Bridge XIII Music Festival

Bridge XIII Music Festival Bridge XIII Music Festival is a free, all-ages celebration of original music, art, and community in downtown Welland on and around Bridge 13. August 15, 2026.

Volunteer-built with local culture at its heart.

🏛️ CITY OF WELLAND — SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT 🏛️One of the earliest seeds for Bridge XIII Music Festival was planted when Ryan ...
08/24/2026

🏛️ CITY OF WELLAND — SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT 🏛️

One of the earliest seeds for Bridge XIII Music Festival was planted when Ryan Guay, one of a few festival directors, appeared on Mayor Frank Campion’s television show. They spoke about Street Pharmacy’s 2008 music video shoot on Bridge 13 and imagined bringing live music back to that historic landmark on a much larger scale.

Almost two years later, that conversation became a legitimate stage. The bridge became the centre of our festival as thousands of people filled downtown Welland to celebrate our city’s original music, culture and creativity.

Bridge XIII would not have been possible without the extraordinary financial support and partnership of the City of Welland. Mayor Campion, Welland City Council, the Welland Arts and Culture Committee and countless City staff believed in an ambitious first-year festival. Together, they helped us turn an unconventional idea into something real, safe and potentially… recurring!

We would especially like to recognize Mayor Frank Campion, Jennefer Driver, Erin Carl and Amanda Degazio for their guidance and encouragement. From the earliest planning stages through festival day, the City’s team worked alongside us to bring Bridge XIII to fruition.

Mayor Campion shared these words with us:

“On behalf of Welland City Council and the citizens of Welland, I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to the organizers, volunteers, performers, sponsors, and supporters of the Bridge XIII Music Festival on the success of this year’s event.

Thank you for your commitment to making Welland a destination for arts, culture, and entertainment. I wish you continued success and look forward to seeing Bridge XIII Music Festival grow and flourish for many years to come.

Congratulations on a remarkable achievement.”

Thank you to Mayor Campion, Welland City Council, City staff and the citizens of Welland for believing something this bold could happen here.

Built for Welland, by Welland, on a bridge that belongs to the story of Welland.

The first Bridge XIII Music Festival is now part of that story too. 🌹🌉🎶

——-
City of Welland Civic Centre
City of Welland

🎸 A LOVE LETTER TO THE WELLAND AND GREATER NIAGARA BAND SCENE🌹Without your songs, high energy performances and willingne...
08/21/2026

🎸 A LOVE LETTER TO THE WELLAND AND GREATER NIAGARA BAND SCENE🌹

Without your songs, high energy performances and willingness to take a chance on something new and unorthodox, Bridge XIII Music Festival would not exist.

From 20-year anniversaries, new album and single releases and 10-year reunions, to bands straight out of high school, to the Rose City Hardcore revival movement and all the folk, hip hop, reggae, punk and metalcore in between, this festival showcased the incredible history, creativity and future of original music in Welland and the surrounding area.

Thank you for believing in a first-year festival, taking a chance on a free-admission event and bringing everything you had to the Bridgewater Brewery Stage, Superior Drywall Stage and Bank Art House Stage respectively. Your presence was felt, and every one of you absolutely killed it.

Welland’s music scene has a history that goes as deep as the Recreational Canal we played above, proving that our corner of the Rust Belt has always known how to turn hard times and teenage boredom into something chaotically beautiful. The talent here is astounding and this event proved the resilience of this scene to endure. Bringing all of that history and talent together on and around our city’s landmark, Bridge 13, to celebrate our story and, most importantly, our community of artists was one of our biggest goals.

Thank you to every artist who came out and played.

Welland showed up. Welland appreciates you. They know that this was not just another ‘band show.’ It was a statement.

This is our scene. This is our time. 🌹🎸

📸: .antoniuk

(Thank You Post 2 of 3)

.royce .swell THE ON AGAINS

🌉 THANK YOU 🌉In truth, we are still trying to wrap our heads around what happened in downtown Welland on Saturday…Over t...
08/18/2026

🌉 THANK YOU 🌉

In truth, we are still trying to wrap our heads around what happened in downtown Welland on Saturday…

Over the course of the day, thousands of people came together to experience the power of live, homegrown music, support local businesses, enjoy delicious food and celebrate the creativity and spirit that is the cultural lifeblood of Welland. Seeing the bridge and surrounding streets filled with so many people was something all of us will never forget.

To every vendor who showed up and served this enormous crowd: thank you. You brought so much flavour, energy and character to the festival, and we are incredibly grateful that you took a chance on our first year.

To our sponsors: this event could not have happened without you. Your support helped us keep Bridge XIII free and accessible while creating opportunities for artists, vendors and our entire downtown community. Thank you for believing in the vision and trusting us to get it across the finish line.

We also extend our deepest of gratitudes to the City of Welland and the Niagara Region for helping to make this dream a reality. Bridge 13 belongs to the Region, and they trusted us to temporarily reimagine this vital piece of infrastructure as something entirely new: a gathering place for civic pride, community and guitar-driven, hard hitting local music. How cool is that?! The City of Welland’s financial support made this whole day possible. Bridge XIII couldn’t have existed without the efforts of the Region and the City in tandem. We hope that we did you both proud! Thank you.

For one unforgettable day, a bridge became a stage…and Welland showed up!

Thank you to every single person who crossed that bridge, explored our vendors, supported our sponsors and became part of the first Bridge XIII Music Festival.

We did this together, Welland. You don’t have to wait for tomorrow. The time is now. This is our time.

📸: .antoniuk

(Thank You Post 1 of 3)

🗺️ BRIDGE XIII MUSIC FESTIVAL - SITE MAP 🗺️ If you’re wondering where the action is at this Saturday, look no further.Ou...
08/13/2026

🗺️ BRIDGE XIII MUSIC FESTIVAL - SITE MAP 🗺️

If you’re wondering where the action is at this Saturday, look no further.

Our main stage will be at the mouth of the Main Street Bridge, our second outdoor stage at the intersection of King and Division, and our third located inside with our generous sponsors

BRIDGE XIII MUSIC FESTIVAL
SATURDAY AUGUST 15
1PM - 1030PM
FREE / ALL AGES

Come on out and enjoy a free community event in the heart of downtown Welland. A wide variety of local artists in various styles, it’s sure to be an amazing day.

🌹 SCHEDULE ANNOUNCEMENT🌹 HERE IT IS, the complete schedule of acts for all 3 stages throughout the day. There will be pe...
08/13/2026

🌹 SCHEDULE ANNOUNCEMENT🌹

HERE IT IS, the complete schedule of acts for all 3 stages throughout the day. There will be performers on the Main Street Bridge, at the intersection of King and Division, and at The Bank Art House.

BRIDGE XIII MUSIC FESTIVAL
MAIN STREET, DOWNTOWN WELLAND
1PM DOORS - 1030PM
FREE ADMISSION

Thank you to all of our generous sponsors for helping to make this possible. Saturday can’t come soon enough!

🚨 FEATURED ARTIST — MINUSCULE 🚨Minuscule is a five-voice army, fearlessly exploring the playful and painful corners of t...
07/30/2026

🚨 FEATURED ARTIST — MINUSCULE 🚨

Minuscule is a five-voice army, fearlessly exploring the playful and painful corners of the human experience with equal parts therapy and harmony.

Prepare to laugh, cry, and feel deeply as they deliver head-nodding progressive-pop anthems filled with layered vocals and tongue-in-cheek lyrics, all while championing empathy and social responsibility.

Catch live at Bridge XIII Music Festival on Saturday, August 15 in downtown Welland. Admission is FREE!

🚨 Featured Artist - Elk Puncher 🚨Coming straight out of Niagara, this four-piece metal/hardcore band is all about raw ad...
07/30/2026

🚨 Featured Artist - Elk Puncher 🚨

Coming straight out of Niagara, this four-piece metal/hardcore band is all about raw adrenaline.

Since forming in 2024, the band has gone through a few lineup changes, hit stages throughout Southern Ontario, and stayed firmly rooted in the DIY scene. Now, with a new album currently being finished and set for release in the coming months, they’re bringing that energy to Bridge XIII Music Festival.

Come get in the pit for 🤘

🚨 Featured Artist — The Moonlight Circus 🚨Hailing from right here in the Niagara Region, The Moonlight Circus bring a un...
07/30/2026

🚨 Featured Artist — The Moonlight Circus 🚨

Hailing from right here in the Niagara Region, The Moonlight Circus bring a unique blend of cinematic ’60s pop and dance-rock to Bridge XIII Music Festival! 🎪🌙

Equal parts inspired by the sunny, harmony-soaked sounds of mid-century groups like The Beach Boys and the dance-rock renaissance of the last three decades, The Moonlight Circus have carved out a sound that feels nostalgic, cinematic, and built for dancin’

Featuring Kalan Bridgeman, Marcus Aiello, Holden Swartz, and Damon Wilson, catch The Moonlight Circus live in downtown Welland on Saturday, August 15th!

🚨 FEATURED ARTIST - THEY CALL IT CHAOS 🚨Progressive. Political. Punk. Loud about what matters.Hailing from Niagara, They...
07/30/2026

🚨 FEATURED ARTIST - THEY CALL IT CHAOS 🚨

Progressive. Political. Punk. Loud about what matters.

Hailing from Niagara, They Call It Chaos bring a hard-hitting, high-energy sound to Bridge XIII Music Fest! Their songs take aim at the status quo while digging into struggles with mental health, personal growth, and the messy reality of trying to figure yourself out in this world.

They’re also part of Outhouse Records, a queer-owned and operated independent record label based all the way out in Victoria, British Columbia — proving once again just how far the sounds coming out of Niagara can travel.

Fast, thoughtful, political, personal — and meant to be played LOUD.

Catch They Call It Chaos at the first-ever Bridge XIII Music Festival!

🚨 FEATURED ARTIST — THE SLIMETONES 🚨With roots in Welland and now calling Toronto home, The Slimetones are one of the mo...
07/30/2026

🚨 FEATURED ARTIST — THE SLIMETONES 🚨

With roots in Welland and now calling Toronto home, The Slimetones are one of the most unique bands you’ll experience at Bridge XIII.

This instrumental four-piece (sometimes five-piece) describes their sound as “sewer surf”—a wild mix of surf rock, garage energy, and B-movie madness that’ll have you grinning from the first note.

But here’s the real question… are they a band or a cartoon?

The answer is… yes?

According to Slimetones lore, they were born and raised in the sewers of Slime City and serve as the cultural ambassadors to Sewer Island, where they’re constantly battling their arch-nemesis Blackcat, an evil feline determined to wipe the band off the map once and for all.

It’s equal parts Saturday morning cartoon, monster movie, and surf rock party—and somehow it all works.

If you’re looking for one of the most unique sets of the day, don’t miss at Bridge XIII Music Festival. Come ready to dance, laugh, and maybe even survive an encounter with Blackcat. 🧪🌊🛹🐈‍⬛

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Welland, ON

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