As the Polaris Music Prize counts down to its award show in Toronto on Sept. 22, the festival presents a full slate of talks and culture events leading up to it.
It was launched last year as a month-long celebration of Canadian music, taking place in the same month (September) as the presentation of the prestigious Polaris Music Prize that honours one Canadian album selected by a large jury pool for its artistic merit.
The launch of the Polaris Festival is just one of several major developments and initiatives at the Polaris Music Prize over the past year. A feature story in Billboard Canada this week noted that ''now entering its third decade, the Canadian critic’s prize has expanded its voting pool, adjusted to financial constraints and begun awarding both albums and songs. After years defined by its refined focus, the changes mark a major expansion of the organization’s mission.''
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The inaugural year of the festival was deemed a success by the organization, welcoming more than 11,000 participants to 22 events in September 2025. Presented by SiriusXM Canada, the second year of the festival will feature more than 20 concerts, listening experiences, conversations, workshops and artist development initiatives planned featuring Polaris nominees, winners and alumni from across Canada.
According to Polaris, the event ''is a cultural platform where audiences can experience Canadian music through intimate performances, thoughtful conversations, creative collaboration and behind-the-scenes explorations of the artistic process.''
Three of the first four events unveiled focus upon the work of three Polaris-winning or nominated Canadian solo artists.
Set for September 29 at a location TBA, Dreaming With Caribou, it is described as ''a listening session, light installation, and spatial sound performance that prepares participants for intentional listening. ' Created by artist, motion designer, and musician Joshua Ingleby, Dreaming With treats the act of listening as a shared experience. For this first edition, Dreaming With focuses on Caribou’s Andorra, the 2008 Polaris Music Prize-winning album by renowned Hamilton electronica artist Dan Snaith. Tickets here.
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Collective Study: K-os’ Joyful Rebellion will take place at The Palmerston Theatre, Toronto, on September 16. Collective Study is termed part lecture, part cultural listening session and part invitation into a larger conversation about Black Canadian music. Focusing on K-os’ Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize winning album Joyful Rebellion, the event will explore how it resists fixed expectations of Black Canadian identity and opens up a more layered understanding of Black creativity in this country. Register for the free event here.
Aquakultre’s Community Listening Party in collaboration with Half A Concert is set for September 19 at It’s OK* Studios in Toronto. It is led by Aquakultre, also known as Lance Sampson, a rapper and singer from Kjipuktuk/Halifax, and the event brings together music and narrative to reveal the histories, communities and creative lineages that shape Black Canadian sound. Aquakulture's album 1783 is on the shortlist for the 2026 Polaris Music Prize. This event is free with RSVP.
The final Festival event revealed this week finds Polaris heading to northern Ontario. Set for September 4, at Knox Hall in Sudbury, the Polaris Festival Northern Sound Exchange is a regional gathering designed to support artist discovery and industry dialogue in that region. It creates space for artists, presenters, cultural workers and audiences to come together to explore the future of Canadian music beyond traditional industry centres. Ticketing details TBA.
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The Polaris Awards Ceremony and Concert takes place at Massey Hall, Toronto, on September 22. Tickets here.
