Evan Denley, Candace & Michael & Barstool Confessions take the Meridian Place stage at 5 PM, opening the final Troubadour Festival of the 2026 season

Barrie, ON  – The stage is set for one final Saturday of live music in Downtown Barrie.

The Troubadour Festival 2026 will close out its award-winning summer season on Saturday, September 12, headlined by Canadian country music star Tim Hicks. Before the evening’s main-stage performances get underway, Troubadour will once again put emerging Canadian artists in the spotlight with the final Local Opener Showcase of the season.

Taking the stage at 5 PM in Meridian Place will be Evan Denley and Candace & Michael, two distinctly different Canadian acts connected by thoughtful songwriting, compelling live performances and a growing audience.

Evan Denley

Canadian folk-country singer-songwriter Evan Denley brings an intimate, stripped-back approach to songwriting built around honesty and vulnerability.

His debut album, Deer In The Headlights, moves between quiet acoustic moments and cinematic, guitar-driven arrangements while exploring loss, healing and the search for peace. That same emotional openness carries into Denley’s live performances, creating shows that feel personal, immediate and deeply connected to the audience.

For Troubadour Festival fans, his appearance offers an opportunity to discover a rising Canadian folk-country voice on the festival’s main stage.

Candace & Michael

Husband-and-wife duo Candace & Michael arrive at Troubadour with more than 4.6 million streams and an impressive collection of songwriting, radio and screen credits.

Known for their blended harmonies, heartfelt writing and cinematic production, the Canadian duo are International Songwriting Competition semi-finalists whose music has received airplay on Indie88 and exposure through Spotify’s Discover Weekly.

Their songs have also appeared across NBC, CBS, FOX, MTV, CTV, CBC, Hallmark, Netflix, Crave and Paramount+, bringing their music to audiences well beyond the live stage.

June 2026 marked another milestone with the release of their debut album, meant to be. Its lead single, “Grow Older With You,” received six months of commercial radio support from Indie88.

Barstool Confession

For Barstool Confession, the final Troubadour Festival brings an unexpected opportunity to perform on the big stage close to home. Stepping in following a last-minute change to the Local Opener lineup, the Barrie-based band will bring its homegrown country-rock sound to Meridian Place.

Formed in Barrie in 2018, the Canadian country-rock band features Tim Kwiatkowski, Brian Fell, Paul Sadlon and Buck Goodbrand and has built a strong live following through regular performances across Central Ontario and the Greater Toronto Area.

Along the way, Barstool Confession has opened for an impressive roster of Canadian and international artists, including Sam Roberts Band, The Glorious Sons, The Trews, Goo Goo Dolls, Big Sugar, Lee Aaron, Teenage Head and Texas King.

Following their 2021 debut EP Own the Change, the band continued releasing original music including “Place Our Own,” “Lead You Back” and “Tamed.” The latter marked a move further into country-rock and reached the Top 30 on the UK iTunes Country Chart in May 2024.

Now the Barrie band gets to bring that sound to its hometown festival stage.

One Final Showcase. One Big Stage.

The Local Opener Showcase has become an important part of the Troubadour Festival experience, creating a bridge between emerging artists and established Canadian performers while giving local and regional talent the opportunity to perform in a professional festival environment before audiences numbering in the thousands.

Following the 5 PM Local Opener Showcase, the evening will build toward a headline performance from Tim Hicks, the platinum-selling, multi-time CCMA Award winner and JUNO Award nominee known for hits including “Get By,” “Stronger Beer,” “No Truck Song” and “Loud.”

Troubadour Festival returns Saturday, September 12 in Downtown Barrie. The Local Opener Showcase begins at 5 PM at Meridian Place.

For event information and updates, visit www.downtownbarrie.ca and follow @downtownbarrie.

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