Supercrawl organizers today unveiled the epic programming lineup for the free festival component of Supercrawl 2026. The award-winning multi-arts event, presented by TD Bank Group, will take place September 11-13, 2026 along James Street North in downtown Hamilton, Ontario.

The event also saw an historic hand-off, as the festival’s reins passed from founding programmer Tim Potocic to Supercrawl’s new Festival Director, Lisa La Rocca.

“Supercrawl has reinvented itself constantly over the years, and that has helped keep things vital and vibrant, for us as well as artists and audiences. This is just another face of that creative evolution,” said Potocic, who will transition to an ex-officio role on the festival’s board of directors. “I’m pleased to be succeeded by one of our strong and capable staffers, and I’m excited to see where Lisa takes Supercrawl in the years to come.”

La Rocca previewed the coming festival season for those in attendance at a launch event at the James Street offices of event producers Sonic Unyon. This year’s edition of Supercrawl features the most ambitious and expansive roster of artistic talent the festival has ever showcased, including local, regional, national and international talents in a range of artistic disciplines, on multiple stages along a kilometre of James North.

“Surprise and discovery have always been essential to Supercrawl,” La Rocca said. “We’re constantly looking to spotlight fresh perspectives and emerging artists, and this year we’re thrilled to be able to unveil so much of our festival at once because it makes that ideal concrete. Supercrawl is proud to honour, showcase and celebrate all varieties of creative work. That mission was important when we started out, and it’s even more critical in a time when artists face extraordinary challenges. We invite culture lovers from around our city and folks from across Canada join us as we celebrate the arts this September.”

Headliners at Supercrawl 2026 will be Aysanabee, Mariel Buckley, The Grapes of Wrath, Murda Beatz, William Prince, and Protest the Hero. Musical artists announced today include (in alphabetical order) The Anti-Queens, Em Armstrong, Aysanabee, 646yf4t, Blk Orchid, Siobhan Bodrug, Born in the Eighties, Mariel Buckley, Bye Parula, Capitol, Charissa, Chore, Carrie Clark, Bernadette Connors, Marshall Dane, Dumb Crush, Melissa Dutch, 8Banger, DJ’s Flying Circus, Ebril, Elfrida, The Fabulous Wonderfuls, Feura, Ariana Fig, Ian Flare, Floating Mansions, Gizmo, Golden Feather, The Grapes of Wrath, Gravely, The Greenhouse Collective, Nix Ironstone, Jammer’s Waffle House, June Body, Junestone, Bells Larsen, Lucky Honey, Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar, Mauvey, John Muirhead, Murda Beatz, National Academy Orchestra of Canada, Harley Olivia, Preston Pablo, Joshua Pascua, The Penske File, Population II, William Prince, Protest the Hero, Reuben & The Dark x The Bullhorn Singers, Chelsea Reynolds, The Sarandons, Spitty, Status/Non-Status, Steve Strongman, Superstar Crush, Jasmine T, Julian Taylor, Téa Valentina, Sarah Vanderzon, Emma Whale, and YASSiN & Sean Terrio.

And Supercrawl’s music stages are only the beginning. The festival will also feature art installations from Art Gallery of Hamilton: Beyond the Frame, Arts for All: Artasia, Aiden Basso, Centre [4] Arts: The Sari Sari Exchange, Bailey Christiansen, Cesar Correa Cordoba, Caleb Culmone, Dear Bear Multi-Arts, Anthony Haley, Inspired But Hella Tired, Caillin Kowalczyk, Cornelia Peckart, Taylor Rasmussen, and Tom Wilson Tehohàhake.

The runway tent in the festival’s popular Fashion Zone will host head-turning showcases from Amici Brand, Beaten Path Vintage, The Better Days Club, Club Closet, Cosmic Couture, Created by Chimaera, Dopechief, EXCLSV, The Eye of Faith, Garba Groovers, HeyHey & Co., I Love Kandy, Inspired But Hella Tired, Lady Grey Burlesque, Mooncraft Market, The Muses, Ori-Krea, Elise Peckart, Piece of Work/Rewind, Pretty Little Strings, Sapphyre Poison Drag Xtravaganza, Steel City Slither, Sunstone Jewels, Supercrawl Cosplay Showcase, True Hamiltonian, and Vilegloom Vintage.

There’ll also be a wide variety of dance — from Bolo Tie Line, Dance at Your Doorstep, Ensemble Topaz, Garba Groovers, Hercinia Arts Collective, Omega Dance, Steel City Slither, and Steel City Swing Dance — as well as theatre and performance artists Big Nazo, Creative Barracks Arts Studio, Hamilton Aerial Group, and Kate Mior’s Madame Guillotine. Comedy showcase Roast Therapy will feature sets from Andrea Araya, Daniel Araya, Cody Chenier, Brendan Greenwood, and more.

Supercrawl’s Family Zone will host child- and family-friendly activities from Bruce Trail Conservancy, Cycle Hamilton, Hamilton Anti-Racism Resource Centre, Hamilton Comic Con, Hamilton Farm Crawl, Hamilton Farmers’ Market, Hamilton Fire Department, Hamilton Public Library, McMaster Engineering Community Outreach, Navy League of Canada, Play Project Parkour, Six Nations Tourism, Telling Tales Festival, and Toronto Rock Lacrosse, as well as a Chess Simultaneous Exhibition, and Chinese Cultural Association Mahjong.

And, of course, there’s more. Further programming announcements, including Author Talks and Spoken Word, Food Trucks and Craft Vendors, will be released later this summer, along with festival schedule and map. Visit supercrawl.ca or follow festival social media accounts (@supercrawl) for more information.

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Supercrawl is Hamilton’s premier multi-arts festival, fusing new and independent music with art installations, fashion, performance, literature, theatre, and artisanal craft. Supercrawl’s diverse multidisciplinary program of sound, performance, visual and media arts is staged along a pedestrian-only creative corridor in the heart of downtown.

A not-for-profit arts organization, Supercrawl is committed to honouring, showcasing and celebrating all varieties of creative work, positioning local and emerging artists alongside significant provincial, national and international peers. The festival fosters and promotes arts and culture as well as the myriad benefits they provide.

Founded in 2009, Supercrawl has successfully evolved from a modest arts-based single-day occurrence to a multi-day event with national/international profile and attendance. The festival has gone from a one-day celebration on a single block to a weekend-long experience encompassing over two kilometres of downtown streets, with attendance growing steadily from 3,000 to over 275,000 in that time. In addition to its namesake free festival weekend, Supercrawl Productions also produces ticketed concerts and events throughout the year.

Supercrawl was shortlisted for a 2019 Ontario Tourism Award of Excellence for Tourism Event of the Year and 2017 Canadian Tourism Award for Event of the Year. The festival received the 2015 Ontario Tourism Award of Excellence for Tourism Event of the Year and has been repeatedly recognized as one of Festival and Events Ontario’s Top 100 Festivals/Events (2015-2020, 2023-2025). I