The Peterborough Folk Festival has announced that Bahamas will be returning to perform at the 37th annual festival this summer, which runs from August 13 to 16, and Miskin Law will be returning as the festival’s main stage sponsor.
The musical project of Canadian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Afie Jurvanen, Bahamas will headline the festival’s final night with a full-band performance, bringing his laid-back sound and storytelling-driven songs to the Miskin Law Main Stage.
“This year’s Sunday night headlining performance by Bahamas promises to be a highlight of the summer, filled with fan favourites and new material, bringing the 2026 festival to a memorable close,” said the festival’s artistic director Ryan Kemp in a statement.
With a career spanning almost two decades, Bahamas has become one of Canada’s most acclaimed contemporary artists, releasing seven albums since 2009 and earning multiple Juno Award nominations. He won two Junos in 2015 for Songwriter of the Year and Adult Alternative Album of the Year, and his 2025 release My Second Last Album is nominated for Adult Alternative Album of the Year at the 2026 Juno Awards.
Bahamas previously performed at the Peterborough Folk Festival in 2016 and 2022. This year, he will be bringing a full band to perform fan favourites including “All the Time,” “Lost in the Light,” “Stronger Than That,” and more.
As for Miskin Law, the Peterborough-based legal firm is returning as the festival’s main stage sponsor, providing $10,000 this year so the festival can present top-notch performers like Bahamas.
“I grew up on folk music in Peterborough and Toronto, and I am thrilled that the Peterborough community continues to be a leader in hosting top quality free live performances,” says counsel and managing director Murray Miskin.
Submissions from established musical artists who want to perform at the 2026 festival are open until February 28. The festival received almost 1,000 artist submissions last year and, so far this year, has received hundreds of submissions.
Submission forms to perform at the festival are available at peterboroughfolkfest.com/artist-submission, with separate forms available for local artists in Peterborough and the Kawarthas (including those originally from the region) and artists from outside the region.
Festival organizers are also encouraging community donations to support the $200,000-plus cost of Canada’s longest-running free-admission folk festival.
More than half of the festival’s budget goes toward paying artist fees, with the remainder covering rental of stages and other equipment, artist and volunteer hospitality, production, site and security, and insurance and permits.
Donations of $25 or more at peterboroughfolkfest.com/donate include a charitable tax receipt.
“The longevity of this beloved event can be attributed to the hundreds of volunteers, community members and supporters, funders and granting agencies who help make the festival possible year after year,” says festival chair Rob Davis. “We are truly grateful for your dedication and commitment.”
The Peterborough Folk Festival attracted more than 16,000 people last year, making it the second-largest cultural event in Peterborough and across the region, and contributed nearly $2 million to Peterborough’s economy.
The 37th annual Peterborough Folk Festival takes place from Thursday, August 13 to Sunday, August 16 and features ticketed concerts at downtown venues on Thursday and Friday followed by a free-admission weekend of music and community at Nicholls Oval Park.
