The Troubadour Festival in Barrie will close out its 2026 season with a free performance by Canadian country star Tim Hicks at Meridian Place on September 12. The Downtown Barrie BIA announced the booking this week, calling it the grand finale of a summer series that has already drawn thousands downtown.
Hicks, a five-time JUNO Award nominee and CCMA Award winner, has scored eighteen top-ten country hits, including two number-one singles. He is currently on his ‘Going Somewhere Tour’ across Canada and released his latest single, ‘The Pilot,’ in May 2026.
The festival’s 2025 season attracted more than 15,000 people to the waterfront and was named one of Ontario’s Top 100 Festivals by Festivals and Events Ontario earlier this year. Organizers say the Hicks show is expected to bring one of the biggest crowds in the event’s history.
‘Troubadour Festival has quickly become one of the signature events on our city’s calendar,’ Mayor Alex Nuttall said in a statement. ‘Each concert brings thousands of people into our downtown to experience great music, support local businesses, and enjoy our beautiful waterfront.’
The Troubadour Festival lineup this summer has included The Road Hammers, The Watchmen, and Bahamas. The free concerts are held at Meridian Place, Barrie’s civic plaza, with programming handled by Hey Bear Productions.
Downtown Barrie BIA events generated over $15 million in economic impact in 2024, and city-wide tourism brought nearly $212 million to Barrie in 2025.
