Live Music Halifax

Rec Room Jams
2025-09-06 20:00 - 23:59 (America/Halifax) | Doolittle’s Sports Bar & Grill, 90 Tacoma Dr
Rec Room Jams is a live music show that plays the “nightclub style” music of the 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000+ and Today. These talented musicians will make your event the Best Party on the Block!

Christina Martin
2025-09-07 13:30 - 15:30 | The Carleton, 1685 Argyle St, Halifax
Experience an unforgettable afternoon of music and storytelling at The Carleton on Sunday, September 7th with award-winning artist Christina Martin, performing with her trio PLUS a string trio, together for one incredible matinée.

Christina takes the stage at 1:30 pm for a performance that blends emotional depth with captivating arrangements, inspired by themes of love, loss, healing, and resilience. Doors open for brunch and beverages at 12:00 noon. Show tickets are $40 plus HST.

Champagne Weather
2025-09-07 14:00 - 16:00 | Halifax Public Gardens, Spring Garden Rd. &, Summer St, Halifax
Canadian Folk Music Award-winners and JUNO nominees James Hill and Anne Janelle. Both have one foot in folk traditions and the other in improvised music. With a blend of songwriting and sound sculpture, Champagne Weather artfully bridges these worlds with a sound that evokes Philip Glass and Steve Reich even as it harks back to Appalachian fiddle and Maritime folksong.
​In each Champagne Weather composition, two motifs repeat, entwine and slowly change, creating serendipitous harmony that no-one can predict—not even the musicians. Cello, ukulele and violin sparkle like a field of stars, grounded only by the rumble of low-fi synth. It’s ever-changing music that neither sleeps nor wakes, floating instead in a dreamy blue twilight of sound.
​The duo’s lyrics paint impressions of modern life and the characters who call it home: the widower, the lost child, the busy people. Every song is a diorama, a shoebox-world with
a peep-hole
just wide enough
to fall
through.

Party on Black Street
2025-09-07 14:00 - 21:00
Black Street Party 2025, happening THIS Sunday and we have an amazing lineup of performers. The best time year, with friends, neighbours and artists all coming together for COMMUNITY, so come on out for what will surely be a great time.

2 p.m. Second Hand Trio (Sam Wilson, Garbriella Churcovich, Ajaz)
3 p.m. Salamander (DJ Set)
4 p.m. Koromanli & The North Star
5 p.m. Transatlantic Zodiac Ensemble
6 p.m. Esquina Brasileira
7 p.m. Andru Branch & Halfway Tree
8 p.m. The Good-Night Ensemble (Gently improvised music)

Times are “ish” and may change

Jazz @ the Lion's Head
2025-09-07 17:00 - 21:30 | Lion’s Head Tavern, 3085 Robie St, Halifax
Mainstay jazz crew l-r David Burton, Jeff Goodspeed, Silvio Pupo and Larry Bjornson. Players subject to change. Interesting guests each week.

Sunday night blues jam
2025-09-07 20:00 - 23:00 | Bearly’s House of Blues & Ribs, 1579 Grafton St, Halifax
Local blues musicians try out their stuff at the traditional blues jam run by Andrew Gillis and his back up band.

Sing this Summer!
2025-09-08 18:30 - 21:00 | Fort Needham Park, 3340 Union St
Lyra (formerly Spíra) is Choirs for Change’s casual, drop-in, summer singing event. Join us from 6–8pm at Fort Needham Memorial Park on June 30, July 28, August 25, and September 8 to spend your summer evenings singing outside!​
What you can expect: fun music, easy arrangements, and a supportive and fun atmosphere. Music and lyrics will be provided and you’ll be singing in three-part harmony before you know it.
Lyra is open to everyone. No singing experience is necessary! Attendance will be $10 or pay-what-you-can.

Dave MacIsaac
2025-09-08 19:00 - 22:00 | Old Triangle, 5136 Prince Street, Halifax
Dave MacIsaac is a Canadian musician from Nova Scotia who plays the fiddle and guitar, specialising in the Celtic music style.
Awards

1996: East Coast Music Awards – winner: Male Artist of the Year; Instrumental Artist of the Year; Celtic Recording of the Year (Nimble Fingers)[2]
2017: Honorary Doctorate from Cape Breton University.

John Chiasson & Friends
2025-09-09 11:00 - 14:00

Jazz Night
2025-09-09 18:00 - 21:00 | Ragazzi Restobar, 5187 Salter St, Halifax
Jazz Night with Ken MacKay
A native of Truro NS, Ken first started teaching in the Public School system in 1976 and has been active as an educator as a Clinician, Adjudicator and Soloist throughout his career. Ken retired from Astral Drive Junior High where he has been Director of Bands for over 20 years. Ken is Past-President of the Atlantic Federation of Musicians and is currently on the board of NS Honour Jazz and co-leader of the NSHJ Funk Unit.
Ken’s list of his professional credits is impressive. Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Regis Philbin, Natalie Cole, jazz great Ernie Watts, Mary Wilson (The Supremes), Blues Brother Dan Aykroyd, daughter of the blues Shirley King, Rosemary Clooney, the Temptations, and Lionel Ritchie are just a few of the artists Ken has shared the stage with. He currently performs with The Back Alley Big Band, Asia NuGruv and The Aviators.

Jazz jam
2025-09-09 19:00 - 22:00 | Economy Shoe Shop, 1663 Argyle St
Jazz Night upstairs at Economy Shoe Shop run by Leo Cox, bass/guitar, Ben Tucker, guitar/voice and Dante Keirstead, drums.

Irish Music Sessions
2025-09-09 19:30 - 22:30 | Driftwood, 2103 Gottingen St, Halifax
Ellen Gibling and Colin Carrigan host Irish music sessions every Tuesday! All players welcome! Admission is free.

The tunes are lively, the pints are flowing, and the crowd keeps growing!

Come for the tunes and bring your appetite as it’s also Taco Tuesday

Trombone Summit
2025-09-10 14:00 - 16:00 | Halifax Public Gardens, Spring Garden Rd. &, Summer St, Halifax
The Halifax Trombone Summit is a powerhouse jazz ensemble of eight of Halifax’s finest trombone professionals backed by a top-notch rhythm section of piano, bass and drums.

Live Jazz with the Matt MacLennan Trio
2025-09-10 19:00 - 22:00 | Obladee wine bar, 1600 Barrington St, Halifax
Matt MacLennan is a bassist and bandleader, bringing a mix of velvety ballads, smooth bossa novas, and breezy swing to Obladee!
You can expect balanced and inviting sets with an easy and conversational style that fills the room without crowding it. Lean in and listen, or simply let the sound and textures carry you away.
A warm welcome to Matt and his band – we just know you’ll love them!
Please reserve your spot as seating is limited.

Jazz Night @ The Local
2025-09-10 19:30 - 23:00 | The Local, 2037 Gottingen St, Halifax
Jazz night with Silvio Pupo, keys, Ronald Hynes, bass and Damien Moynihan, percussion.

Mike Cowie, Larry Bjornson & Vlad Sitnokoy
2025-09-11 18:00 - 21:00 | Wooden Monkey, Alderney Landing
Mike Cowie is a trumpet player, singer and songwriter in a funk/jazz/blues style.
After the success of his Big Night Out CD, which brought Mike’s original jazz/funk based music to audiences in Canada and Europe. Mike has followed up with the release of his latest CD Lucid Blue. A stunning fusion of Miles Davis’ In a Silent Way period with hip-hop beats and electronica. Ten new Mike Cowie originals, combine computer/DJ soundscapes with his stunning trumpet tone. The funky beats, beautiful melodies and sophisticated chord progressions create a sound that is new, fresh and timeless. More
Larry Bjornson’s music education began at Detroit’s Centre for Creative Studies Jazz Workshop, led by trumpet great Marcus Belgrave. Bjornson flourished in this environment as have the likes of Kenny Garrett, James Carter, Geri Allen, Rodney Whitaker and Bob Hurst to name only a few. Larry continued his studies earning a bachelor of music in jazz performance at Mcgill University in Montreal then continued graduate studies in performance at Wayne State University back in Detroit. Upon returning to Detroit, Larry became a regular bassist for his mentor Marcus Belgrave maintaining a busy concert, club and touring schedule.During this time he also became a member of the Michigan Opera Theatre orchestra, Detroit’s Opera. Larry has performed with a very broad spectrum of artists ranging from The Moody Blues, Nell Carter, Mitsou, top jazz musicians; Charles MacPherson, James Carter and Charles Tolliver to backing up personalities like Joan Rivers, and Regis Philbin. Larry is currently a member of the Stadacona Band of the Royal Canadian Navy, and resides in Halifax, Nova Scotia with his wife and three children. More
Before Vladimir Sitnikov – professional musician for more than 20 years – made Canada his new home, he mastered his guitar and composition in Russia. A prize winner of an international classical guitar competition, he graduated from Rostov State Conservatory and toured across Europe.
In Canada Vladimir continued his musical career. He has released few classical and jazz guitar albums and created two original musicals, A Christmas Dollhouse and Oak Island Treasure, both co-written with Cheryl Edgett. He has been teaching music at Talent Studio and SCANS in Halifax, performing with many bands and musicians all across Canada, appeared on award winning records, TV and radio stations. Vladimir is the musical director of The Shining Lights Choir – a community choir for homeless and disable people in Halifax, NS.
With Maderaz Latin Music Vladimir performed around 100 educational shows per year in schools across Ontario as a part of Prologue To The Performing Arts for ten years, collaborating with such children performers as Lois, Sharon and Bram, Jack Grunsky, Eric Nagler, Balet Creole.

The Magpies
2025-09-11 19:30 - 22:00 | The Carleton, 1685 Argyle St, Halifax
Transatlantic folk band The Magpies are quickly becoming one of the most exciting and innovative acts on the contemporary roots scene. Combining sublime harmonies with exquisite musicianship and impressive songwriting, The Magpies traverse Anglo and American roots, drawing inspiration from traditional Celtic folk, bluegrass and Appalachian trails, to create an effortless melting pot of music.
Accomplished musicians in their own right, founding members Bella Gaffney (award winning singer-songwriter, guitarist and banjoist) and Holly Brandon (acclaimed fiddle player and tunesmith) perform alongside gifted singer-songwriter and guitarist Ellie Gowers. These talented young musicians work collaboratively to create their fresh brand of transatlantic folk and champion gender equality in the music industry, with a fervent thread of feminism running through their music.
In their live performances, The Magpies have been exceptionally well-received, touring extensively throughout the UK, with festival highlights including Glastonbury, Cambridge, Larmer Tree, Shambala, Towersey and Deer Shed and international performances in USA, Canada, Ireland, Portugal and Luxembourg. Their live shows are known for their high energy and wry delivery, transporting audiences to distant lands with ethereal voices and glistening instrumentals.

With more than a decade of making records and touring around the world behind them—as members of the award-winning group Còig—Rachel Davis & Darren McMullen now have their sights set on something new—Home.
Recorded with award-winning songwriter, musician, and producer Dave Gunning, Home is Rachel and Darren’s long-imagined, and much-anticipated, duo album. Highlighting the pair’s outstanding musicianship and vocals, Home mixes traditional tunes and songs with original co-writes and signature classics.
Rachel and Darren are well-established and respected instrumentalists in the traditional music world and their playing on this album certainly lives up to that reputation. From the gentle but commanding riff that opens River and the Road, written by Scottish songwriting royalty Archie Fisher, to the unexpectedly bouncy breath of fresh air that is Laurence Gowan’s 1993 hit Dancing on My Own Ground, to an old standby from their live sets, We Remember You Well by their pal, Cape Breton Music Hall of Fame writer Buddy MacDonald, the songs on Home couldn’t be a better fit for Rachel and Darren’s voices and musical sensibilities.
The pair also wanted to do more songwriting for this album and they hit the jackpot with recording, engineering, and arranging collaborator Dave Gunning and acclaimed singer-songwriter Terra Spencer. Both Gunning and Spencer add harmony vocals to the songs they co-wrote, with Gunning also playing a variety of instruments on the album. Other musical guests include Margie Beaton (piano), Thierry Clouette (bouzouki, foot percussion), and Zakk Cormier (guitar, foot percussion) taking turns on the tunes, and English folk singer Jackie Oates who joins Rachel and Darren on harmony for the lovely Cornish folk song Sweet Nightingale, which closes the album.
Listening to Rachel and Darren, it’s obvious that they’ve been playing together for a while—not just as part of Còig, but also as a duo, as guests on each other’s records, and as part of bigger stage productions and ensembles. There’s an easy way about them, a sense of comfort that comes through in the music, in the mix of their instruments, the blending of their voices, and how the arrangements leave room for each other. They seem to know just when to lay back and when it’s time to “give’er”.

Jazz Night with the Zingers
2025-09-11 20:00 - 23:00 | Driftwood, 2103 Gottingen St, Halifax
Every Thursday The Zimgars (Trevor Wenzell, Matt Myer, Rheo Rochon & Dustin Smith) serve up sweet grooves, tasty licks, and more funky good times than you knew you needed.

Goodnight Sunrise
2025-09-11 20:30 - 22:30 | Seahorse Tavern, 2037 Gottingen
Goodnight Sunrise
with Minus World
Saltlamp

Brookside & Bowskill
2025-09-12 20:00 - 22:30 | The Carleton, 1685 Argyle St, Halifax
Brooks & Bowskill is the collaboration of Canadian wife-and-husband musicians Brittany Brooks and Jimmy Bowskill. Their genre-bending sound journeys between folk, country-rock, pop and rock and roll.
​Jim Bowskill, a multi-talented instrumentalist, songwriter, producer and recording engineer has established himself as one of the most profound musicians and music producers in the industry. He is a member of Canadian country-rock band Blue Rodeo, as their multi-instrumentalist and previously spent 7 years as lead guitarist of Canadian rock band The Sheepdogs.
Since the beginning of her musical career, BrittanyBrooks has been a prolific songwriter, singer and instrumentalist, crafting lyrically evocative songs steeped in wisdom beyond her years. She has become notable for her unique and poignant vocal styling reminiscent of female folk-rock pioneers from the ‘60s like Sandy Denny, Joni Mitchell and country artists like Emmylou Harris and Sylvia Tyson. In addition to releasing multiple solo albums, Brooks has provided background vocals on records and in live performances for numerous bands including Blue Rodeo.
Their debut long-play album Too Many Roads (released Jan. 2023) gained critical acclaim for the couple’s versatile songwriting, expert musicianship and undeniable chemistry as musical collaborators. A lot has changed since the debut record from the duo. First, they got married, making official the deep connection between the pair that was so clear in the songs of that first LP. They also moved their studio, Ganaraska Recording Co, from a former Ontario Hydro building in an industrial part of Cobourg, Ontario to a nearly 200-year-old farmhouse in the Northumberland Hills. Lastly, they introduced themselves and their songs to live audiences across southern Ontario. The shows garnered rave reviews from concert goers in small community halls, downtown rock bars, and stately, storied theatres. Every stage, no matter what size, became a place for Brooks and Bowskill, along with their band the Hometown Beauts, to show their love for live performance, for their new songs and treasured covers, for their audience and for each other.
Now Brooks and Bowskill present their second long playing album, Blissful State of Mind, a record of the last two years for the band. It is the sound of the marriage of two old souled songwriters, merging their histories together and imbuing each other with confidence. It is the sound of the rolling hills north of Cobourg, and an old farmhouse resurrected and filled with life again. It’s also the sound of a band of musicians who have played together long enough to be able to anticipate each other’s next moves. In sum, Blissful State of Mind is the sound of a group at home, for a moment, in the moment.

The Mellotones
2025-09-12 20:30 - 23:30 | Pacifico, 5171 George St
For over two decades, The Mellotones have been bringing their high-octane party to stages around the world. Lighting up dance floors wherever they go, the R&B Funk band is an 8-piece powerhouse.

Free Symphony Week
2025-09-13 13:00 - 15:00 | Bedford Pubic Library, 15 Dartmouth Rd.
Hear a small string ensemble of Symphony Nova Scotia musicians at the Bedford Public Library! Enjoy a selection of classical hits from Joseph Haydn, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Florence Price, Antonín Dvořák, and more in this accessible concert for all ages!
Featuring Jennifer Jones, violin; Anne Simons, violin; Alexandra Bates, viola; Hilary Brown, cello; Mary Lee, narrator

Global Centric Brass Band
2025-09-13 20:00 - 22:30 | Woodside Tavern, 209 Pleasant St
“Global Centric” is a home grown Nova Scotian 7 piece brass band delving into the New Orleans second line tradition and beyond, featuring original music and a new twist on some great jazz standards.

G Street Band
2025-09-13 20:00 - 23:00 | Pacifico, 5171 George St
G Street Band electrifies the dance floor with their high-energy fusion of classic and current, pop, rock, funk…and a touch of jazz!

Rasta Gumbo
2025-09-13 21:00 - 23:00 | The Carleton, 1685 Argyle St, Halifax
Front man Bruce Vickery brings his Rasta Gumbo – R&B/Ska/Reggae/fun-night-out – band back to The Carleton on Saturday, September 13th. Help celebrate the end of Nova Scotia summer! The dancing (and there will be dancing) gets underway at 9 PM.

ASIA & NUGRUV
2025-09-13 22:00 - 2025-09-14 01:00 | Shore Club, 241 Shore Club Road, Halifax
The Last of the Great Dance Halls
The Shore Club Hubbards

John Chiasson & Friends
2025-09-14 11:00 - 14:00
John Chaisson grew up in Antigonish, and studied jazz at St. Francis Xavier University, long before the singing jazz upright bass player Esperanza Spaulding came to prominence. Fans of John’s smooth baritone-plus-bass already had her Nova Scotia counterpoint.
John has put true, low notes behind PEI legend Lenny Gallant, the stratospheric pipes of The Rankins, and beneath the fretless lilt of Natalie McMaster’s fiddle. For Natalie, John has been a music director, that is to say, her band-leader and arranger, the person who runs rehearsals.
Now based in Halifax, John’s trio plays for special events and regularly at Baton Rouge and many other venues across Nova Scotia; John and trio also provided expert framing for young phenoms like saxophonist Rob Crowell.
John admits that inspiration is a deep well – for him it starts with music in the house, played and encouraged by his parents, then with the arrival of a lead-singing bass player, Paul McCartney. John also mentions McCartney’s apparent opposite in ’60s music – the iconoclast composer, singer and bassist Charles Mingus, himself known for heart-rending chord changes, like those in Goodbye Pork Pie Hat.
John’s signature instrument is an unusual solid-body upright bass, nothing McCartney or Mingus could have had, in the day. This bass sounds sweet, and repels the Maritimes’ dry and damp spells with warmth.

Free Symphony Concert
2025-09-14 12:00 - 17:00 | Public spaces in Halifax, Halifax
Symphony Nova Scotia kicks off our 2025/26 season with the 18th annual Symphony Week – a community music festival that celebrates Nova Scotia’s connections, collaborations, and creativity – with free concerts and events for all ages throughout the region.

Port City Concert Band
2025-09-14 14:00 - 16:00 | Halifax Public Gardens, Spring Garden Rd. &, Summer St, Halifax
