KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JANUARY 26: Taylor Swift celebrates with Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs after defeating the Buffalo Bills 32-29 in the AFC Championship Game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Jan. 26, 2025, in Kansas City.
Also this week: Drake and Nelly Furtado attend a Toronto World Cup match, Patrick Watson wins a special award in Montreal and Harry Styles gets emotional at his Wembley Stadium show.
In the headlines this week, the extravagant wedding of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce at Madison Square Garden in New York City dominated the news. The event included performances from some music superstars while charities also benefited.
Elsewhere, The World Cup, one of the world's biggest sporting events, featured more stars in attendance, cheering on their favourite teams, and Rush assist Venezuela's earthquake relief efforts.
Read these and other major music stories of the week here.
Watson was presented the honour by Montreal mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada during an intimate ceremony a day prior to his free show at the festival on July 3. – Stefano Rebuli, Billboard Canada
Governor General Louise Arbour recently announced 61 new appointments to the Order, including other notables from the arts including Michael J. Fox. – Kerry Doole, Billboard Canada
As the controversial venue enters a month-long July pause, we assess what’s working, the growing pains, and the ongoing debate over sound. – David Friend, Toronto Star
Halifax singer-songwriter Jah’Mila takes the stage in England this month, carrying both her Jamaican heritage and the support of a Nova Scotia community that has helped shape her career. – Warren D'Silva, The Coast
"Drake: Media, Myth and Manhood" is taught by Yassin 'Narcy' Alsalman and will use Drake's catalogue, career, OVO brand and more as a lens for exploring art, power relations, celebrity and culture. – Stefano Rebuli, Billboard Canada
SOCAN Foundation and SiriusXM Canada will present each winner with $10,000 to advance their career, with an additional five "artists to watch" also receiving a $1,000 cash prize. – Stefano Rebuli, Billboard Canada
In director Mama’s view, Pope brought gay and lesbian experience to the airwaves and living rooms of Canadians, alerting an entire cohort of budding musicians, filmmakers and artists that their stories could exist in the mainstream. And they could cross over and be successful.– Kim Hughes, Original Cin
The beer that the band collaborated with two local breweries on is understated, different, and deeply satisfying. Ocean Pearl West Coast Lager, is a three-way creation between the band and Delta breweries Four Winds and Barnside Brewing. – Nathan Caddell, Georgia Straight
Earlier this year, the beloved music shop shut down most of its physical stores across Canada. Now, it will shift to an online-only model.– Heather Taylor-Singh, Billboard Canada
Thus far, the Trump-backed Great American State Fair, a 16-day event between June 25 and July 10, has been a demoralizing fiasco. Funk and soul group the Commodores, country singer Martina McBride and others pulled out early on because of the event’s political affiliations. – Brad Wheeler, Globe & Mail
Harry Styles concluded his record-breaking 12-night residency at Wembley Stadium last night, with his sister Gemma making a surprise speech and Styles himself paying tribute to his former One Direction bandmates.– Roisin O'Connor, The Independent
“I am ready to perform for all the wonderful men on this Atlantis cruise, who deserve so much better than this,” the Broadway star wrote on social media.– People
The England team progressed to the quarterfinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup following a thrilling 3-2 win over Mexico on Sunday night. – Thomas Smith, Billboard
Fans in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Miami, Santa Cruz, Phoenix, Toronto and Denver will have a chance to hear the singer's upcoming seventh album first. – Gil Kaufman, Billboard
