The Chatham Kiwanis Music Festival is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, marking eight decades of supporting young local musicians in Chatham, Ontario.
To kick off the celebrations, a special homecoming concert will be held on February 28, 2026, in Studio One at the Chatham Cultural Centre, featuring vocalist Paige Kosik (performing with pianist Jim Prosser). According to the Chatham Daily News, Kosik grew up performing in the festival and is returning for the fundraising concert to help raise money for youth music programs.
The main competition will run from April 13 to April 24, 2026, where more than 700 participants will perform for adjudicators in categories such as piano, voice, strings and musical theatre. Organizers are currently finalizing the official performance list on the MusicFestivalSuite portal following the recent close of registrations.
The long-running event began in spring 1945 as a one-day Kiwanis Music Day in Tecumseh Park, as previously reported by a local news outlet. Today, top performers from the local event can move on to represent the community at the Ontario provincial finals held in June.
