When audiences settle into their seats for the 46th Atlantic International Film Festival, they will see the finished product: actors on screen, carefully composed images, music and stories unfolding before them. But behind every film is a network of people doing very different jobs to bring those stories to life. This year’s festival, running Sept […]
Arts + Music
Live theatre, art exhibits, comedy, literary, spoken word – The Coast guide to Halifax and Dartmouth, NS . The downtown, local arts scene – plays, writers, actors, artists and performers. Painting, sculpture, photography, stand-up, stage.
Rumours is at risk of disappearing—for a second time
Rumours Lounge & Cabaret, a queer-friendly and queer-owned bar on Lower Water Street, is at risk of going under according to its ownership. In a letter posted to social media on Aug 31, owners Gerald McCowan and José Chiu told their patrons that they need help to ensure Rumours has a future. “We’re not announcing […]
Every performance at the 2026 Halifax Fringe Festival
The Halifax Fringe Festival is an essential event for the city’s arts scene. Not only is the Fringe an opportunity for rarely-shown and independent works to take the stage. It’s also a chance for the Halifax theatre community to show what they’ve got to a national and international audience. It could also be your chance […]
“My mind and my art”: This Palestinian-Canadian artist is creating space for marginalized voices
Dana Elborno believes the most interesting thing about a person is not what can be seen on the surface. It’s what’s underneath. “The least interesting thing about me is my body,” Elborno says, “and the most interesting thing about me is my mind and my art.” That idea sits at the centre of Elborno’s emerging […]
Every artist playing Nova Scotia Music Week 2026
The biggest week in Nova Scotia’s music scene is fast approaching. From Nov 12-15, artists from across the province will gather in Truro for Nova Scotia Music Week 2026. Whether it’s to perform, connect with fellow musicians or to potentially become a Music Nova Scotia award winner, singers and songwriters of all kinds will be […]
Building Magnetic World: Benjamin Edwards and the business of bringing a festival to Halifax
For Benjamin Edwards, a career in music festivals began with a camera, a willingness to work and a desire to build something of his own. The 25-year-old grew up in Bedford and Hammond Plains in a working-class family, playing hockey and developing an early interest in film, television, cameras and design. “My two main interests […]
Break-ups don’t have to be sad, says Burry in new single
Break-ups don’t have to be complicated. Sometimes, you can still have fun, even if you know what’s coming next. That’s the basis of the new track from local indie-pop artist Burry, “No Hard Feelings”. Released on Friday, Aug. 21 alongside a music video, this is the second single from their next EP, coming later this […]
Ryan Vincent taking viewers to his hometown in latest music video
For rapper and vocalist Ryan Vincent, returning to Antigonish to film his latest music video was a chance to revisit more than just his hometown. It was an opportunity to return to the places, people and memories that have shaped him, and turn those memories into a music video. Vincent has spent more than a […]
Former Ubisoft Halifax developer reveals first video game from new indie studio
After seven years with Ubisoft, George Greer was shocked to learn of the layoffs that left him and 70 others out of a job when the multinational video game corporation shut down its Halifax branch in January 2026. Not even a full year later, and Greer has launched his new independent studio, besszong, and is […]
Local businesses step up for Halifax Fashion Week where arts funding fails
As Nova Scotia’s arts and culture sector continues to face the brunt of the cuts to public funding, two Halifax businesses are putting money behind a local fashion event they say brings creativity, diversity and economic activity to the downtown core. The Downtown Halifax Business Commission and Patterson Law are supporting Halifax Fashion Week, which […]
Grou Tyme Festival celebrating Acadian heritage in downtown Halifax this week
If the Grou Tyme Festival is proof of anything, it’s that Acadian culture continues to thrive within Halifax and beyond. From musical guests to specially-catered foods, Aug. 13-15 will truly be a celebration of Acadian culture, all within downtown Halifax. Put on by a partnership between the Counseil communautaire du Grand-Havre (CCGH) and the Halifax […]
Creativity carries culture forward for immigrant artists
For Amir Rajaei and Samira Danesh, art has always been more than a career. It is something that has shaped their relationship, their family and, now, their life in Canada. The Iranian-born couple are both artists and designers with their own creative practices and businesses. Yet, their work often intersects, with each challenging, supporting and […]

