Forever Hip: Special event series will mark the 10th anniversary of The Tragically Hip’s final concert in Kingston

The City of Kingston, together with Tourism Kingston, the Kingston Music Office, and the Downtown Kingston BIA, is unveiling a series of events to commemorate the 10th anniversary of The Tragically Hip’s final concert that took place in Kingston on August 20, 2016.  

This multi-day celebration will take place August 20-22, 2026, and will bring residents and visitors together to honour the band’s enduring legacy through music, arts and shared experiences.  

Formed in Kingston in 1984, The Tragically Hip is an essential part of the city’s cultural identity, and their final concert became a defining cultural event for Kingston and for the country. 

“Forever Hip is our way of saying thank you to a band that means so much to Kingston residents and to Canadians across the country,” said Danika Lochhead, Director, Arts & Culture Services at the City of Kingston. “The events planned for this summer are an invitation to come together as a community to remember, celebrate and reflect on the band’s impact and their deep roots in our city, and the music community that is here today.” 

Learn more about the Forever Hip events, programming, murals, stories and more, on Tourism Kingston’s website.  

Forever Hip programming  

Thursday, August 20 | 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. 

Rockin’ the Square live concert with Choir! Choir! Choir! plus a must-see set of performances featuring prominent Kingston musicians  

Sponsored by Empire Life

Epic anthems unite us and are the soundtrack to our lives. And in Canada, there are none more epic than the anthems from The Tragically Hip. When a space filled with hundreds (or thousands) of strangers starts to harmonize, you’ll feel it deep in your soul.  

Join us in Springer Market Square and mark 10 years to the day of the final concert of The Tragically Hip, with an unforgettable evening of live performances. 

Join Choir!Choir!Choir! for the ultimate Forever Hip singalong community event and sing your way through the greatest songs of The Tragically Hip. Since 2011, Choir! Choir! Choir! directors Daveed Goldman and Nobu Adilman have blurred the lines between performer and audience, traveling the world to create harmony with strangers and friends alike. They’ve collaborated with renowned artists like Patti Smith, David Byrne, Brandi Carlile, Rick Astley, Rufus Wainwright, and even Kermit the Frog at New York’s Lincoln Center, and creating memorable videos that have garnered millions of views. Choir! Choir! Choir! leads a fully interactive, participatory show that turns audiences into performers. All voices are welcome; no experience is necessary.  

Rockin’ the Square will also feature a very special set of live performances by notable Kingston musicians including Miss Emily, The Abrams, and Kasador’s Cam Wyatt and Thom Draper with more to be announced, as they pay tribute to the music of The Tragically Hip.  

This special event is free to attend. Show starts at 7 p.m.  

Friday, August 21 | 12 p.m. – 10 p.m. 

Stop by Springer Market Square to catch videos and clips up on the big screen that reflect on The Tragically Hip’s ongoing legacy in Kingston, highlighting the lasting relationship between the band, the city and its local music community. The Kingston Music Office will also offer Music Walking Tours and host a Merch Market, showcasing the talents of Kingston’s very own local musicians and makers. Every dollar spent at the Music Merch Market goes directly to local musicians, supporting them in their journey to grow and create more magic. 

Later in the evening at 8 p.m., bring your chairs down to the Square to watch a free screening of Long Time Running (2017), the feature documentary film that follows The Tragically Hip’s 2016 Man Machine Poem cross-Canada tour and final concert in their hometown of Kingston, after the band’s announcement that lead singer Gord Downie was diagnosed with incurable brain cancer. The documentary blends interviews, intimate behind-the-scenes moments, fan testimonials, audience experience and performance footage, and attempts to capture that moment in all its complexity and freeze it in time. 

Saturday, August 22 | 7 p.m.  

Special event and streaming of CBC’s rebroadcast of The Tragically Hip: A National Celebration final concert in Kingston  

Ten years ago, The Tragically Hip finally came home on a Saturday night to play to a crowd of 6,700 people, including former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, at Kingston’s large entertainment venue, now known as Slush Puppie Place, while outside, just a few blocks away, 25,000 people gathered in Springer Market Square where Kingston hosted an unforgettable concert viewing party. The concert was live streamed by CBC and was watched by more than 11.7 million Canadians. 

On May 13, it was announced that the band is set to honour its legacy with the release of  a landmark live album, Live July 22 – August 20, 2016 on August 21 via Universal Music Canada and an exclusive CBC rebroadcast/global live stream of their final concert, commercial-free, on August 22 at 7 p.m. EST. Billed as The Tragically Hip: A National Celebration, the final Kingston show had Canadians and fans worldwide come together to honour a band whose songs are stitched into the collective subconscious of this country.  

Kingston is ready and excited to host a special event and concert viewing party on August 22 where the CBC rebroadcast will be back up on the big screen in Springer Market Square, in the place where thousands gathered a decade ago to experience this incredible moment.  

Other Forever Hip events and activations 

Starting in August, there will be a new Downtown Kingston BIA temporary public art installation. Titled, Play Me Kingston, the installation will transform downtown into a living gallery featuring 10 large-scale guitar sculptures designed by local and regional artists and inspired by Kingston’s music scene, its history, performances, artists, venues, and the sense of connection music brings to the community. 

Later this fall, Kingston Grand Theatre is home to a three-week run of a brand-new Canadian musical, It’s a Good Life if You Don’t Weaken, featuring songs from the iconic catalogue of The Tragically Hip. The show is presented and produced by the Thousand Islands Playhouse in partnership with David and Hannah Mirvish, and Michael Rubinoff, the originating producer of the most successful Canadian musical in history, Come from Away. Tickets are on sale now.