Hey Hali!

This week we’re tipping our hat (but not our server) to The Bonfire, checking out two powerful performances presented by Mayworks Festical, and getting ready to roam the city for one of our favourite annual events. Plus: two local restaurants make Canada’s Top 100 and a pile of new music from Halifax artists that you need on your playlists this weekend.

Let’s get into it.

🔥 The Bonfire is Halifax’s First Tip-Free Restaurant — and It’s a Hit

There’s a new restaurant on Robie and it might just be the most thoughtful one in the city.

The Bonfire, opened by Kristyn Green and Vince Morley, is Halifax’s only tip-free restaurant. Everyone on staff makes $20/hour, with 50% of profits split among the team. No tips, no awkwardness, just a new way to do hospitality.

We stopped in this week and tried the BBQ chicken sandwich, grilled veggie sandwich, brussels sprouts, and corn ribs — all fresh, flavourful, and satisfying. It’s the kind of meal that leaves you energized, not sluggish

The vibe inside is warm and welcoming, and starting this week, they’re fully licensed with all-local beers and ciders, served frosty or ready to grab for a picnic.

📍 2394 Robie Street. Drop in, eat well, and don’t bother tipping.

🎭 May 9 & 10: Mayworks Double Bill at Bus Stop Theatre

This week at the Bus Stop Theatre, Mayworks presents a double-bill of bold, intimate performances for just $20 total. Flower Bed (7:30) is a puppet-powered, painfully funny look at chronic illness by Noella Murphy — part clown, part visual artist, part medical mystery. Right after, catch Archive of Loneliness (8:30), a haunting dance-theatre piece from Sara Coffin that explores isolation in long-term care, scored by Jackson Fairfax-Perry.

📍 May 9 & 10 | Bus Stop Theatre | $15 for one, $20 for both

🏙️ Open City is Back This Weekend

Open City is back this weekend with your annual excuse to explore the best of Halifax and support local while you’re at it.

Over 100 small businesses are throwing open their doors with pop-up deals, secret menu items, $5 specials, and other fun surprises. It’s like a city-wide treasure hunt for food, drinks, shops, and vibes.

📍 Full map & details: opencityhfx.com

🏆 Bar Kismet & Mystic Crack Canada’s Top 100

Two of our own just made Canada’s 100 Best, again.

Bar Kismet (#21) continues to hold it down as the gold standard in Halifax dining, with effortlessly elegant seafood and natural wine in a space that feels like a secret. Meanwhile, Mystic (#71) is the new kid making serious waves, also landing #6 on the Best New Restaurants list.

If you haven’t been to either, what exactly are you saving your money for?

Bar Kismet | Mystic

🎵 10 Recent Local Music Releases You Need On Your Playlists

There has been so much incredible new music from local artists lately that we feel like we’ve been slacking a bit on sharing it all with you. You’re going to want to check out every single one of these releases.

Quake Matthews - HWIH
Halifax’s most consistent emcee just dropped this banger sampling Eric Clapton’s Layla.

Baby Nova - Great White Sharks
Nova Scotia’s answer to Lana Del Rey. This girl is on her way to being a huge star with 2m+ Spotify streams in the last couple of months alone.

Braden Lam - The Cloudmaker’s Cry
Another star in the making. This is one of Halifax's best indie folk albums in a very long time.

Jon Bryant - Therapy Notes
Vancouver-based Bryant announced he plans to move back to Halifax at his recent hometown show. We can’t wait to see more of his incredibly catchy folk-pop live.

Kayo & Zamani - Hol’ A Medz
Incredible vocals from Zamani and a fresh dose of Kayo charisma.

Matt Andersen - The Hammer & The Rose
With a glowing review from Rolling Stone magazine last week, Andersen is turning heads in the USA with his latest.

Jennifer King - Souvenance
A collection of nocturnes, romances, and meditations grounded in the romantic era and branching into the 20th century from and award winning Halifax pianist.

Tommy Green Jr - Walkin’ On Fire
Some of the best work we’ve heard yet from Green, featuring vocals from Roxy Mercier and unreal keys from Leith Fleming-Smith.

Lindsay Misiner - SOLO
An incredible follow-up to her March single ‘1 FOOT IN 1 FOOT OUT’, which caught fire on streaming services. This one is even better.

Basyl - Love Bombers
The Palestinian Halifax rapper is one of Atlantic Canada’s most interesting new voices and one of the hardest-working.

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⭐️ Song of the Week

With two decades of consistently world-class output under his belt, Quake Matthews is truly Halifax hip-hop royalty.

He recently took 1st place in a competition that’s landed him an upcoming collaboration with hip-hop legends Ice Cube and Scarface. 🤯 

He’s been releasing non-stop singles in 2025, and HWIH is a certified banger. Quake samples Neil Young’s Layla and flows effortlessly over the self-produced beat.

Thursday, 5/8

Bachman-Turner Overdrive: Back in Overdrive 2025 @ Scotiabank Centre - 6:45pm

The Young & The Reckless @ Seahorse Tavern - 7pm
HALIFAX COMEDY FEST

Rachael Kilgour + Terra Spencer @ The Carleton - 7:30pm

All Star Night of Comedy - Ha!ifax Comedy Fest @ Light House Arts Centre - 7:30pm

Friday, 5/9

KARV Dance Challenge @ Light House Arts Centre - All Day - 9am-9pm

BUSH - LOADED: THE GREATEST HITS TOUR @ Scotiabank Centre - 7pm

The East Pointers @ Rebecca Cohn Auditorium - 7:30pm
With Symphony Nova Scotia

Wintersleep @ Marquee Ballroom - 9pm

Saturday, 5/10

Fabulous Florals @ Teichert Gallery - 10am

Mother's Day Market & Brunch @ Prospect Road Community Centre - 11am

Singles Mini Dates (ages 50-65) @ Freeman's Little New York - 1pm
by Halifax Matchmaker

HFX Wanderers vs. Cavalry @ Wanderers Grounds - 6:30pm
Also broadcast on TSN!

Violinist Irain Quirós @ The Stage at St. Andrews - 7:30pm

The East Pointers @ Rebecca Cohn Auditorium - 7:30pm
With Symphony Nova Scotia

Together We Brew Craft Beer Festival @ The Westin Nova Scotian - 7pm

The Hopping Penguins @ The Carleton - 8:00pm

DANCING QUEEN – ABBA Tribute @ Mill Cove Brew Pub - 8pm

Wintersleep @ Marquee Ballroom - 9pm

LIGHTHOUSE W/ BISHU 360 SHOW AT THE SEARHOSE TAVERN @ Marquee Ballroom - 10pm

Sunday, 5/11

Broadway Brunch – Mother’s Day Edition @ The Carleton - 1pm

Monday, 5/12

Steel Panther & Buckcherry - The Northern Exposure Tour @ Light House Arts Centre - 7pm

Wednesday, 5/14

Paul Lamb @ The Carleton - 4pm
One of the city’s most popular songwriters – Paul Lamb – returns to The Carleton after six long years to play a solo show on Wednesday, May 14th. Show...

Paint Your Own Glassware @ Walter's Snack Bar - 6:30pm

Marley Hale with The Dusty Halos @ The Sanctuary Arts Centre - 7pm

That’s it for this week!

Got an event we should know about? Hit reply and let us know!

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