The Boots and Hearts Music Festival, Canada’s largest country music and camping festival, returns to the Barrie area for its 15th anniversary from August 7 to 9, 2026. Held at Burl’s Creek Event Grounds in Oro-Medonte, just 15 minutes north of Barrie, the three-day event draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year for live music and on-site camping.
This year’s headliners bring a mix of country and crossover appeal. Jonas Brothers take the stage on Friday, August 7, in their first country festival debut. The Chicks, making their first Boots and Hearts appearance, headline Saturday, August 8, while Rascal Flatts close out the weekend on Sunday, August 9. The lineup also includes Russell Dickerson, Tucker Wetmore, Jessie Murph, and Canadian artists Brett Kissel, James Barker Band, and Carolyn Dawn Johnson, among others.
Burl’s Creek is Canada’s largest outdoor event venue, spanning nearly 600 acres with room for more than 100,000 people and 45,000 campers. Festival-goers can choose from tent, RV, and reserved camping options. For those not camping, GO Transit shuttles will run from Barrie South GO Station and Allandale Waterfront to the grounds each day.
The festival is a major economic boost for Barrie and the surrounding region. During the 2015 event, every hotel in Barrie sold out, generating over $3.7 million for the city’s 11 hotels and Georgian College rentals. That same year, Boots and Hearts and the WayHome Music Festival together drove more than $54.4 million in tourist spending across the region. Since starting in 2012, Boots and Hearts has grown into the second-largest country festival in North America, winning eight Canadian Country Music Association Festival of the Year awards and earning recognition from the Academy of Country Music.
Tourism Barrie is highlighting the festival as a key summer attraction for 2026, noting its draw for visitors from across the country. For tickets and camping details, residents can check the official festival website.
