NewsletterMarch 19, 2026

🏆 NS Oscar Wins, Music Fest + this weeks events

Hey Halifax!

A couple Nova Scotian’s won an Oscar for Best Production Design on Sunday, amidst the NS governments decision to cut funding to the arts, Halifax Music Fest just announced an insane Day 1 lineup, and U Sports hockey kicks off today. Plus, a killer debut single from Halifax folk rock band esdaile and a ton of great events.

PS: If you haven’t used out tool to email your MLA about the NS government’s proposed arts & culture budget cuts, please take 20 seconds and click the button below to join 2,700+ others who have. 👇

Quick Hits

🎸 Halifax Music Fest just announced a killer lineup for Day 1 of this summer’s festival. The Chicks, Shaboozey, Blue Rodeo and The Barr Brothers are will take the stage at Garrison Grounds June 26, with more artists to be announced, including Day 2 headliners. Tickets start at $155.

🏆 NS Oscar Win: Production designer Tamara Deverell and set decorator Shane Vieau took home Best Production Design for Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein. It's Vieau's second Oscar — he won in 2017 for The Shape of Water. In their press room interview, Deverell drew attention to the NS government’s recent arts & culture cuts. CBC | Global | YouTube

🏒 U SPORTS Men's Hockey Championship takes over Scotiabank Centre this weekend (Thu-Sun). The best university hockey teams in the country, battling for a national title.

🫎 Mooseheads Playoff Watch — The Herd is on a season-best four-game winning streak and finishes the regular season this weekend in Newfoundland (Fri & Sat). Playoffs begin next week with a round 1 matchup vs #1 Drummondville. Games 2-4 are at home on March 31 and April 1.

🥍 The Thunderbirds are clinging to playoff life at 5-8 — they need to run the table starting with tomorrow's must-win in Georgia. Next home game is April 4 vs. Rochester.

🎨 "Nostalgically Yours" is a new group show at Argyle Fine Art (Barrington St) featuring ~20 artists painting VW Beetles, Walkmans, record players, and other retro treasures. Free admission, runs through the end of March. Opening night had a disco ball and candy from Freak Lunchbox. CTV | Argyle Fine Art

🍿 A made-in-Dartmouth film is in theatres right now. Monica's News, the debut feature from filmmaker Pamela Gallant set in 1974 rural Nova Scotia, just wrapped up screening at Park Lane Cineplex but is playing in theatres across Canada. Gallant has been making films in the Maritimes for four decades and this is her first feature. "We're already swamped in American culture," she told the Examiner. "I think it's a miracle we're even in theatres now." Halifax Examiner

Halifax’s newcomers esdaile describe their sound as "folk grit with the smoky sway of roots R&B, all carried by an undercurrent of rock." Nova Scotia Sky is their second single ever and needs to be added to your easy listening playlists immediately. These guys are going to be a serious force on the East Coast music scene.