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Summer 2025 was a big year for live music and entertainment at the Halifax Garrison Grounds.
A long-time venue for local Halifax events such as Halifax Pride, Philippine Fiesta, and the East Coast Kite Festival, this year, the Garrison Grounds solidified its place as Halifax’s number one outdoor venue for headline-worthy acts. With an epic line-up of live music and entertainment that featured rock stars, comedy legends, and up-and-comers, locals and visitors alike are still talking about summer 2025’s shows.
June 27-29, 2025
Halifax Music Fest
The inaugural Halifax Music Fest kicked things off with a three-day live music extravaganza. Over three nights, three distinct line-ups drew tens of thousands of ticket holders into Halifax’s downtown.
Night one featured Canadian rock stalwarts Nickelback as the headliners, with The Glorious Sons, Big Wreck, and Tenille Townes warming up the crowd. Night two was dominated by rock legend Lenny Kravitz with supporting acts Amanda Marshall and Terra Lightfoot. Night three belonged to The Killers, along with ALVVAYS, Lights, and Said the Whale. Local music fans will know that The Killers kicked off their set by paying tribute to one of Halifax’s most beloved local bands, Sloan, before busting out all the hits and inspiring a singalong or two.
With a total venue capacity of 18,000, all three nights drew enthusiastic crowds with performances that will go down as legendary in a city that’s known for its live music.
August 7-10, 2025
Great Outdoors Comedy Festival
2025 marked the third time the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival included Halifax as one of its tour stops. This year’s festival included daytime acts as well as the evening headliners. Day one kicked off with Aziz Ansari and Matteo Lane with Ricky Velez and Wil Sylvince. Other big names throughout the weekend included Tony Hinchcliffe and the Killers of Kill Tony, Bert Kreischer, and Whitney Cummings. But Sunday night was by far the grand finale with an all-star lineup of John Mulaney, Mike Birbiglia, Nick Kroll, and Fred Armisen keeping the sold-out crowd in stitches.
Headliners for 2026’s edition of the Great Outdoors Comedy Fest have already been announced, promising another banner year for outdoor comedy in Halifax.
September 26-28, 2025
Magnetic World Festival
To cap off a stellar summer of live music and events at the Garrison Grounds, Magnetic World Festival offered EDM and hip-hop fans an opportunity to move and groove on the Hill. Showcasing a diverse lineup of talent from global superstars to emerging artists, festival goers were treated to three distinct nights of live music and vibes.
Night one was headlined by superstar Australian DJ Dom Dolla with support from fellow house musicians AYYBO, and VNSSA. Night two was dedicated to hip hop fans and featured headliner 21 Savage with openers SAINt JHN and Roy Wood$. Closing off the weekend was Australian hip hop artist The Kid LAROI, along with BigXthaPlug and Dutch DJ Lavern, among others.
In addition to hosting three huge multi-day festivals, there were also several other large events on the Garrison Grounds this summer. The Summer of ‘99 Tour brought Creed, Mammoth, and Daughtry for a night of hard rock on August 30—and a night of sold-out hotel rooms across the city. And local favourite East Coast Inflate-A-Palooza welcomed kids and kids-at-heart for three days of energetic, inflatable, bouncy fun from August 22-24.
While the summer of 2025 will be tough to top, event organizers are already hard at work to make sure the summer of 2026 at the Garrison Grounds is another epic year.
