🐣 Hamilton's Easter Weekend Just Got Very Stacked

Hey Hamilton 👋

JUNO Week is officially in the books. What a run. Now we are heading straight into Easter weekend, and Hamilton has not let up for a second. Goo Goo Dolls Thursday night, four Candlelight concerts across Friday and Saturday, the Rock at home Saturday, and a full slate of things to do with the family over the long weekend. Plus, TD Coliseum dropped several new show announcements worth knowing about. Let's get into it. 

--- Michael Horvath

Thu, Apr 2 @ 7:30 PM --- TD Coliseum (101 York Blvd)

The Goo Goo Dolls bring their Canada Spring 2026 tour to TD Coliseum on Thursday with Dashboard Confessional as the opener. Slide, Iris, Broadway, Black Balloon. Two absolutely loaded catalogues on one stage. Low ticket alert already showing, so move fast if you want to be there.

👉 Get Tickets

Fri, Apr 3 @ 6:30 PM --- The Westdale (1014 King St W)

Big cinematic music, a room lit entirely by candles, and the Art Deco interior of The Westdale. Interstellar. The Dark Knight. Gladiator. This is one of the consistently highest-rated Candlelight experiences in the series, and it fits the long weekend energy perfectly.

👉 Get Tickets

Fri, Apr 3 @ 9:00 PM --- The Westdale (1014 King St W)

Two of the biggest modern rock acts in the world, rendered beautifully by live strings in an intimate candlelit setting. Yellow. Fix You. Radioactive. Demons. This late show on Good Friday is the kind of night you plan around.

👉 Get Tickets

Sat, Apr 4 @ 6:30 PM --- The Westdale (1014 King St W)

Mamma Mia. Dancing Queen. The Winner Takes It All. ABBA's catalogue translated to live strings is one of those experiences that works on absolutely everyone in the room. A great Easter Saturday plan.

👉 Get Tickets

Sat, Apr 4 @ 8:45 PM --- The Westdale (1014 King St W)

The Beatles. The Rolling Stones. Queen. David Bowie. A deep catalogue night covering some of the most iconic British rock ever recorded, performed live by strings in the candlelit Westdale. A strong late option on Easter Saturday.

👉 Get Tickets

Sat, Apr 4 @ 7:00 PM --- TD Coliseum (101 York Blvd)

The Rock are back home on Easter Saturday to host the San Diego Seals. If you've never caught professional box lacrosse live, this is a great entry point. Fast, physical, genuinely loud, and fun from the first faceoff. The Rock have been building a strong season.

👉 Get Tickets

Fri, Apr 3 @ 6:00 PM and 8:30 PM --- Levity Comedy Club (120 King St W)

Actor, comedian, and content creator Nick Colletti brings his live stand-up to Levity on Good Friday with two shows back to back. Known for his deadpan delivery and strong material, Colletti has built a serious following across comedy and social media. Two options to fit your evening plans.

👉 Get Tickets

•   Monster Jam Freestyle Mania --- Apr 16-19, 2026 TD Coliseum

•   Old Dominion with Phil Vassar --- Thu, Apr 23, 2026 TD Coliseum

•   Triumph with April Wine --- Sat, Apr 25, 2026 @ 8:00 PM Get Tickets

•   Stars on Ice --- Sat, May 2, 2026 TD Coliseum

•   Three Days Grace with Finger Eleven and Royal Tusk --- Sun, May 3, 2026 TD Coliseum

•   Hatsune Miku --- Wed, May 13, 2026 @ 8:00 PM TD Coliseum

•   Charlie Puth --- Wed, May 20, 2026 TD Coliseum

•   The Guess Who --- Mon, Jun 1, 2026 TD Coliseum

•   5 Seconds of Summer --- Tue, Jun 2, 2026 TD Coliseum

•   Carin Leon --- Sat, Jul 4, 2026 @ 8:00 PM TD Coliseum

•   (G)I-DLE --- Sun, Aug 2, 2026 @ 8:00 PM TD Coliseum

👉 Full calendar: TD Coliseum Events

Sat, Apr 4 @ 12:00 PM --- TD Coliseum (101 York Blvd)

The 2026 CPL season officially kicks off this Saturday with Forge FC hosting Atletico Ottawa right here at TD Coliseum. A noon kickoff on Easter Saturday makes it a great first half of the day before the evening Candlelight or Rock game. Support your local club from minute one of the new campaign.

👉 Forge FC

Tickets are moving for the world premiere Tragically Hip jukebox musical. It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken opens April 22 and runs to May 16 at Theatre Aquarius. Written by Brian Hill and Ahmed Moneka, produced by Mirvish Productions and Michael Rubinoff (Come From Away). Do not sleep on this one.

👉 Get Tickets

Wed, Apr 1 @ 8:00 PM --- Levity Comedy Club (120 King St W)

Start the week with a laugh. Amateur Night at Levity every Wednesday is one of the most reliably fun and affordable nights out in the city.

👉 Levity Comedy Club

Screening this week with post-film Q&A --- The Westdale (1014 King St W)

Director Alan Zweig presents his documentary Love, Harold, exploring the suicide of an old friend and the shared grief among those left behind. The screening includes a post-film Q&A with Zweig, moderated by Alysha Main. One of the most thoughtful and moving Canadian documentaries of the season.

👉 The Westdale

The Tiger-Cats' roster continues to take shape heading into the April 28 CFL Draft. With Bo Levi Mitchell confirmed as the starter and Tre Ford providing national QB depth, the offensive skill group is deep on paper. Receivers Kurleigh Gittens Jr., Keric Wheatfall, Mario Alford, Tyson Middlemost, and Shemar Bridges give Hamilton one of the more interesting receiving corps in the East. CFL Draft is April 28. All camps open May 10.

⏳ 57 days until the Tiger-Cats' first preseason game (Sat, May 23, 2026 vs Toronto @ 7:00 PM, Hamilton Stadium)

👉 Ticats

The season is here. Forge FC opens their 2026 CPL campaign at home this Saturday against Atletico Ottawa at TD Coliseum (12:00 PM). After the CONCACAF Champions Cup run earlier in the year, this is the start of what should be a strong domestic campaign for the club. An excellent first home match to attend.

👉 Forge FC

The Rock host the San Diego Seals this Saturday at 7:00 PM at TD Coliseum. Arrive early, grab a seat, and enjoy some of the fastest action in professional sports. The Rock have been building momentum through the second half of their season.

👉 Get Tickets

The winter season is wrapped, and it was a strong one. A quick recap of what the Marauders accomplished: Women's curling earned back-to-back national silver medals. Women's volleyball reached a third straight OUA Final (silver). Swimmer Fiona Brophy set a program record at the U SPORTS Championships. Figure skating finished tied for third at OUAs with a gold from Lily Bauman and Calie Williams in Couples Artistic. And national honours came in for Abby Delamere (U SPORTS Community Service Award), Olivia Julien (Second Team All-Canadian), and men's volleyball rookie Mekhi Fitzgerald (U SPORTS All-Rookie Team). Also arriving in April: new Associate Director of Athletics Skye Angus, who joins McMaster's senior leadership team with over 20 years of experience in university athletics.

👉 McMaster Marauders

Looking for Easter weekend plans beyond the events above? Tourism Hamilton has a full guide to local activities, egg hunts, and seasonal dining options across the city and surrounding communities.

👉 Tourism Hamilton

Three weeks until opening night. It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken opens April 22 at Theatre Aquarius. This world premiere Tragically Hip musical is produced by Mirvish Productions and is selling fast. Book now.

👉 Theatre Aquarius

The New York Islanders' AHL affiliate relocation to Hamilton is still pending AHL Board of Governors approval. Once greenlit, the team name, branding, and ticket details will be announced. Professional hockey at TD Coliseum for the 2026-27 season is on the horizon.

👉 Learn More

The Art Gallery of Hamilton makes a great coffee-and-culture stop any day over the long weekend. Free admission for many visitors, right in the downtown core.

👉 Art Gallery of Hamilton

Easter weekend in Hamilton, fully loaded:

•   Wed: Amateur Night at Levity (8 PM) Levity Comedy Club

•   Thu: Goo Goo Dolls with Dashboard Confessional at TD Coliseum (7:30 PM) Get Tickets

•   Fri: Nick Colletti at Levity (6 PM or 8:30 PM) + Candlelight Hans Zimmer (6:30 PM) or Candlelight Coldplay & Imagine Dragons (9 PM) at The Westdale The Westdale

•   Sat: Forge FC vs Atletico Ottawa at TD Coliseum (noon) + Toronto Rock vs San Diego Seals (7 PM) + Candlelight ABBA (6:30 PM) or British Rock Legends (8:45 PM) at The Westdale The Westdale

Got a show, event, or pop-up we should include next week? Reply to this email with the link and details, and we'll check it out.

See you out there, Hamilton 👋

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Thanks for reading!

Michael Horvath