Live Music Halifax

Alicia Putnam
2025-08-20 20:00 - 22:00 (America/Halifax) | Old Triangle, 5136 Prince Street, Halifax
Since being inspired at the age of nine when she saw Natalie MacMaster in concert, Alycia Putnam has been working on her fiddle chops and a deep repertoire of foot-stompin’ tunes. The result of this dedication has been three solo albums and thousands of live performances spanning the globe from Pictou to Amsterdam, and back to Pictou.
Alycia’s most recent album, the much anticipated Wired for Sound, includes 13 tracks of traditional to more eclectic fiddle music and the immense talent of 10 of the province’s most well-known musicians.
Since her performing career took off in the late 90’s, Alycia has amassed a network of artists she regularly adds to her live performances depending on what’s needed for the gig. Her core family band (her dad, Robert, on guitar and her mom, Kelly, on bagpipes) can be expanded to feature percussion, bass, vocals, banjo, mandolin, and a suite of other sounds depending on who’s footing the bill. Regardless of the band’s composition, this live show has something for everyone and is a must-see for anybody who loves Cape-Breton-style fiddle music played by a mainlander.

Jazz Night @ The Local
2025-08-20 19:30 - 23:00, 2025-08-13 19:30 - 23:00 | The Local, 2037 Gottingen St, Halifax
Jazz night with Silvio Pupo, keys, Ronald Hynes, bass and Damien Moynihan, percussion.

Live Jazz with the Matt MacLennan Trio
2025-08-20 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.

Rita Sharko and Joseph Dowell
2025-08-20 17:00 - 19:00 | Halifax Public Gardens, Spring Garden Rd. &, Summer St, Halifax
Pianist Joey Dowell teams up with Ukrainian soprano Rita Sharko for an evening of opera.

Nadia Moore
2025-08-20 14:00 - 16:00 | Halifax Public Gardens, Spring Garden Rd. &, Summer St, Halifax
Nadia, an international performer from Manila, Philippines, has been showcasing her unique vocal abilities and infectious stage presence across Asian and North American venues since 1985. Her career started at the age of fourteen and has developed into what she is today – a well-seasoned, international professional singer. In the earlier part of her career, she spent five years singing for the Royal Family in the country of Brunei.
While Nadia lived in the Philippines she was the leading female vocalist for legendary band ”Hotdog” that first achieved fame in the 1970s. Their performances included a tour of the United States in 2002 as well as a tour of Canada in 2004. Nadia moved from the Philippines to Nova Scotia, Canada in 2003 where she began performing back-up vocals with a well-known local artist, Gary Beals from Canadian Idol. After living in Nova Scotia for a couple of years, Nadia spent some time in Beijing, China where she was the lead singer of the ”Cool Buzz Jazz Band” from 2005 until 2008, when her life brought her back to Nova Scotia.
Since making Nova Scotia her permanent home in 2008, Nadia has been busy performing with a number of Halifax’s top artists at various local festivals and community events such as the Halifax Jazz Festival, Evergreen Festival, Christmas Tree Lightings for three consecutive years, and more! Nadia is also actively performing for the Filipino community events both in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Her most current performances are with the band ”Canary and the LoveCatz” where they perform Jazz, Harlem, and New Orleans style music every Sunday at the Pacifico Nightclub in Halifax. Nadia also, leads her own band with other local artists. The band does private performances with R&B and Dance Music stylings.
In 2017, Nadia released her first CD Album called ”Nadia Moore – 50” in celebration of her golden birthday. The songs in the album showcase the different genres of music that Nadia performs for her live audiences. Included in this album are three Nadia Moore original compositions titled: ”I will love you, baby”, ”Nothing at all”, and ”Something special”.

Jazz Night
2025-08-19 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.

Atlantic Sound Machine
2025-08-19 12:15 - 13:00 | St Matthew’s United Church, 1479 Barrington St
Come out and groove to Halifax’s vibrant genre fusing big band !!! Fresh off the heels of the TD Halifax Jazz fest

Dave MacIsaac
2025-08-18 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.

Sunday night blues jam
2025-08-17 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.

Tristan Legg
2025-08-17 20:00 - 22:00, 2025-08-14 20:00 - 22:00 | Old Triangle, 5136 Prince Street, Halifax
Tristan is a well known musician based out of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Known for his rich, powerful voice, strong acoustic guitar playing and outgoing personality on stage, he is a captivation act to catch.
Growing up in the Musquodoboit valley, Tristan was influenced deeply by the albums his parents had of British & American rock and folk artists.
Steeped in the love of the blues and traditional music, Tristan has developed his own style of playing and writing songs that has a new but familiar feeling to them.

Rock the Harbour
2025-08-17 18:00 - 22:00 | Alderney Landing, 2 Ochterloney St
Nova Scotia’s Classic Rock festival
Trooper • Streetheart • The Northern Pikes

Jazz @ the Lion's Head
2025-08-17 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.

Day 2 Dusk
2025-08-17 16:00 - 22:00 | The Maxwell’s Plum, 1600 Grafton St.
A Weekend of Daytime Concerts in Downtown Halifax
Come for the music, stay for the atmosphere:
Cold drinks, great food, local vibes, and live music from some of the best artists around — all surrounded by stunning murals at Maxwell’s Courtyard.
Neon Dreams with Chasing Luma
Saturday’s Day 2 Dusk Concert

Good Dear Good
2025-08-17 14:00 - 16:00 | Sullivan’s Pond, Chrichton Ave & Ochterloney St, Dartmouth NS
Sullivan’s Pond Concerts
A vision of unison and love arrives on stage with intoxicating, searing vocal harmonies and relentlessly catchy pop-rock melodies. From the remote shores of Eastern Cape Breton, music became a means of expression for Tim Hatcher. After meeting his partner Brandon MacDonald, the pair dropped out of university and moved to Dartmouth to pursue a career in music. After graduating from the NSCC Music Arts program and meeting their bandmates, Tim and Brandon formed Good Dear Good in the fall of 2018

Krisanne Crowell with Solarocity
2025-08-17 14:00 - 16:00 | Halifax Public Gardens, Spring Garden Rd. &, Summer St, Halifax
Krisanne Crowell, with her band Solarocity, plays keys with Chris Mitchell on alto sax and flute Leo Cox on bass, Sam Withers on tenor sax, Matt Myer on trumpet, Eric Landry on trombone, Georgie Haley on guitar and Tom Roach on drums.
Concert features hot summer sounds of original salsa, swing, blues and R&B – bring your shades and bring on the sun!
Singer, songwriter, pianist and sax player — Krisanne Crowell does it all, and she does it with style. Krisanne made her first splash on the Halifax music scene as co-founder of the popular 8-piece jump blues band, The Floorboards. The band caught on fast, building a huge fan base and snapping up an East Coast Music Award in 1991.
She studied music at Humber College and Dalhousie University, while busking and taking gigs to hone her performance chops.
Her reputation as a serious musical force fuelled her growing obsession with the jazz combo tradition, and soon a new jazz vocal trio was born. Featuring pianist J.P. Ellis, Dave Skinner on drums and Krisanne on sax, The Tritones set a new standard for smooth harmonies.
Collaboration with international drumming sensation Dave James as a member of The Jazz Hoods and The David James Orchestra marked the beginning of a new phase of artistic growth for Krisanne — and a fresh drive to spearhead her own musical projects. She created the Latin/Funk/Jazz group, K.C. and the Sunshine Men, featuring her own arrangements and original compositions performed by an all-star band.

Wil C
2025-08-16 20:00 - 23:55
With special guests Deyluvchase, Ely$ium and Misho

Wil C (aka Connor Davison) is a breakthrough artist from the hub of Nova Scotia. From recording in Dorm rooms and closets, to getting co-signed by multi-platinum artist it’s clear to see his path. There is not one single piece of production that he can’t slide on. With the pure talent, love for the art, unforeseeable drive and tone that leaves you speechless, Tracks like “The way I Love you and “She Like It” will have you hooked.

DEYLUVCHASE (aka Chase Mellin) is a self producing experimental artist who mainly makes hip hop and RnB, starting as just a producer Chase has made noise in Halifax and New Brunswick where he stays now trying to make a name for Eastern Canada, himself, and his friends. When you hear his music you can hear the emotion he is trying to portray and really puts you in his shoes while listening to feel what he felt. The direction he’s headed is just the start as he is mixing what he learned while making indie and the techniques he used on his new sound mainly consisting of Rap and RnB to create his own unique sound.

ELY$IUM (Born Ethan Maling – October 22, 2004) is an experimental RnB/Trap artist, making noise out of eastern Canada. Over many years of hard work and non-stop dedication, Trilly has developed an unforgettable cadence. His newer work in the recent years consists of smooth, laid-back RnB tracks mixed with bouncy, melodic trap hits that truly showcase his versatility within his catalogue.

Misho is a multi-faceted music producer born on the East Coast of Canada, with production credits spanning across the discographies of artists north and south of the border. Consistently pushing the boundaries for new sounds and creative placements, the beat maker turned full on producer has marked his territory in all corners of the industry, including DJ’ing live shows, executive producing projects and even directing visual art pieces.

Tristan Legg & Teddy Zee
2025-08-16 20:00 - 22:00, 2025-08-15 20:00 - 22:00 | Old Triangle, 5136 Prince Street, Halifax

Rock the Harbour
2025-08-16 16:45 - 2025-08-17 22:00 | Alderney Landing, 2 Ochterloney St
Nova Scotia’s Classic Rock festival
Big Sugar • Sass Jordan • Men Without Hats • Michelle Ryder

Day 2 Dusk
2025-08-16 16:00 - 22:00 | The Maxwell’s Plum, 1600 Grafton St.
A Weekend of Daytime Concerts in Downtown Halifax
Come for the music, stay for the atmosphere:
Cold drinks, great food, local vibes, and live music from some of the best artists around — all surrounded by stunning murals at Maxwell’s Courtyard.
Day: Ria Mae with Taylor Jensen Doors 3:00 p.m., show 4:00 p.m.
Dusk: Quake & Kayo w/Basyl Doors 7:00 p.m., Show, 7:30 p.m.
Ria Mae website
Sunday’s Day 2 Dusk Concert

The Mellotones
2025-08-15 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.

Craig Cardiff
2025-08-15 20:00 - 22:30 | The Carleton, 1685 Argyle St, Halifax
Songwriter, troubadour, Craig Cardiff builds landscapes of sound using live digital loops, bringing the room to a hush. Edged, folk, beautiful, melancholy and left leaning, one song breaks your heart and the next one puts it back together. Craig is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Known throughout Canada, Craig is beginning to develop a following throughout North America and into some parts of Europe. With guitar in Hand, Craig can turn any setting into an intimate affair, infusing his music and lyrics with an uncompromising humanism that is rarely seen in today’s production-heavy climate. He makes it a point to keep the relationship with his fans personal, inviting and accepting any opportunity to make his audience as much a part of the performance as he is.
Tickets

Rock the Harbour
2025-08-15 18:00 - 22:00 | Alderney Landing, 2 Ochterloney St
Nova Scotia’s Classic Rock festival
Honeymoon Suite • Sweet • Titan

Chris Ricketts
2025-08-14 19:30 - 21:30 | The Carleton, 1685 Argyle St, Halifax
Sea Songs & Stories Tour with special guest Callehan
Internationally renowned shanty and folk singer Chris Ricketts returns to The Carleton – along with special guest Callehan – for another rollicking night of Sea Songs & Stories

Kirk MacDonald & Bruce Barth
2025-08-14 19:00 - 21:30 | St Paul’s Church
About Kirk MacDonald
Recognized as one of Canada’s most celebrated jazz artists, Kirk MacDonald is a two-time JUNO Award winner and eight-time nominee for his own recordings, in addition to receiving multiple nominations for his collaborations with other artists. His distinguished career has earned him numerous accolades, including an East Coast Music Award, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Toronto Musicians’ Association, the International Jazz Soloist Award from Monaco, and two Prix du Jazz Awards from the Montreal Jazz Festival. He was also honored with the Distinguished Faculty Award from Humber College for his contributions as an educator.
Kirk has enjoyed long-standing collaborations with leading musicians from Canada, the U.S., and Europe, and has toured extensively throughout North America, Europe, Australia, India, Korea, and Egypt. His performances have graced some of the world’s premier jazz venues, including Dizzy’s Club at Lincoln Center in New York, Ronnie Scott’s in London, and Duc des Lombards in Paris, as well as numerous festivals across the globe. He has appeared on over 60 recordings, including 18 as a leader.
About Bruce Barth
Originally from Pasadena, California, Bruce Barth has been a key figure in the New York jazz scene since 1988, when he began working with jazz legends Stanley Turrentine and Terence Blanchard. As a bandleader, Bruce has performed at major venues across the U.S., Europe, and Japan, including The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and festivals in the UK, Spain, Sweden, and Portugal.
For over 15 years, Bruce has been a core member of the Terell Stafford Quartet, recording and touring extensively. He has also collaborated with esteemed artists such as Steve Wilson, Luciana Souza, Steve Nelson, Tony Bennett, James Moody, Phil Woods, Freddie Hubbard, Tim Armacost, Tom Harrell, Luis Bonilla, René Marie, Branford Marsalis, and Adam Kolker.
Bruce has recorded on over 135 albums and film soundtracks, including 17 as a leader. His trio has also recorded live at the legendary Village Vanguard in New York City. A dedicated educator, Bruce has been on the faculty at Temple University for more than 25 years and teaches at Columbia University while conducting master classes worldwide.
Tickets

Bill Stevenson and Guest
2025-08-14 18:00 - 21:00 | Wooden Monkey, Alderney Landing
Bill Stevenson is a Canadian blues and jazz pianist, vocalist and songwriter, originally associated with the band Earth Opera, whose career in music has spanned over forty years.
Stevenson commenced his music career in Ottawa, Ontario, where he spent his childhood and adolescence. While still in his teens, he joined the band Earth Opera, originally based in Boston. Stevenson left the band in 1968, after the release of their first album. During Stevenson’s time with Earth Opera, the band frequently opened for The Doors, being fellow recording artists on Elektra Records, as well as having Jac Holzman as producer.
After leaving Earth Opera, Stevenson returned to Ottawa, where he continued to play locally for a number of years. One of his associations was as an early member of Heaven’s Radio, considered to be one of the best bands to come out of Ottawa in the 1970s. As of the mid-1970s, Stevenson relocated to Halifax, Nova Scotia, from which his career has been based since. During his career, Stevenson has worked with many notable artists, including John Lee Hooker, Amos Garrett and Tom Rush.
Stevenson is the 2008 winner of the East Coast Music Award for Jazz Album of The Year. With Tom Easley and Geoff Arsenault, he is also a 2009 East Coast Music Award nominee for Blues Album of The Year.

The Jazz Spotlight
2025-08-13 20:00 - 22:30 | Gus’ Pub & Grill, 2605 Agricola St
The Borrowers • KFR • Bard

Jordan Leblanc
2025-08-13 20:00 - 22:00 | Old Triangle, 5136 Prince Street, Halifax
Jordan LeBlanc took up the guitar at age 15 and started performing live by age 16. He has experience in many settings, including cover bands, original projects, acoustic duos, solo, and jazz band. He has developed a diverse repertoire, comfortable stage presence and a keen ear for improvisation over the years, making him a great choice for live session work.
