Nashville Plans to take over the City a week before the Lakeshore Festival.

By Gazette Staff

February 11th, 2026

BURLINGTON, ON

A new music experience is coming to communities across Canada. Today, The Nashville Takeover announced the 13 cities and towns selected to host its series of weekend-long, multi-venue cultural events, bringing Nashville’s storied songwriting culture to local stages in New Brunswick, Ontario, and British Columbia.

It will hit Burlington the week before the newly minted Lakeshore Music Festival (LMF) hits town next June

The Nashville Takeover’s first weekend marks the start of this year’s spring-to-fall run of up-close performances, secret artist lineups, and behind-the-music moments. Tickets are on sale now at thenashvilletakeover.ca, with full weekend passes starting at $99.

From Friday to Sunday, breweries, patios, cafés, restaurants, and secret spaces in each city will transform into immersive listening rooms, intimate showcases, and late-night after-parties featuring a mix of established performers, breakout artists, and top songwriters from Canada and Nashville. For one weekend in each town, music won’t live on a single stage; it will move through each town, creating shared moments in every venue. All performances are surprise-only, with no lineup reveals or headliners, offering the closest thing to experiencing the essence of Nashville’s creative ecosystem without booking a flight.

“Live music is usually found at stadium shows and big festivals, often with long lines and steep ticket costs. We started The Nashville Takeover to give smaller communities something different: in-the-room moments with artists and songwriters from Canada and beyond,” said Scotty James, Founder, The Nashville Takeover. “What began in two towns last summer has grown into 13 this year. We’re excited to bring Canadian music fans a true backstage concert experience unlike anything else happening in the national music scene right now.”

The Nashville Takeover 2026 Dates & Locations

• Stratford, ON – April 10 to 12
• Essex-Windsor, ON – June 5 to 7
• Burlington, ON – June 12 to 14
• Port Stanley, ON – June 19 to 21
• Orangeville, ON – July 10 to 12
• Prince Edward County, ON (Picton) – July 17 to 19
• Kawartha Lakes, ON (Bobcaygeon; Fenelon Falls; Lindsay) – July 24 to 26
• The Kootenays, BC (Nelson; Trail; Castlegar) – August 21 to 23
• Orillia, ON – August 28 to 30
• To be announced – September 11 to 13
• Moncton, NB – September 18 to 20
• Chatham-Kent, ON – September 25 to 27
• Collingwood, ON – October 2 to 4

The full event schedule and venue details will be shared with ticket holders ahead of each event. To purchase tickets and learn more about The Nashville Takeover, visit thenashvilletakeover.ca and follow @thenashvilletakeover on Instagram.

About The Nashville Takeover

The Nashville Takeover is a multi-venue cultural experience that brings Nashville’s storied songwriting culture to select communities across Canada. Designed for music lovers who appreciate storytelling, originality, and discovery, each event transforms local gathering places into listening rooms, showcases, bar hops, and late-night hangs. Featuring a curated mix of established performers, breakout artists, and top songwriters from Canada and Nashville, the experience offers fans in-the-room moments with the artists behind the music. The Nashville Takeover is presented by Backyard Music Co.