a jerk chicken dish – some spice, some sweetness, and a…

you are HAMILTON

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.


City Life

The Approximators: Your shot at fronting a band

Hamilton-based live-karaoke band The Approximators will be celebrating their third anniversary on Saturday, Feb. 28 at Ooey Gooey’s in Hamilton’s Hess Village, where they recently kicked off a monthly residency that extends right to the end of 2026 (and maybe beyond). In live-band karaoke, people sign up to…
Arts + Culture

Three JUNO nominations for Hamilton artists

Josh Ross, Counterparts and Daniel Lanois are up for awards at the March 29 awards ceremony in Hamilton. Justin Bieber, Tate McRae lead the pack with six nominations each. Sarah McLachlan and Allison Russell will perform a tribute to Joni Mitchell, who will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award,…
Arts + Culture

Big Wreck: Still exploring, still curious

HCM music writer Dylan Hudecki chatted with singer and guitarist Ian Thornley about the making of the band’s eighth studio album The Rest of the Story, and embarking on a tour with LIVE and Econoline Crush. It hits Hamilton’s TD Coliseum on March 5. With The Rest…
City Life

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander takes ownership stake in TD Coliseum

NBA superstar says Hamilton shaped who he is and he plans to offer events and programming at the arena through his charitable foundation. It is also presenting a new music production program for kids through the Hamilton Music Collective. NBA superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has become part of the…
City Life

Hamilton honours Black city builders during Black History Month

City residents Ona Allen and Dr. Anthony McFarlane are now among 21 honourees in We Are Hamilton – Black History Remembered and HSR recognizes the contributions of multi-faceted artist Queen Cee with a bus wrap by stylo starr. Hamilton’s Black History Month celebrations include an HSR bus…
Arts + Culture

Match made in heaven: Dwayne Gretzky and the HPO

Popular cover band and Hamilton’s orchestra are teaming up on a Valentine’s Day show. But don’t ask what love songs they will playing … it’s a secret. Canada’s greatest party band and Hamilton’s classical orchestra are partnering on a unique Valentine’s Day concert. The Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra approached…
Arts + Culture

Frost Bites festival will warm up two winter weekends

Hamilton Theatre Festival Company’s 10-year-old event will feature two weekends of theatre, family activities, workshops and markets. Frost Bites runs Feb. 27 to March 1 and March 6 to 8. It’s been 10 years since Frost Bites first warmed up the dead of winter in…
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 January. Launched Fuel Grill (28 Barton St. E., Hamilton) A new fast casual restaurant has opened in the Barton and James North area, serving smash burgers, sandwiches and milkshakes. The recent grand opening…