The long-running independent Guelph music festival has reached full capacity across all three days, achieving the milestone for the first time since 2012. The festival earlier announced it was moving viral Quebec band Angine de Poitrine to the main stage to close out the festival this Sunday (July 19).
The Guelph music festival sold out all three days of its 2026 edition, which is set to kick off on July 17. It's a major feat for the independent music festival, as it is the first time it has reached full capacity since 2012, and this year's tickets are already sold out days ahead of the festival's scheduled kickoff.
“This sellout is an incredible milestone for Hillside,” says Kate Johnston, executive director of Hillside Festival. “After more than a decade, to once again see every ticket claimed before the festival begins is a testament to the passion of our community, the strength of this year’s lineup, and the dedication of the hundreds of volunteers, staff, artists, and supporters who make Hillside possible. We couldn’t be more excited to welcome everyone to the island this weekend.”
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One of the festival's biggest pulls this year is the increasingly viral math rock band Angine de Poitrine from Saguenay, Quebec, whose profile continues to grow at light speed. Since Hillside revealed its lineup in March, the band's popularity skyrocketed, and festival organizers eventually had to adapt to meet the growing demand. The band's "world-class show" at the Montreal Jazz Fest sealed the deal for Hillside after the band drew one of the largest Jazz Fest crowds ever with 75,000 to 100,000 people, leading the Guelph festival to upgrade the polka-dotted extraterrestrials to the main stage. Angine de Poitrine is currently set to close out the festival's final night with a "grand set" on its biggest stage at 10 pm, after initially being booked to play the secondary Island stage at 7 pm. Just ahead of Hillside, the band made their headline debut in Toronto and opened for rock icon Jack White at RBC Amphitheatre in the same night.
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It's not a new phenomenon for Hillside, which has presented pre-breakout performances by bands like Grimes, Arcade Fire, Orville Peck, Strumbellas and more.
Now on its 43rd edition, Hillside Festival continues to spotlight homegrown Canadian talent across indie, alternative, singer-songwriter, rock music and much more. This year's lineup includes Cowboy Junkies, Mae Martin, Stars and more.
The three-day festival, which takes place at Guelph Lake Conservation Area, is known for its unique emphasis on environmental sustainability through initiatives like planting a green space on the roof above its main stage. It has also shown a standout support of the Indigenous community through education and awareness, notably with the Indigenous Circle, which hosts community drum circles, talking circles, storytelling and more on the festival grounds every year.
“This weekend is about so much more than music,” said Samir Baijal, Artistic Director of Hillside Festival. “It’s about bringing people together, discovering something unexpected, and creating memories that stay with you long after the final performance. We can’t wait to share that experience with a sold-out audience.”
