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Celebrating all things Hamilton / Welcome Message
Arts + Culture

Supercrawl reveals stellar 2026 lineup

Headliners Aysanabee, Protest the Hero, Mariel Buckley, The Grapes of Wrath, Murda Beatz, and William Prince join local performers Superstar Crush, Emma Whale, Golden Feather, Chore, Capitol, and Steve Strongman. For one weekend every September, James Street North in Hamilton transforms into the epicentre of Canadian music. Since…
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…
City Life

PRIDE Q&A: Sarah Barnhart, primary dreamer at FruitSalad

The events series for ‘lesbians, 2SLGBTQIA+ women, femmes, gender non-conforming folks, and their friends’ turns five in August. Sarah Barnhart (she/they) describes herself as the primary dreamer of FruitSalad. Originally from Burlington, Barnhart created the Hamilton-based FruitSalad after a visit to Montreal in 2021. FruitSalad is a…
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…
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…
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…
City Life

7 2SLGBTQIA+ leaders you should know

In honour of Pride in June, we asked inspiring local advocates and community leaders about their work, why marking Pride matters, what needs to change at the local level, and their greatest wish for the communities they serve. These are just seven Hamiltonians who champion 2SLGBTIA+ people locally.
Arts + Culture

Silverstein never stands still

Twenty-six years,13 albums, and a million records sold later, and the Burlington-born hardcore/punk band continues to defy the odds. Silverstein began making music during a fertile period in heavy guitar rock. The turn of the millennium saw guitar rock genres splinter into even more subgenres as bands borrowed…
Arts + Culture

PRIDE: Queer and crafting in Hamilton

QUARTZ: Queer Art Hang at the Art Gallery of Hamilton and Queer Craft Club at Hamilton Craft Studios offers an oulet for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community to gather and create. If you are queer and into crafting, you have two options to let your creative flag fly and…
Arts + Culture

Cadence Weapon wants you to stop scrolling and start listening

Rollie Pemberton, aka Cadence Weapon, is done with treating music as background filler. In his new book Ways of Listening, the Hamilton rapper explores the transition from record bins to algorithms and reimagines how we can reclaim a deep connection with music in the age of streaming. When…
Arts + Culture

For Spoons, ‘Old Emotions’ are new again

Burlington band that had a string of hits in the 1980s, is releasing a new album and taking on a new musical sound. By Jenna Yeomans and Stephen Metelsky  Nov. 1, 2025. The bottom of the 11th inning of the World Series at Toronto’s Rogers Centre. The Jays…
Arts + Culture

incite: Delivering on a mission

Since the incite Foundation for the Arts was formed in 2011, it has donated $11 million to local arts organizations. On its 15th anniversary, the incite Foundation for the Arts is reaffirming its mission to revolutionize support for the arts in the greater Hamilton community.  incite strives to…
Food + Drink

Delicious and Indigenous

There are a growing number of notable food options in Six Nations, along with a beloved Indigenous-owned diner in Hamilton. Six Nations & Beyond  Just south of the city, not far from the edges of Hamilton, is the community of Six Nations. With a whole variety of…
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…
Food + Drink

DINING DISTRICTS: A Locke on food

This interesting west Hamilton street is ever-evolving, with newcomers joining long-time eateries to make for a true foodie destination. On the whole, my visits to Locke Street have all been linked to food. It must be said that I can think of over a dozen eateries that closed…

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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

Ariana Fig: Fruitful fusion

The Hamilton singer-songwriter has taken her classical violin training and applied it to creating eclectic original songs that blend pop, folk, alternative and jazz.  By Stephen Metelsky and Jenna Yeomans “The world is so big, you’re just one person telling your story. Everybody has a…
Arts + Culture

The Workers Arts & Heritage Centre : A force of labour

The WAHC was founded by working people for working people – a rare entity in the world of museums. In the 30 years since its founding by a dynamic group of labour historians, artists, and union activists, the Workers Arts & Heritage Centre (WAHC) has transcended its first…
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 July. Launched Bonito’s Pizzeria & Gelato (219 James St. N., Hamilton) In the former Lighthouse Fish Market location, Bonito’s opened this past month with rave reviews for its Roman-style…
Arts + Culture

HAMILTON READS

From humorous horror and fairytale to a walking exploration of Westdale, a historical baseball tale, and short stories from Caribbean perspectives, here are five books from local writers that should be on your summer reading list. This summer, put your feet up and relax with a good book…
Arts + Culture

The Mule Spinner: Music’s tiny temple

A multi-purpose creative space founded by Hamilton music veterans Glen Marshall and the late Bob Lanois, the former stable at the Cotton Factory hosts intimate live performances and recording sessions. It looks like a film set. A set for something set in the early 1900s, perhaps. Industrial turn-of-the-century…
Food + Drink

Southern comfort

Summer is the time for bibs, BBQ and lip-smacking chicken and ribs. So get out to visit these great spots while the sun is warm and patios and picnic tables beckon. The smell of smokers wafts throughout the air and summer is in full-swing! Is there anything that…
Arts + Culture

INCITE FOUNDATION: Sinfonia Ancaster

The incite Foundation for the Arts supports the work of Sinfonia Ancaster. The incite Foundation for the Arts has contributed more than $9 million to 50 Hamilton-area organizations, through grants from $2,500 to $300,000, since it was founded in 2011. It is the legacy of the late Carl…
Arts + Culture

HAMILTON FRINGE FESTIVAL MINI-REVIEWS

HAMILTON CITY Magazine is taking in Hamilton Fringe Festival shows all across our city and delivering fast and fun reviews. Check them all out here! Fringe 2025 is 55 plays and 350 performances and runs until July 27. * HAMILTON CITY Magazine's CRITIC'S PICK: A…