AGP Executive Report

Canadian Music Policy: Canada announced a $600M yearly investment to stabilize and support music and audio-visual media as the Online Streaming Act debate heats up, responding to CRTC plans that could triple base contributions from big foreign streamers and large Canadian broadcasters. World Cup Soundtrack: FIFA unveiled the full Official FIFA World Cup 2026 album lineup, featuring Canadian-hosting nations in the mix and major artists including Davido, Rema, Burna Boy, Ayra Starr, Shakira, Major Lazer, Nelly Furtado, Future, Tyla, Stormzy, Jessie Reyez, and more. Local World Cup Culture: Edmonton’s ICE District will host free World Cup watch parties for 97 matches, with Team Canada games included, plus food trucks, DJ sets, and family programming. New Canadian Release: Molly Johnson announced her album Talk To Me (June 26, Universal Music Canada), blending jazz/soul/R&B/pop with collaborations from Haviah Mighty, Jim Cuddy, and producer CUBE. Live Music Calendar: Ontario’s 2026 concert slate is already stacking, with ticketing and streaming options highlighted for fans planning ahead.

World Cup Music: FIFA has confirmed Davido as a headline for the June 10 Countdown Concert at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena, with Diplo’s Major Lazer also on the bill, and performances linked live with Toronto and Mexico City. New Canadian Releases: Citizen have shared “Halcyon Blues,” the title track from their upcoming sixth album (Aug. 7), with a Toronto stop at Danforth Music Hall Theatre on Aug. 25. Quebec Music on TikTok: MusiquePlus is relaunching on TikTok starting June 11, bringing back the Francophone music brand with a new VJ/creator roster. Local Festival Buzz: Taste of Little Italy returns to Toronto’s College Street (June 12–14) with free admission, live DJs, and World Cup watch parties. Canadian Live Music: Home County Music & Art Festival in Victoria Park (July 24–25) unveils headliners The Halluci Nation and The Rural Alberta Advantage, plus Valdy. Music Education Wins: MusicFest Canada’s Nationals saw multiple Simcoe County District School Board ensembles bring home medals and awards.

School Music Wins: Simcoe County District School Board students swept MusicFest Canada’s The Nationals, with Bear Creek and Innisdale collecting multiple ensemble medals and choral honours. Tragedy at a Festival: Families in Fergus and Cambridge are asking for help after hit-and-run incidents involving people leaving Meadows Music Festival events, with police seeking witnesses and dashcam/CCTV footage. Canadian Rock Spotlight: Triumph drummer/co-vocalist Gil Moore talks the band’s Rock & Roll Machine Reloaded 50th anniversary reunion tour. New Local Venue: Cambridge’s The Vill and The Village Social open as an intimate music-and-events space in Hespeler Village. Major Canadian Music Moment: The Guess Who’s restored lineup with Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman continues its tour, including a Toronto Scotiabank Arena stop. Techno in B.C.: Anyma’s ÆDEN lands in West Vancouver for the inaugural Soulrise Music Festival, with a full lineup of electronic acts. Global Pop News: Celine Dion adds 10 more Paris dates after overwhelming ticket demand. Community Pride: Pride celebrations kick off across Ontario, with multiple events planned beyond Toronto.

Canadian Tour Buzz: Mastodon are back with “Your Ghost Again” and a fall North American run with Deafheaven and Alcest, including stops in Montreal (Sept. 27) and Toronto (Sept. 28). New Album Rollout: Death Cab for Cutie share “Stone Over Water” ahead of I Built You A Tower (June 5) and continue their North American tour this summer. Canadian Live-Scene Spotlight: CORTIS announce their first North American tour, kicking off Aug. 4 in Toronto, with tickets via COER presale June 9. Festival Watch: DESIFEST returns for its 20th anniversary with a free two-day, all-Canadian lineup at Sankofa Square (June 19–20). Indie/Alt Picks: NPR’s New Music Friday highlights new releases including Boards of Canada’s Inferno and Iceage’s For Love of Grace the Hereafter. Tech + Music: RVezy marks 10 years with a Canada-wide promo ($100 off delivery bookings through June 15).

World Cup Soundtrack Buzz: Fans are already latching onto unofficial team songs and chants ahead of the 2026 tournament, with standout tracks like Jordan’s “Hina Jeena” and Morocco’s “Achkid” pointing to how football culture turns into music culture. Big Pop Crossover: Taylor Swift confirms she wrote an original Toy Story 5 song, “I Knew It, I Knew You,” due June 5. Canadian Live Music Calendar: White Rock’s free Concerts at the Pier returns for its 10th anniversary with Barra MacNeils (June 25), Faber Driver (July 9), Doug and the Slugs (July 23) and Spoons (Aug 27). Canada Day at Canada Place: The Strumbellas headline the July 1 celebration with live music, cultural programming and a citizenship ceremony. K-pop Tour News: Cortis announces its first international tour, including Canadian and U.S. dates after Lollapalooza Chicago. Rock Throwback: Sum 41 announces a 25th anniversary reissue of All Killer No Filler (July 24) with unreleased live tracks. Festival Spotlight: Tall Pines Music & Arts Festival returns July 17-18 with an all-Canadian lineup featuring The Tea Party, Paul Langlois, ODDS, Hawksley Workman and The Wolves.

Canadian Music & Culture: Céline Dion adds 10 more Paris shows to her comeback residency, with a TV drama about her early life (“Growing Up Dion”) also in the works. Chart Watch: Drake keeps stacking global records—his new era pushes him past Taylor Swift for the most Billboard Global 200 top 10s, while “Janice STFU” starts at No. 1. Canadian Spotlight: A Montreal student from the DRC says she was blocked from returning due to Ebola-related travel restrictions, despite submitting paperwork to qualify. Live Music & Tours: A$AP Rocky extends his European run into October, and Gracie Abrams announces a huge 64-date “Look at My Life” tour across North America, Canada, the UK and Europe. Industry/Tech: Canada-based payout platform Trolley expands instant global payments with Thunes, aiming to help creators and businesses pay worldwide faster. Local Scene: Nanaimo council debates options to limit construction noise, especially evenings and weekends. World Cup + Music Events: Vancouver’s FIFA Fan Festival at Hastings Park and Granville Island’s watch party plan bring live music and big-screen viewing to the tournament crowd.

Canadian Screen Awards: “Heated Rivalry” made history at the Canadian Screen Awards, landing a record 16 wins, including audience choice, best drama series, and best lead performer for Hudson Williams. More Canadian TV wins: CBC/Netflix’s “North of North” took best comedy series and best lead performer for Anna Lambe, while “Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie” won best motion picture. Live music & community: Kelowna’s Creative Aging Festival returns June 13–19 with workshops, performances, and a June 17 mural unveiling at the Rotary Centre for the Arts. New Canadian releases: Veteran blues artist Danny Marks drops “Back to the Blues,” a 13-track collection reflecting on decades in the genre. Classical spotlight: Canadian cellist Leland Ko placed third at the Queen Elisabeth Competition, with Kim Tae-yeon winning second prize. Global music buzz: Burna Boy and Shakira are finishing “Dai Dai,” the 2026 FIFA World Cup anthem.

Canadian Rock Spotlight: The Guess Who’s Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings brought their restored band name back to “big city” Toronto for the first time in 23 years, turning Scotiabank Arena into a can-rock celebration of classic hits. Experimental Live Buzz: Montreal duo Angine de Poitrine is going viral in Europe with masked, time-travelling characters and hypnotic microtonal guitar riffs, with booked-out shows and a growing U.S. run. New Canadian Releases: Toronto rock newcomer Feura drops debut single “Lose Your Head,” a self-acceptance anthem funded by Canada Council for the Arts and the Toronto Arts Council. Classical Canada on the World Stage: Canadian-American cellist Leland Ko took third at the Queen Elisabeth Competition, while Italian Ettore Pagano won the cello edition. Music + Community: Châteauguay, Que., unveiled a new permanent outdoor stage for concerts and festivals this summer. Chart Watch: Drake extended his lead with another Billboard Canadian Hot 100/Hot 100 record run, as producer Boi-1da calls it “inevitable” comeback momentum. What to Do in June (Toronto): A roundup of Pride events, festivals, and free shows kicks off the summer season.

World Cup Music: Tyla and Future drop “Game Time,” an official FIFA World Cup 2026 track, with Tyla set for opening-ceremony performances tied to South Africa’s match schedule. Canadian Live Scene: The Black Keys hit Vancouver’s Rogers Arena on May 31, with Jeremie Albino as support—here’s what to know before you go. Canadian Jazz Spotlight: Medicine Hat JazzFest marks its 30th anniversary with a lineup mixing local favourites and international guests, including MA:Q, Don DiLauro Sextet, and the Francois Bourassa Quartet. Local Community & Culture: A Korean culture festival lands in Langley June 6–7 with free food, performances, and live music. Music Industry Talk: Devin Townsend weighs in on AI in music, arguing it’s too early to judge but that it mirrors what makes human art valuable. Music & Safety/Access: Vancouver’s B.C. Place area braces for FIFA World Cup closures, including a new fence around a school courtyard. Controversy Watch: French pop star Patrick Bruel cancels multiple concerts amid rape allegations.

Boards of Canada vs. the White House: The reclusive Scottish duo says the White House used their “Deep Time” track from Inferno in a propaganda-style Instagram video without permission, with Warp Records also condemning the unauthorized political use. World Cup soundtrack drop: FIFA released “Game Time” by Future and Tyla, a horn-tinged, bass-heavy anthem for the 2026 tournament, with a new video tied to opening-ceremony hype. Canadian Screen Awards spotlight: “Canada’s Drag Race” dominated with seven Canadian Screen Awards, while “The Traitors Canada” took best reality/competition and “Bam Bam: The Sister Nancy Story” won five, including original music. Alberta coal fight: Country star Corb Lund’s petition to block new Rocky Mountains coal mining heads toward a June 10 signature deadline as he pushes for a referendum. B.C. World Cup costs: B.C. says Vancouver’s World Cup price tag could reach $729M, with updated safety and security estimates driving the spike. Live music, weather and Canada: Luke Combs’ Montreal outdoor show faced a modified schedule after storms. Local music events: The Color, a two-time JUNO band, plays a free Weyburn concert June 7 at Life Centre Church.

World Cup Kickoff Concert (Toronto): Bryan Adams headlines FIFA’s “countdown concert” in Toronto with Wyclef Jean and Nora Fatehi, plus AHI, Sanjoy and Vegedream; it lands June 10 at Fort York and The Bentway, with tickets from $36 and Canadian artists also set for the free FIFA Fan Festival. Canadian Reads Spotlight: Loghan Paylor, fresh off winning Canada Reads 2026, is shortlisted for the $20K Rakuten Kobo Emerging Writer Prize for The Cure for Drowning. New Music Roundup: This week’s releases include Aespa’s LEMONADE, Kim Petras’ Detour, and Boards of Canada returning with Inferno after 13 years. Boards of Canada vs. White House: The duo and Warp Records condemn unauthorized use of their track “Deep Time” in a Trump White House social video. FIFA Ticket Pricing Scrutiny: U.S. AGs plan subpoenas into FIFA’s ticketing practices over dynamic pricing and potential seat-location confusion. Pride & Live Culture (Toronto): Pride Toronto ramps up for June with major events like the Fierce and Fabulous Expo and city flag-raisings.

Freedom 250 Fallout: A Donald Trump–affiliated “Freedom 250” concert lineup in Washington, D.C. sparked chaos as multiple artists publicly dropped out after questioning the event’s ties to Trump. Country Spotlight: Canadian country star Terri Clark is set for a Sept. 3 Hard Rock show in Tulsa, bringing her Opry-level career to the stage. Local Live Music: Sooke Region Museum hosts a June 10 evening with Montréal-born folk/indie/Americana singer John Aaron Cockburn and Vancouver Island’s Kat Kadoski Tree-o. Community & Mental Health: Waterloo’s Stronger Together Mental Health Dinner raised $80K+ for child and youth psychiatry support, adding to nearly $195K total. Festival Watch: Northern Lights Festival Boréal says ticket sales are lagging and the future is “at risk,” even as this year’s edition is still going ahead. Riot Grrrl in Timmins: Saving Bambi launches as a new Timmins pop-punk/riot grrrl band, debuting May 31 at Victory Tavern. Touring News: The Moffatt triplets’ Philippines run expands as Dave Moffatt joins Bob and Clint’s June dates.

Canadian Music & Culture Calendar: Regina’s weekend picks spotlight Caity Gyorgy with the Regina Jazz Orchestra at Darke Hall, plus a Regina Musical Club organ concert featuring Valerie Hall and Dean McNeill. Shakespeare on Stage: Christopher Gaze looks back on founding Bard on the Beach in his memoir, The Road to Bard. Festival & Community Music: Victoria’s Awakening Chinatown returns Sunday (May 31) with live performances and cultural programming. Family Music Spotlight: Kingston’s Festival Place hosts the MacMaster Leahy Family Band on June 8, bringing a multi-generational fiddle sound with new onstage roles for the kids. Global Music Watch: Gracie Abrams announces a major Look At My Life tour with Toronto dates, while Shania Twain teases an intimate London pub show tied to her Little Miss Twain era.

Country Spotlight: Canadian country star Terri Clark is set for a Sept. 3 show at Hard Rock Live in Tulsa, with tickets starting May 29. Wellbeing & Big Builds: Therme UK is pushing its “90:90” plan, aiming to place 90% of the UK within a 90-minute drive of a Therme site, with Manchester’s massive project slated to open late 2028 and new Canadian plans also in the pipeline. Streaming Buzz (Canada): Prime Video’s hockey romance “Off Campus” is filmed around Vancouver, and the series is driving fresh attention for Canadian band The Beaches—especially their “Edge of the Earth” moment. Local Scene Support (Alberta): Alberta’s Music Action Plan is framed as a roadmap to modernize and coordinate existing programs, with the NDP questioning whether the money is reaching artists. Canadian Content Policy: Canada’s regulator moves to require major streamers to allocate 15% of revenue to Canadian content, drawing pushback from the Motion Picture Association. World Cup Culture: Shakira’s “Dai Dai” anthem is getting a major finale boost with Uganda’s Ghetto Kids set to perform at the July 19 final.

Used Book Fundraiser: Birchway Niagara’s massive used book sale returns June 2–7 at the Gale Centre in Niagara Falls, with most titles priced at $3 and proceeds supporting services for people impacted by abuse. Community Music Loss: Montreal’s Lyric Theatre Singers say their Broadway with Love production will be bittersweet after founder and musical director Bob Bachelor died last month at 74. Organ Restoration in B.C.: Christ Church Cathedral in Victoria is raising $150,000 to restore its “voice” after years of use for Canada’s largest mechanical-action organ west of the Rockies. Local Event Spotlight: ONE CARE’s Neon Nights fundraiser dance hits Stratford on May 30 with DJ Cultranaut, neon décor, and proceeds for seniors and community programs. Roots Concert: Crystal Lake Recreation Committee announces July 3 show at Johnny’s Beach with Canadian country/bluegrass singer-songwriter Jake Vaadeland and the Sturgeon River Boys. Tour News: Asake adds Toronto (Aug. 22) and Laval (Aug. 23) dates to his “In God We Trust” world tour.

Canada Day Spotlight: Josh Ross is set to headline Surrey’s Canada Day 2026 at the Cloverdale Fairgrounds, with an all-Canadian lineup and free, family-friendly programming backed by provincial and federal support. Local Live Music: Coulson Concerts keeps the momentum going with West Coast singer-songwriter Eileen McGann at the Historic Coulson Church on May 31. World Cup Fan Culture: North Vancouver is gearing up for Canada Soccer House at the Shipyards, including a massive 29-foot screen for every match and a tiered plan for crowds, fencing, and entry checks from June 11 to July 19. Music in the Courts (and beyond): Canada’s securities regulators have proposed updates to issuer bid, take-over bid, and beneficial ownership reporting rules, with comments due Aug. 12. Chart Watch: Drake has broken Michael Jackson’s Billboard Hot 100 solo-male record with his latest No. 1.