The 48th annual Canal Days Marine Heritage Festival in Port Colborne, Ontario, has announced its free concert lineup for the Civic Holiday weekend, with Big Wreck and The Strumbellas set to headline two nights of live music at H.H. Knoll Lakeview Park.
Big Wreck, led by vocalist and guitarist Ian Thornley, takes the stage on Friday, July 31, 2026. Opening acts that night include Juno Award winner JJ Wilde and rock band Bleeker. On Saturday, August 1, The Strumbellas close out the festival, with support from Street Pharmacy and Bedouin Soundclash.
The free outdoor concerts are a centerpiece of the festival, which expects to draw between 60,000 and 70,000 visitors over the long weekend. Port Colborne officials say this year’s event has a record 80 sponsors, with GIO Rail returning as presenting sponsor for a third year. The festival also received a $125,000 grant from the provincial Experience Ontario 2026 program.
The weekend wraps up Sunday with the popular Boat Parade of Lights on the Welland Canal, organized by the Sugarloaf Sailing Club, followed by fireworks. Canal Days began in 1979 with just 400 visitors and now stands as one of Ontario’s signature summer events, celebrating the city’s marine heritage and connection to the canal.
