Valentine's Day, Friday the 13th, Family Day: Hamilton's wildest week of 2026

Hey Hamilton 👋

Valentine's Day this week, Family Day long weekend ahead, and some huge nights at TD Coliseum (The Offspring plays Friday the 13^th, that should be fun 🎸).

Plus: Forge FC heads to Mexico Monday night in a crucial Champions Cup second leg, and Winterfest wraps up Sunday.

Let's get into it.

— Michael Horvath

⚒️ Forge FC vs Tigres UANL — Champions Cup Second Leg

Tue, Feb 10 @ 10:00 PM ET — Estadio Universitario, San Nicolás de los Garza, Mexico

After a 0-0 draw in Hamilton, Forge heads to Mexico for the decisive second leg. Winner advances to the Round of 16. This is Forge's chance to end their losing streak against Liga MX teams.

👉 Concacaf

🎸 The Offspring: SUPERCHARGED Worldwide In '26

Fri, Feb 13 @ 7:30 PM — TD Coliseum

The Offspring + Bad Religion = Friday the 13th chaos in the best way. '90s punk anthem energy for a legendary night.

👉 TD Coliseum

🏐 McMaster Marauders Men's Volleyball (Trent vs McMaster)

Fri, Feb 13 @ 8:00 PM and Sat, Feb 14 @ 6:00 PM — Burridge Gym (McMaster University)

Weekend doubleheader as the Marauders take on Trent University at Burridge Gym, great weekend for OUA volleyball action.

👉 Tickets

🕯️ Candlelight: Coldplay & Imagine Dragons

Fri, Feb 13 @ 6:30 PM — The Westdale

Two of the biggest arena acts in the world, reimagined by candlelight, have a completely different vibe from the stadium shows.

👉 The Westdale

🕯️ Candlelight: Classical Romance (Valentine's Edition)

Fri, Feb 13 @ 8:45 PM — The Westdale

Perfect if you want cozy, candlelit, and romantic Valentine's Day weekend energy at its finest.

👉 Fever

❄️ Hamilton Winterfest 2026 — Final Weekend

Runs Through Sun, Feb 16 — Various Locations Across Hamilton

Hamilton's 17-day celebration of winter wraps up this weekend. Don't miss the final chance to experience 70+ signature and community events spread across the city.

👉 Full Winterfest Schedule: hamiltonwinterfest.ca

🏟️ TD Coliseum — Big nights coming up

- Nine Inch Nails — Feb 18, 2026 Ticketmaster

- TWICE — Mar 6–7, 2026 TD Coliseum

- JOURNEY — Mar 9, 2026 TD Coliseum

- Sir Rod Stewart — Mar 10, 2026 TD Coliseum

👉 Full calendar: TD Coliseum Events

🏆 JUNOS (Hamilton — March 2026)

- The 2026 JUNO Awards — Sun, Mar 29, 2026 (TD Coliseum) The JUNO Awards

- JUNO Kickoff Concert — Thu, Mar 26, 2026 (The Music Hall) City of Hamilton

⚒️ Forge FC

🇲🇽 Forge FC travels to Mexico next Tuesday night for the CONCACAF Champions Cup second leg vs Tigres UANL (Tue, Feb 10 @ 10:00 PM ET) at Estadio Universitario. After holding the Liga MX side to a 0-0 draw at Hamilton Stadium, the Hammers need a result in Mexico to advance to the Round of 16. This is Forge's fourth Champions Cup appearance, and their chance to finally beat a Mexican opponent.

⏳ 115 days until Forge FC's 2026 CPL season opener (early June expected). The CPL regular season runs April 4 through October 25.

👉 Concacaf Champions Cup

🐯 Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Major roster moves this week: The Ticats signed three-time Grey Cup champion linebacker Wynton McManis (released by Toronto), Canadian QB Tre Ford (two-year deal, Niagara Falls native), offensive lineman Quinn Carroll (Minnesota), and Dundas native Tyson Middlemost (McMaster Marauders alum). McManis reunites with Bo Levi Mitchell and says he came to Hamilton to "bring a Grey Cup here" and help end the 25-year championship drought.

⏳ 103 days until the Tiger-Cats' first preseason game (Sat, May 24, 2026 vs Toronto @ 7:00 PM, Hamilton Stadium).

👉 Ticats

🏫 McMaster Marauders (Upcoming Games)

Men's Volleyball is back at Burridge this week with a weekend doubleheader vs Trent University:

- Fri, Feb 13 — Men's Volleyball @ 8:00 PM (Burridge Gym)

- Sat, Feb 14 — Men's Volleyball @ 6:00 PM (Burridge Gym)

👉 Tickets

🖼️ Free gallery moment

"Messages from Nature" at the Art Gallery of Hamilton (on now, runs to Feb 1) is a great "coffee + culture" add-on downtown.

👉 Art Gallery of Hamilton

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family Day Events (Monday, Feb 16)

Art Gallery of Hamilton: Family Day Extravaganza

Mon, Feb 16 @ 10:00 AM–5:00 PM

Art making, family tours, movement workshops, demos, and interactive surprises all day long.

👉 Art Gallery of Hamilton

Westfield Heritage Village: Hike for Hot Chocolate

Mon, Feb 16 @ 10:00 AM–4:00 PM

Take a winter hike, warm up with free hot chocolate, enjoy tractor wagon rides, campfires, scavenger hunts, and learn about birds. Advanced reservations required.

👉 Westfield Heritage Village

If you want a simple, stacked week:

- Thur: Candlelight concert or romantic dinner out The Westdale

- Fri: The Offspring + Bad Religion at TD Coliseum or McMaster volleyball TD Coliseum

- Sat: Winterfest final events citywide Hamilton Winterfest

- Mon (Family Day): Art Gallery of Hamilton or Westfield Heritage Village Art Gallery of Hamilton

💌 STAY CONNECTED

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

See you out there, Hamilton 👋

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Thanks for reading!

Michael Horvath