The 2026 Troubadour Festival Summer Concert Series continued with its third edition this weekend, which featured Bahamas as the Saturday headliner and a mix of up-and-coming talent in the Local Opener Showcase. A packed Meridian Place vibed to his top hits that included ‘Lost in the Light,’ ‘All the Time,’ and ‘Trick to Happy.’ Raised in Barrie, the Juno Award-winning artist was the headlining act in a city he called home. The Openers In the hours leading up to Bahamas, four acts warmed up the stage, starting with Noah Ruttan, Bracebridge country artist, kicking off the Local Opener Showcase. He sang his top songs, ‘Here it from You,’ ‘Bones,’ and ‘I do’ all in front of his family in the crowd. “It was exhilarating,” said Ruttan. “I was super nervous to go on. But the crowd was super lovely, the weather’s amazing, so by the end of it I was tuned in and ready to go, man.” He was followed by B.Knox, a late-blooming artist whose journey from the East Coast to Ontario brought him through Simcoe County. In a duo alongside guitarist Ken Kelley, they brought a mix of alt-country and Americana, with tracks the included ‘Deep Dark Love,’ and ‘The Many Deaths of Rose Murphy.’ “I think about so many things when I think about Downtown Barrie,” said B.Knox. “I think about the waterfront, I think about so many good years spent on Dunlop Street here, and I cut my teeth in these bars.” Filling out the Local Opener Showcase lineup was another folk-Americana artist in Jolie Anastasia from Collingwood. She played ‘Rocking Mountain Air,’ ‘Never Say Goodbye,’ ‘Festival,’ and others, before meeting with two of her biggest fans after her performance. “Those two little girls came up to me after, and they made me a little present, which was so special,” said Anastasia. “It’s just an amazing spot on the water and everyone’s so lovely.” Then it was Zeus setting the stage as the Headliner Opener. Backed by drummer Rob Drake, who has a music school in Barrie, the three other bandmembers shuffled from instrument to instrument. They rocked the crowd with songs from their new ‘Credo’ album, and classics such as ‘Are you gonna waste my time.’ “They were great. Everybody was super enthusiastic. We had some singers going down in the crowd,” said Carlin Nicholson, Zeus vocalist, guitarist and pianist. They also welcomed the headlining act of the night as a special guest. “We’re the oldest of buds,” said Nicholson of playing alongside Bahamas. “When bands play in places that they’re from, there’s something extra in the air, and today there’s just tons of it.” Expansion into Friday On top of a full day of Saturday programming, new to the Troubadour Festival this weekend was an expansion into Friday, which was highlighted by a Canadian Artist Jon Bryant delivering a Jack Johnson Tribute show. The Troubadour Festival Summer Concert Series wraps up with more country artists for its 2026 finale on Saturday September 12. It will feature CCMA winner Tim Hicks as the Headliner and Mitch Zorn as the Headliner Opener.
