Spring has sprung, the days are getting long and as the calendar finally flips from March to April, there’s a brand-new lineup of shows coming to Halifax. As always, The Coast has you covered at what’s happening in town:
Crypthand
Crypthand is a new Canadian play that imagines the early life of Anne Lister, a 19th-century diarist, businesswoman and queer icon in Halifax (UK). This theatrical comedy tells the story of Anne’s first relationship with her school roommate Eliza Raine and the lengths they go to keep their love secret. In their attic bedroom, they invent a unique code that allows them to express their affections without being found out, but what happens when the code is discovered?
April 2-6, Neptune Theatre’s Scotiabank Stage, tickets $28 and up, More info
Ben Bankas
Canada’s most publicly controversial comedian is coming to Halifax after his last show was cancelled in Dartmouth. From Toronto and now living in Austin, TX, he has a surprisingly diverse cult-like following of comedy fans that love to laugh. Ben is the hottest commodity coming out of Canada right now with over 208,000 followers and growing rapidly on Instagram; he mocks politics, current events, pop culture, and himself.
April 10, Light House Arts Centre, tickets $30 and up, More info
Nelly w/ Ja Rule and Jermaine Dupri
Nelly and Ja Rule are collaborating for the “Where The Party At Tour” in 2025, a world tour celebrating Nelly’s 25th anniversary of his debut album Country Grammar. Ja Rule will be joining Nelly on the tour, along with other special guests like Eve, St. Lunatics, Fabolous, Chingy, and in Halifax, Jermaine Dupri.
April 11, Scotiabank Centre, tickets $63.75 and up, More info
Ava Val
Ava Val is a John Candy Award-winning comedian/musician/actress from Toronto. Her honest and insightful-yet-silly & spontaneous account of her transgender journey has turned heads across North America, earning her repeat appearances at renowned festivals including Just For Laughs, JFL Toronto and Vancouver, Off-JFL/Zoofest, the Winnipeg and Halifax Comedy Festivals, and The Arctic Comedy Festival, among others.
April 11, Halifax Live Comedy Club, tickets $32 , More info
Stars
The Canadian indie pop/rock band based in Montreal, Quebec has been rocking stages since 2000. Now they are bringing their Set yourself on Fire anniversary tour to Halifax.
April 11-12, Light House Arts Centre, tickets $60.68, More info
Rose Cousins
Rose’s new album, Conditions of Love—Vol 1, dropped March 14. Come celebrate her new music, which seeks truth, in all its imperfection, in the depths of humans’ most complicated emotion: love.
April 17, Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, tickets $47.75 in advance, More info
Casey & Diana
In 1991, at the height of the AIDS crisis, the residents of Casey House – Toronto’s first free-standing AIDS Hospice – receive word that the Princess of Wales is coming to visit. This potent and moving drama by Nick Green, vividly captures a moment in time when a rebel Princess, alongside fearless caregivers and advocates, reshaped the course of a pandemic—and how those stricken by the virus found hard-won dignity, community and love in the face of astonishing hardship.
April 22-May 16, Neptune Theatre’s Scotiabank Stage, tickets $33 and up, More info
Jon Bryant
Vancouver-based alternative singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Jon Bryant mines through his mind, alchemizing feelings into open-hearted lyrics and organic instrumentation. As he experiments with tones, textures, and words, you can hear him figuring out life in real-time. His fifth album, Therapy Notes [Nettwerk], channels the catharsis and clarity of a therapy session.
April 29, Bella Rose Arts Centre, tickets $26.80 and up
This article appears in Mar 1-31, 2025.