Arkells Are Skipping Toronto This Summer, but Playing Big and Small Hometown Shows in Hamilton

Arkells are getting ready to Rally their hometown.

The popular rock band are known for their commitment to The Hammer, and that extends to hosting their biggest shows there. Their headlining show at Hamilton Stadium, The Rally, has become a new Canadian music tradition. On June 21, Arkells will bring it back with support acts Portugal. The Man, Valley and Seago. Hamilton Stadium is the temporary name for the stadium formerly known as Tim Horton's Field, home of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats CFL team. A new naming rights deal is being negotiated.

This is the third edition of The Rally, in partnership with Live Nation.

"This event was an ambitious idea in 2018 — I mean we’re playing a football stadium?!" says Arkells frontman Max Kerman in a statement. "It got bigger in 2022, and 2025 feels like the right year to make it three. If you've been to The Rally, you know how much it means to us. It's a chance to not only throw the biggest party in Hamilton, but to celebrate the city that made us. The best remedy to the moment we're living in is spending time together. We can't wait to be back."

This stadium holds happy memories for Arkells, who also played there in 2021 as headliners of the 108th Grey Cup halftime show.

Tickets to The Rally will go on-sale Friday March 21st at 10 AM, with pre-sales starting Tuesday March 18 at 10 AM and running until Thursday March 20 at 10 PM. Arkells fans can sign up for their artist pre-sale at arkellsmusic.com/therally.

Arkells are partnering with PLUS1.ORG to support the causes that are meaningful to them and their community. For the third edition of THE RALLY, Arkells are supporting three Hamilton organizations — Eva Rothwell Centre, Mission Services, and REFUGE Newcomer Health — groups working to support the city and its people. In addition, Arkells will be making a $10,000 contribution to each in recognition of their service.

On Instagram, the band explained that they're choosing Hamilton over Toronto this summer, asking their legion of Toronto area fans to trek down the 403 highway: "Some people have been asking will there be a show in Toronto this summer at Budweiser Stage? The answer is no. We're doing it in Hamilton baby...If you've never been to Hamilton, this is your fucking chance."

It's actually two chances. In addition to the Rally, Arkells have also revealed plans for their first hometown club show in over a decade. It will take place at The Underground this Thursday, March 20, and in an Instagram post, the group explain that "To celebrate the BIG show, we’re doing something SMALL."

The band will select 100 fans who register for the Rally presale and get tickets starting Tuesday (March 18) who tag the @arkellsmusic Instagram account with screenshots of the purchases and/or comment on the IG post on who they would bring to the intimate club gig.

Given that The Rally show is guaranteed to be filled to its 25,000+ capacity, while The Underground will have a crowd of 100, this is definitely a case of the Big and the Small!