Hamilton 
Spring in Hamilton is packed with events, festivals, and unforgettable experiences for every interest. From live music and art exhibitions to food festivals, outdoor adventures, and family-friendly activities, the city comes alive this season.
Lilacs at Royal Botanical Gardens
Whether you’re exploring local culture, discovering new artists, or enjoying Hamilton’s beautiful trails and gardens, there’s something exciting happening throughout the city.
- Known by critics and fans alike as “the jewel of the JUNOS,” Juno Songwriters’ Circle transcends the studio, offering candid conversations and acoustic performances that create memorable connections between artists and audiences. This event promises a once-in-a-lifetime experience that will leave you floored by unforgettable performances from this year’s JUNO-nominated artists, including Aysanabee, Bahamas, Hayley Gene Penner, Jade LeMac, James Barker, Mariel Buckley, Savannah Ré, and Sofia Camara with Nathan Ferraro! March 27, 2026, 8:00 pm at FirstOntario Concert Hall
- AGH’s annual art sale is happening from April 23 to 26. View contemporary artworks by regional artists.
- Shop antique, vintage & retro at the Collective Arts Brewing on April 17th and 18th.
- Immerse yourself in creativity at the Fischer Gallery with hands-on art-making inspired by the Art Gallery of Hamilton’s new exhibitions and permanent collection. Sunday, April 19, 2026, from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
- Unexpected, unscripted, and unforgettable, Monster Jam® features world-class athletes competing for championships on perfectly engineered dirt tracks that push these ever-evolving, state-of-the-art trucks to the limit. Monster Jam happens on April 17 – 19, 2026, at TD Coliseum.
- During Spring Discovery Days, you will get to step behind the scenes and explore the greenhouse where thousands of flowers for the City are grown each year. March 14 to 22, 2026.
- Doors Open Hamilton 2026 takes place from May 2 to May 3. Come and celebrate music in The Hammer. With theatres, churches, music schools, pubs, costume shops, and a lab that researches the effect of music on the human psyche, Hamilton has it all. Many sites will have music, demonstrations, and participant interaction.
- Sew Hungry is celebrating its 12-year anniversary on May 9th, 2026, from 11am – 10pm with a line of the best food trucks along Ottawa Street North. You can expect there to be music, lots of food and drinks, beer gardens, and a kids’ zone.
- Royal Botanical Gardens’ winter exhibit ‘Bloomland in Oz‘ will be available for viewing until April 6, 2026. The land of Oz awaits, featuring captivating botanical displays, delightful artistic creations, and 25,000 real blooms. Brighten the winter months as you journey through fragrant flowers and lush greenery as radiant as the Emerald City itself!
- You, your kids, family, and friends are all invited to the 3rd Easter Egg Hunt and Breakfast hosted by Hugh Murray Lodge of Hamilton. Saturday, April 4, 2026.
- Canada’s biggest night in music is taking over the city as the 55th Annual JUNO Awards takes the stage at the newly revamped TD Coliseum. Experience a celebration of Canadian music with unforgettable performances from some of the country’s biggest names, including hometown favourites the Arkells and The Beaches. The night will also include special appearances by Lifetime Achievement Award honouree Joni Mitchell and Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductee Nelly Furtado. March 29, 2026, at TD Coliseum.
- Learn about Hamilton’s dark history, hear stories, and visit the places.
- Spring is a great time to enjoy a walk! Royal Botanical Gardens‘ many scenic trails and gardens are a great place to enjoy one!
View this post on Instagram - Get up close with your favourite authors during Hamilton’s Readers and Writers Festival from April 15 – 19, 2026.
- The Great Canadian Comedy Caravan Tour is rolling into the Studio Theatre at the First Ontario Concert Hall for their benefit gala with Ronald McDonald House South Central Ontario on Friday, April 11th!
- Blow your stress away with relaxing yoga with goats. Various dates @ Triple C Farm in Ancaster.
- Immerse yourself in the rich symphonic sound of three distinguished orchestral works performed by your Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra. Beethoven’s sole violin concerto, starring the HPO’s own concertmaster Stephen Sitarski, is an expansive epic of lyrical beauty, while Brahms’ powerful Third Symphony is a finely wrought musical drama of intense feelings in a restless search for inner tranquillity. Raphael’s vivid frescoes depicting the story of Cupid and Psyche shine in Hindemith’s score, inspired by his visit to Rome’s Villa Farnesina. April 18, 2026, at FirstOntario Concert Hall.
- Gerry Dee will perform his Funny You Should Say That stand-up comedy tour on April 19, 2026, at FirstOntario Concert Hall.
- Visit your favourite game reserve at African Lion Safari. The 2026 season opens in May!
- Christie Lake has around 10 km of multi-use trails for cyclists. There are trails suitable for beginner, intermediate and advanced cyclists and run through the south side of Christie Lake.
- Spring is a great time to go birding and there are many fabulous locations in Ontario. You can also enjoy bird watching at Hamilton Conservation Authority conservation areas.
- Dundurn’s Historic Kitchen Garden will reopen for the season by mid-May. Explore the sights and smells of spring with a self-guided tour through the newly-planted beds. The Kitchen Garden will be open Tuesdays to Sundays, 12 noon to 4 pm until Thanksgiving.
- You can cast a line and reel in that big catch at Ontario waterbodies. You can fish without a license on Father’s Day and Mother’s Day weekends.
- Celebrate Canadian Independent Bookstore Day on April 25, 2026. On this day, readers, writers, illustrators, publishers, and others come together to celebrate indie bookstores across Canada.
- Join us for the fifth-year anniversary honouring some of the biggest Legends in Country Music of all time on April 24, 2026! An evening Kickin’ It Classic Country listening to the songs and stories from Artists such as Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, and Loretta Lynn. Shaylyn’s old soul and seasoned stage presence will captivate you with each Country Hit she sings!!
- Nice Work If You Can Get It is a fizzy, flirty, jazz-age romp set during Prohibition, where high society and illegal liquor flow in equal measure. Meet Jimmy Winter, a wealthy playboy with more charm than sense, and Billie Bendix, a no-nonsense bootlegger with a plan. When their worlds collide one fateful weekend — the same weekend Jimmy is supposed to get married — hilarity, chaos, and unexpected love ensue. Get ready for a tap-dancing, cocktail-shaking, love-makes-fools-of-us-all kind of night at the theatre. Nice Work If You Can Get It plays from May 8 – 31, 2026, at Drury Lane Theatre.
- Don’t miss the HPO’s gripping season finale concert! James Kahane and the Orchestra plumb the depths of emotion in Arvo Pärt’s haunting musical memorial for English composer Benjamin Britten. Pianist Anna Fedorova brings her consummate artistry to Rachmaninoff’s scintillatingly inventive variations on Paganini’s famous theme. The journey culminates with Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony, wrestling with Fate’s mysterious ways—from solemn submission to passionate desire to triumphant hope. May 2, 2026, at 7:30 pm at FirstOntario Concert Hall.
- Celebrate maple during Ontario Maple Weekend on April 4 and 5, 2026.
- Enjoy your Sunday brunch at Ancaster Mill. This prix fixe menu, showcasing seasonal ingredients, will be available from 9 am to 2:30 pm.
View this post on Instagram - Hamilton’s Around the Bay Road Race is the oldest on the continent, first run in 1894, three years before the Boston Marathon. Rich in tradition, it has been won by the best from around the world, including Boston Marathon winners and Olympic gold medalists. Become part of the continuing tradition by running this challenging course around Hamilton’s natural harbour! Sunday, April 12, 2026.
- Foodie FunFest 2026 transforms the Ancaster Fairgrounds into a vibrant culinary and community celebration. With over 100 vendors—ranging from artisan makers to sizzling food trucks—this event brings the very best of local flavours, creativity, and fun together in one place. Sunday, May 24, 2026.
- Fresh off the Canadian Figure Skating Championships, Stars on Ice proudly announces exciting new cast members who further elevate the tour’s strong Olympic presence while celebrating both the future and legacy of the sport. The show is scheduled to visit Hamilton on Saturday, May 2, for a 7:00 pm performance at TD Coliseum.
- The Binbrook Ribfest is scheduled for May 16th to 18th. You can expect awesome BBQ spreads at this annual event!
- The Hamilton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra culminates the spring season with a performance featuring music by Sibelius and Amy Beach as well as a world premiere of a new piece by HPYO Musician Cheryl Gao. HPYO Spring Concert on May 30, 2026, at L.R. Wilson Hall.
- The International U2 Tribute, Desire, mesmerizes audiences with its passion and authenticity, embodying U2’s soul and spirit. May 2, 2026, at The Studio.
- Bring the whole family to experience the largest FrancoFest in Ontario at Gage Park. The weekend-long festivities from June 19 – 21, 2026, will include some of Canada’s top Francophone entertainment, as well as art workshops, food, and fun activities for the entire family. Juhne 19 – 21, 2026.
- Taking place in the heart of beautiful Ancaster Village, Ancaster Heritage Days will be held on June 13, 2026. Be part of the parade, enjoy inflatables, entertainment, Soapbox Derby, concerts, and more.
