Looking Ahead: A Release Calendar of New & Upcoming Canadian Albums In 2026

Canadian artists have moved into 2026 with some big releases on the horizon.

Some have begun their album cycles, others have confirmed release dates and some have just teased that their records will be out this year. It has been a growing industry trend for major name artists to put out new music with little or even no advance notice, so coming out with a definitive and iron-clad release schedule is an ongoing process. That's why we will now be updating this calendar throughout the year. Check back each week to see the new additions.

Here is our current list of upcoming albums with some of the most highly anticipated singled out. Here, in chronological order, are our Billboard Canada picks, followed by the full calendar of new and upcoming Canadian releases.

Albums to Look Forward to In 2026

Leeroy Stagger, Pilgrimage (Cordova Bay Records) — May 29

Vancouver Island-based alt-folk/root singer-songwriter and producer Leeroy Stagger is a highly prolific artist, having released 13 albums since 2004. Pilgrimage is his debut for the Cordova Bay label and is also noteworthy for the presence of indie rock veteran Joel Plaskett as co-producer. “There would be no better person to shine a light on the path and guide the creative work than my pal Joel," explains Stagger. Plaskett and renowned fiddler Kendel Carson both feature on "Highlands Leaving," a poignant cut that reflects on the lasting impact of the Highland Clearances of the 1700s, which displaced Stagger's ancestors from Scotland to Northern Ireland and eventually Nova Scotia. In support of the new album, Stagger has Canadian dates set for May prior to shows in the U.K. and Germany this summer. Full tour details here.

ZOON, Happy Thought School (Paper Bag Records) — June 19

ZOON is the acclaimed project of Polaris Prize shortlisted songwriter, composer, activist and artist Daniel Monkman, and it is a leading exponent of the exciting wave of Indigenous shoegaze, alongside the likes of Sunnsetter, Status/Non-Status and OMBIIGIZI (a joint project of ZOON and Adam Sturgeon from Status/Non-Status). As per the band's bio, ZOON's third album, Happy Thought School "interrogates identity formation within unsettling hostility. The title-track layers intergenerational recordings of their mother and aunt, who attended the same school decades earlier and were not even allowed off the bus." “One Too Many Nights,” meanwhile, features Sam Jr. of Broken Social Scene and it showcases Monkman's ability to create atmospheric soundscapes to frame his emotionally expressive lyrics. Monkman is a major talent deserving of your attention.

Magi Merlin, Power House — July 10

Montreal contemporary R&B singer-songwriter Magi Merlin is quickly making waves at home and internationally, two months ahead of the release of her debut album (following two earlier EPs). She recently wrapped a European support run with Yaya Bey, and the album's lead single, "Popstar," premiered on Huw Stephens' BBC Radio 6 Music show and was featured on her interview segment with CBC Q. Merlin also made her acting debut in Chandler Levack's Mile End Kicks, which screened at TIFF and SXSW. She co-wrote and co-produced Power House with long-time collaborator Funkywhat, and the musically varied result features emotionally expressive lyrics alongside sensual sounds. Merlin plays summer festivals in Europe, followed by two U.S. shows. Itinerary here.

Shania Twain, Little Miss Twain (Universal Music Canada) — July 24

Country music superstar Shania Twain has remained in the top tier of stardom for over 30 years. She'll release her seventh studio album, Little Miss Twain, on July 24. It is the follow-up to 2023's Queen Of Me and is something of an autobiographical record, with Twain revisiting her early life and career. "A lot of Little Miss Twain is reflective of my teens, my roots as well as the energy of the rock and R&B I loved so much, but still with that Western twang," she says.

The 60-year-old was also in the news recently for hosting the 2026 Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas, earning kudos for her glamorous look. Twain's trophy room full of honours includes five ACM awards, including entertainer of the year in 2000 and the poet’s award in 2022, plus multiple Junos, Grammys and more. She still holds the record for best-selling country album by a female artist ever, for 1997's Come On Over (more than 40 million copies sold worldwide). Naturally, this will be a blockbuster release.

The Tragically Hip, Live July 22 – August 20, 2016 — August 21

Canada just can't get enough of The Tragically Hip and the legions of Hip fans across the country will be thrilled at the news of the release of a landmark live album coming out on Universal Music Canada on Aug. 21. Live July 22 – August 20, 2016 commemorates the 10th anniversary of the band's final cross-Canada tour, prior to the passing of frontman Gord Downie and the end of the group. The 15-date, coast-to-coast Man Machine Poem tour farewell trek that concluded with an historic hometown show in Kingston, one broadcast on CBC billed as A National Celebration. CBC will rebroadcast the concert commercial-free as it originally aired on Saturday, August 22 at 7 pm local time (7:30 NT) nationwide on CBC TV, digital and radio channels. It will be available globally on CBC Music’s YouTube channel and throughout North America on SiriusXM. Hip classics “Fifty-Mission Cap”, recorded in Edmonton and “Locked In The Trunk Of A Car,” from the final night in Kingston, are now out. Listen HERE. In other The Tragically Hip news, the world premiere of It's A Good Life If You Don't Weaken, a musical based around Hip songs, is getting great reviews during its current run at Theatre Aquarius in Hamilton.

Writing by Kerry Doole

Here is the full list of upcoming Canadian albums with confirmed release dates.

2026 Calendar of New and Upcoming Canadian Albums

January

Jan. 30:

• Softcult, When A Flower Doesn’t Grow (Easy Life Records)

• Gab Bouchard, Encore

• New Saint, Santo

• Luca Fogale, Challenger (Nettwerk Music Group)

• Geneviève Racette, Golden (Deluxe)

• Triples, Every Good Story (Bleak Enterprise)

• Lights, A6EXTENDED

• The Sling Sisters, What I Hope to Find

• Miarlequin, The Fool

February

Feb. 6:

• Beverly Glenn-Copeland & Elizabeth Copeland, Laughter In Summer (Transgressive)

• Nick Schofield, Blue Hour (Backward Music)

• Daphni, Butterfly (Jiaolong)

• Mars Aspen, Baby Teeth (Twin Fang)

• Aquakulture, 1783

• Mike Van Eyes, Ain’t That Loving You, Baby

• Boy Golden, Best of Our Possible Lives (Six Shooter Records)

• Pony, Clearly Cursed

• Larkk, Cinders

• Lauren Spencer Smith, The Art of Being A Mess (Deluxe) (Universal Music Canada)

• Colin Stetson, Greg Fox, Trevor Dunn, Nethering (Envision)

Feb. 20:

• NYSSA, Cursebreaker (Six Shooter)

• Peaches, No Lube So Rude (Kill Rock Stars)

• Dominique Fils-Aimé, My World Is The Sun (Ensoul)

• CVCHE, Get Fluffy

• John and Roy, I Can Dream

Feb. 27:

• Bibi Club, Amaro (Secret City)

• Gord Downie, The Sadies, and The Conquering Sun, Live At 6 O'Clock (Arts & Crafts)

• The Sheepdogs, Keep Out Of The Storm

• Garrett T. Willie, Bill's Cafe

• Donovan Woods, Squander Your Gifts EP (Warner Music Canada)

• Julianna Riolino, Echo In The Dust (Deluxe) (Moonwhistle Records)

• School House, Homeland

• The Sarandons, Long Way Home

• Elyse Aeryn, Everybody Loves You (Symphonic Distribution)

• Grievous Angels, Revolution

• Donovan Woods, Squander Your Gifts

March

Mar. 6:

• Motorists, Never Sing Alone (We Are Time)

• Jenn Grant, Queen of the Strait

• Tanya Tagaq, Saputjiji (Six Shooter)

• Status Non-Status, Big Changes (You'e Changed)

• Odd Marshall, Seconds

• Pinebarren, Arbutus

• Mise en Scene, Drive-Thru Confessional

• Ndidi O, It's About Time

Mar. 13:

• Marie Celeste, Tout ce qui brille

• Various Artists, Covered - A Tribute to Nash the Slash (We Are Busy Bodies)

• Suzie Ungerleider, Among the Evergreens (Deluxe) (MVKA)

• Cat Clyde, Mud Blood Bone (Concord)

• Pick a Piper, Dandelion (Halocline Trance)

• Marie Céleste, Tout ce qui brille (Bravo musique)

• PUP, Megacity Madness (The Official Live Recordings) vinyl only

• City Builders, Healing Revenge

• Aman Dhesi, The Restless Night (Zedd Records)

• The Darcys, Rendering Feelings (GOODTIME Edition)

• Rush, Grace Under Pressure (40th Anniversary edition) (Anthem)

Mar. 19:

• Gnarwhal, Lucid Machine

Mar. 20:

• Edwin Raphael, I Know A Garden

• Ariel Posen, Bannatyne (Dine Alone)

• Cinzia & The Eclipse, The Wax

• MIINA, Where The Light Goes

• Jessica Rhaye and The Ramshackle Parade, Foolish Heart

• Bossanova Frankenstein, Heavy Relic

Mar. 27:

• Wintersleep, Wishing Moon (Dine Alone)

• Gentiane MG, Can You Hear the Birds?

• Sunglaciers, Spiritual Content (Mothland)

• Charlotte Cornfield, Hurts Like Hell (Next Door Records/Merge)

• Arielle Soucy, Passages (Bonbonbon)

• The New Pornographers, The Former Site Of (Merge Records)

April

Apr. 1

• Amanda Rheaume, The Truth We Hold (deluxe edition) (Ishkōdé Records)

Apr. 3:

• Malinowski, Under A Landslide of Stars (Dine Alone)

• Population II, Gimmicks (Bonsound)

• Good Kid, Can We Hang Out Sometime?

• Beatrice Deer, Inuit Legend

• Jon Mullane, The Road

• Jennifer Foster, Powerline

April. 9:

• Terry Gomes, 2 Open 3 Closed

Apr. 10:

• Les Louanges, Alouette! (Bonsound)

• Aysanabee, Timelines (Ishkōdé Records)

• The Fugitives, The Fugitives (Rhea Records)

• Kaeley Jade, The Great Unknown

• Flore Laurentienne, Volume 111 (Secret City)

• Rae Spoon, Assigned Country Singer At Birth (Coax Records)

• Maude Audet, May Your Light

• Nick Fraser, Areas (Elastic Recordings)

• Hiroki Tanaka, Isan (Errant Records)

• Loviet, Debutante

• Tenille Townes, The Acrobat

Apr. 15:

• Brass Camel, Brass Camel

Apr. 17:

• Tiga, Hot Life (Turbo Recordings / Secret City)

• Bandcalledmax, Live At The Cameron House (Victory Pool Records)

• LØLØ, god forbid a girl spits out her feelings! (Fearless Records)

• Arkells, Between Us (Universal Music Canada/Virgin Music Group)

• Chief State, Keep Your Friends Closer (Mutant League Records)

• The Devin Cuddy Band, Livin' Hard Ain't Easy

• Caroline Wiles , Just Be You

• Daniel Isaiah, Western Medicine

• Dallas Good & Richard Reed Parry, Were The Watchtowers (Yep Roc Records)

• Kyp Harness, Lovely

• Elyssia Biro, Running From Nothing (Universal Music Canada)

• Atsuko Chiba, Atsuko Chiba (Mothland)

• Metric, Romanticize the Dive (Metric Music International/Thirty Tigers)

• Kelly Clipperton, I Am Your Distraction

• Cadence Weapon, Forager (Six Shooter)

• Pastel Blank, Unmade In Minutes (Paper Bag Records)

• Sea of Lettuce, Open Doors

• Bobby Dove, Fortune Teller

• Simon Boisseau, Les fausses illusions

• John Shambles, Cabin Fever

• Whipped Cream, Home Was Always Me (Monstercat)

May

May 1:

• Eden FM, Ataxia (Cursus Audio)

• Shub, Heritage (Part Two)

• Aaron Wylder, Brand New TV

• Geordie Gordon, River Round (Victory Pool)

• Jessica Pearson and the East Wind, Wilding Part One

• Faber Drive, Seven Second Surgery (19 ¼ Anniversary Edition) (604 Records)

• Ellen Froese, Solitary Songs (Victory Pool)

• Shub, Heritage (Part Two)

• Broken Social Scene, Remember The Humans (Arts & Crafts)

• Abigail Lapell, Shadow Child (Outside Music)

• Ellen Froese, Solitary Songs (Victory Pool)

• Whitehorse, All I Want Is All of It (Six Shooter)

• Leeroy Stagger, Pilgrimage (Cordova Bay)

• General Chaos, Can’t Please ’Em All ( Stomp Records)

• Alaskan Tapes, Blank Slate, Open Space

• The Flatliners, Cold World

• Laura Roy, Late Bloomer Season

• Wolf Parade, Apologies to the Queen Mary (vinyl deluxe reissue) (Sub Pop)

• Spencer Krug, Same Fangs (Pronounced Kroog)

• Alex Henry Foster, A Nightfall Ritual (Hopeful Tragedy Records)

• Skydiggers, West Montrose

• Desiree Dorion, Pieces of Me

• Jont, Walk Right Through

• Noah Derksen, Mercy on the Skyline (AWAL)

• Tim Hicks, Going Somewhere (Open Road)

• Chantal Kreviazuk, In My Own Voice (Wax Records)

• Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar, A Beautiful Buzz

• Jia, Technicolour (Light Organ)

• Alex Hughes, Take Me Home (Phase Entertainment Group)

• Hillsboro, A Party In Your Name (Play Dead)

June

June 2:

• cherry pick, 3 (Light Organ Records)

June 5:

• Bye Parula, Something Out Of Nothing (Secret City Records)

• Sherri Harding, Storyland (Instant Replay Music/Fontana North)

• Friendly Rich, A Bruised Sunset

June 12:

• La Sécurité, Bingo (Bella Union/Mothland)

• Picastro, Double On Time (We Are Busy Bodies)

• Pharis & Jason Romero, These Are The Days That Turn Into Years

• The Get Alongs, Second To None (Having Fun/We Are Busy Bodies

• ZOON, Happy Thought School

• Dean Brody, The Tenth Album

July

July 10:

• Jacob Brodovsky, Tell The Kids We Tried

• Magi Merlin, Power House (Bonsound)

• sundayclub, sundayclub (Paper Bag Records)

• Allison Russell, In The Hour of Chaos (Fantasy Records)

• Michael Cloud Duguay, Kingdom Come, Kingdom Go

July 24:

• Shania Twain, Little Miss Twain (Universal Music Canada)

August

August 7:

• Corb Lund, Dark Horses (New West)

• Cancer Bats, Give Me Dirt (Bat Skull/New Damage)

• The Tragically Hip, Live July 22 – August 20, 2016 (Universal Music)

Aug. 28:

• Elephant Stone, ASHA (Little Cloud Records/Elephants On Parade)

• Jonathan Personne, Répertoire (Bonsound)

• Le Ren, Don't Be Funny Without Me (Royal Mountain)

October

October 23:

• Matt Lang, Ain't That Bad (River House Artists)