CPKC Holiday Train Returns For 2026 Season with MAGIC! and Sam Roberts Band Among Star-Studded Lineup

The brightly illuminated CPKC Holiday Train is hitting the rails again this November, bringing live music to 182 communities across Canada and the United States while collecting donations for local food banks.

Credit: CPKC Holiday Train

Two decorated trains will make the festive journey, travelling through the U.S. and Canada to bring holiday cheer to many communities along the Canadian Pacific Kansas City Railway’s network.

Each event is free, and CPKC encourages attendees to open their cupboards and wallets to help address hunger in their communities. Local food banks will be accepting donations at each stop to ensure those less fortunate have enough healthy food this holiday season.

The 2026 CPKC Holiday Train tour will run from November 19 to December 20, visiting communities across six Canadian provinces and the United States. The schedule includes stops in Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, along with 13 U.S. states.

The Canadian Holiday Train will begin its scheduled performances in Jackman, Maine, on November 21, before entering Canada at Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, on November 23. It will then travel west through Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, continuing into British Columbia before concluding its tour in Port Coquitlam on December 20.

The U.S. Holiday Train will begin its journey in Montreal West, Quebec, on November 19, travelling through southern Ontario before crossing into the United States. Its route includes communities in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas and several other states before returning to Canada for its final three performances in North Portal, Estevan and Weyburn, Saskatchewan, on December 20.

What’s New for the 2026 Holiday Train?

The biggest change this year is an expansion into the southern United States.

CPKC says the train will travel farther south than ever before, adding 10 first-time stops across Missouri, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.

New destinations include Blue Springs, Meridian, Jackson, Vicksburg, Monroe, Ruston, DeQuincy, Leesville, Zwolle and Port Arthur.

“Our railroaders take great pride in bringing the Holiday Train through hundreds of communities across our network to support people facing food insecurity,” said CPKC President and CEO Keith Creel.

What to Expect

A typical Holiday Train event involves the train arriving, stopping in front of the crowd, and lowering its stage door for a band performance. There’s a brief presentation with local food bank officials, followed by the band playing holiday and original songs. After the final song, the train moves on to the next stop.

The 2026 CPKC Holiday Train will feature performances by MAGIC!, MARIS, American Authors, Rafaëlle Roy, Tyler Shaw, Sam Roberts Band, Owen Riegling, Chase Rice, Madeline Edwards, Allen Stone, Shawnee Kish and Jamie Fine.

The performers will take turns entertaining crowds along different legs of the two train routes:

MAGIC! and MARIS: November 19–29, beginning in Quebec and southern Ontario before continuing through the U.S. Midwest to Louisiana.
American Authors and Rafaëlle Roy: November 21–26, travelling from Maine through Quebec before returning to New York.
American Authors and Tyler Shaw: November 28–December 8, travelling west from Ontario through Manitoba and Saskatchewan to Alberta.
Chase Rice and Madeline Edwards: December 1–4, performing across Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.
Allen Stone: December 8–14, performing across Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota.
Sam Roberts Band and Owen Riegling: December 11–20, travelling from Calgary through Alberta and British Columbia, finishing in Port Coquitlam.
Shawnee Kish and Jamie Fine: December 16–20, performing from Minnesota through North Dakota before concluding the tour in Saskatchewan.

The Holiday Trains do not offer public rides. The trains are beautifully adorned with LED lights and holiday decorations, which may be turned off in non-CPKC areas. Each train is approximately 1,000 feet long.

For those planning to attend, CPKC also has an important safety reminder: stay at least 15 metres (50 feet) away from railway tracks when watching or photographing the train. Visitors should never stand on the tracks or ballast rocks.

The initiative raises funds and collects food for local food banks along CPKC’s network, aiming to support families facing food insecurity.

Since the Holiday Train began in 1999, the program has collected more than $28.3 million and over 5.6 million pounds of food for food banks in Canada and the United States.

Marjorie Bencz, executive director of Edmonton’s Food Bank, welcomed the train’s upcoming December 13 visit, noting that donations will help feed people experiencing food insecurity.

CPKC is the first and only single-line transnational railway linking Canada, the United States and México.

CPKC Holiday Train – 2026 Canadian Tour Dates

Quebec

Nov. 19 – Montreal West and Beaconsfield | MAGIC!, MARIS
Nov. 23 – Lac-Mégantic, Sherbrooke and Farnham | American Authors, Rafaëlle Roy
Nov. 24 – Kahnawake, Saint-Constant, Delson, Saint-Mathieu and Lacolle | American Authors, Rafaëlle Roy

Ontario

Nov. 20 – Milton and Hamilton | MAGIC!, MARIS
Nov. 21 – Cambridge/Galt, Ayr, Woodstock and London | MAGIC!, MARIS
Nov. 22 – Chatham and Windsor | MAGIC!, MARIS
Nov. 28 – Finch, Merrickville, Smiths Falls and Perth | American Authors, Tyler Shaw
Nov. 29 – Belleville, Trenton, Brighton, Bowmanville, Oshawa and Toronto | American Authors, Tyler Shaw
Nov. 30 – Vaughan, Springwater (Midhurst), MacTier, Parry Sound, Shawanaga, Rutter and Sudbury | American Authors, Tyler Shaw
Dec. 1 – Cartier, Chapleau and White River | American Authors, Tyler Shaw
Dec. 2 – Mobert, Heron Bay, Marathon, Schreiber, Nipigon and Thunder Bay | American Authors, Tyler Shaw
Dec. 3 – Ignace, Dryden, Vermilion Bay, Kenora and Ingolf | American Authors, Tyler Shaw

Ottawa Area Schedule

Toronto & Southern Ontario Schedule

Northern Ontario Schedule

Manitoba

Dec. 3 – Whitemouth and Winnipeg | American Authors, Tyler Shaw
Dec. 5 – Portage la Prairie, Carberry and Brandon | American Authors, Tyler Shaw
Dec. 6 – Virden | American Authors, Tyler Shaw

Manitoba Schedule

Saskatchewan

Dec. 6 – Moosomin, Broadview, Indian Head, Qu’Appelle and Regina | American Authors, Tyler Shaw
Dec. 7 – Moose Jaw and Swift Current | American Authors, Tyler Shaw
Dec. 8 – Maple Creek | American Authors, Tyler Shaw
Dec. 20 – North Portal, Estevan and Weyburn | Shawnee Kish, Jamie Fine

Saskatchewan Schedule

Alberta

Dec. 8 – Medicine Hat, Tilley, Brooks and Gleichen | American Authors, Tyler Shaw
Dec. 11 – Calgary | Sam Roberts Band, Owen Riegling
Dec. 12 – Blackfalds, Lacombe, Ponoka, Wetaskiwin, Millet and Leduc | Sam Roberts Band, Owen Riegling
Dec. 13 – Josephburg and Edmonton | Sam Roberts Band, Owen Riegling
Dec. 14 – Innisfail, Olds, Didsbury and Airdrie | Sam Roberts Band, Owen Riegling
Dec. 15 – Cochrane, Stoney Nakoda, Canmore and Banff | Sam Roberts Band, Owen Riegling

Calgary & Southern Alberta Schedule

Central Alberta Schedule

Edmonton Area Schedule

British Columbia

Dec. 16 – Golden and Revelstoke | Sam Roberts Band, Owen Riegling
Dec. 17 – Sicamous, Canoe, Salmon Arm and Notch Hill | Sam Roberts Band, Owen Riegling
Dec. 18 – Chase, Kamloops, Savona and Ashcroft | Sam Roberts Band, Owen Riegling
Dec. 19 – Lytton, Agassiz, Haney/Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows | Sam Roberts Band, Owen Riegling
Dec. 20 – Port Moody and Port Coquitlam | Sam Roberts Band, Owen Riegling

BC Schedule