2026 Pictou Lobster Carnival ~ July 3rd - 5th
The 2026 Lobster Carnival main stage entertainment will feature over a dozen musical acts spanning three fantastic days, including the four just-announced headliners, Crash Test Dummies, Maestro Fresh Wes, Classified, and Jimmy Rankin!
Friday, July 3
Headliner: Crash Test Dummies
With one of the most recognizable voices in Canadian music history, the alternative rock band Crash Test Dummies is a three-time Grammy-nominated and JUNO award-winning group, who soared to the top of the worldwide charts in the early 1990’s with hits “Mmm, Mmm, Mmm, Mmm” and “Superman’s Song".
Their cover of “The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead” was a highlight of the soundtrack to the blockbuster film Dumb and Dumber, while simultaneously reaching #4 on the US Top 100 album charts. All of their releases keep the same folk-hued, alternative spirit of their early sound, centring around the distinct baritone of frontman Brad Roberts and Ellen Reid’s folk-rock fusion.
Demand is huge for the band in Australia after all their sold-out shows in 2025! The dynamic and high-energy stage show features the band’s most iconic songs, performed by original members Brad Roberts, Ellen Reid, Dan Roberts and Mitch Dorge. Joining them are long-standing guitarist Stuart Cameron and relative newcomer Leith Fleming-Smith, Canada’s keyboard whiz-kid.
Saturday, July 4
Headliner: Classified
With an inherent and candid ability to break down the barrier between performer and audience while “leading the vanguard of East Coast hip hop” (Chronicle Herald), Classified is one of Canada’s most respected and successful rap artists, producers, and songwriters. Over his career, he has released 19 studio albums and collaborated with global hip-hop icons including Snoop Dogg, Raekwon, Royce da 5’9, DJ Premier, Joe Budden, Brother Ali, Maestro Fresh Wes and Masta Ace.
Classified
His self-titled 2013 release debuted at No. 1 on the Canadian Nielsen Soundscan Chart, is certified 2x Platinum, and features the 6x Platinum single “Inner Ninja” featuring David Myles, along with the Platinum-certified “3 Foot Tall.” With over 200 million streams globally, Classified is a multiple JUNO Award winner who hosted the 2014 JUNO Awards and holds a combined 34 nominations and 8 wins across the JUNOs, MuchMusic Video Awards, and East Coast Music Awards.
In 2024, Classified released his latest album, Luke’s View, a raw and reflective project offering fans a more personal and political lens into his world. He followed it with the Welcome to the Maritimes Tour in late 2024, joined by fellow East Coast artists including Ria Mae and JRDN. The tour was praised as “a celebration of music, collaboration, and community.” As he continues to evolve, Classified remains a defining force in Canadian hip-hop.
Supporting Act: Maestro Fresh Wes
Wes Williams, aka Maestro Fresh Wes, is the first Black Canadian artist to have a single or album reach gold and platinum status in Canada. This Toronto-born multimedia celebrity is the first hip-hop artist to receive a Juno Award for Best Rap Recording of the Year, the first to have a single on Billboard, and the first to be inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Maestro Fresh Wes
The success of Wes’s 1989 debut single "Let Your Backbone Slide" and his debut album Symphony In Effect helped shape the Canadian music industry and reinforced him to be labelled 'The Godfather of Canadian Hip-Hop'.
Sunday, July 5
Headliner: Jimmy Rankin
Jimmy Rankin’s reputation as a compelling writer and hitmaker spills into his solo work as well, and he’s been a chart fixture since his 2001 debut album Song Dog, racking up awards for songs like “Followed Her Around", "Midnight Angel”, “Morning Bound Train", “Slipping Away”, and “Here In My Heart.”
Jimmy Rankin
With his solo and family band work, Jimmy has thus far earned five JUNO Awards, seven Canadian Country Music Awards, and a staggering 27 East Coast Music Awards.
His most recent album release, Harvest Highway, is a natural continuation of the sound that he fine-tuned with 2018’s Moving East. After leaving Nashville’s honky tonks behind and heading back to Nova Scotia’s coastal climes in 2017, he also wanted to return to writing and playing the music he was steeped in during his youth. Teaming up with fellow East Coast hero Joel Plaskett, who produced and played multiple instruments on both Moving East and Harvest Highway, Rankin established the earthy, down-home sound that serves his latest records so well, taking full advantage of Plaskett’s analog approach at
Fang Recording in Dartmouth.
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A weekend pass grants you access to all headliners, opening acts, and more! Stay tuned as the full music lineup will be announced soon.
Don’t miss out on a weekend of incredible live music at the 2026 Pictou Lobster Carnival!
SOLD OUT- EARLY BIRD- BEER GARDEN WEEKEND PASSES: $60 (includes taxes) + fees = $67.50
NOTE: LIMITED NUMBER AVAILABLE
SOLD OUT!!- ADVANCE BEER GARDEN WEEKEND PASSES: $80 (includes taxes) + fees = $87.50
AVAILABLE ONCE EARLY BIRD PASSES SELL OUT
ADVANCED NON-ALCOHOLIC WEEKEND PASSES: $60 (includes taxes) + fees = $67.50
*Please note that, as was the case last year, the non-alcoholic weekend passes do not allow access to the front of the stage. See the layout of the map below the ticket link to determine location:
Click the image to purchase 2026 PLC Non Alcohol Main Stage Weekend Pass
Pictou Lobster Carnival Mainstage Map
