Thousands of local residents and long-distance travelers are expected to be in attendance for the CallHome Musical Festival on Friday, July 24, and Saturday, July 25, 2026.
Friday’s lineup includes Fefe Dobson, Matthew Good and his band, and Bush as the evening’s headlining act.
Festival organizer Jamie Stephens said that while some people were surprised to hear that Fefe Dobson was joining the lineup at a rock-based festival, the overall feedback has been positive.
“We took our daughter to see Avril Lavigne in Niagara, and Fefe opened for her and, in my opinion, stole the show. She comes out with a full rock band now. All of her old pop songs have a rock tone, and her new stuff is really, really good,” he said. “She puts on such a good show, so for us, it just felt like the right fit. The feedback has been crazy too, a lot of Fefe Dobson fans have come out of nowhere, which is awesome. It’s gonna be a really cool way to get the stage going.”
The winner of the Battle of the Bands, will also perform ahead of Dobson.
Stephens said fans voted online to narrow the list down from 12 bands to five finalists who will compete for the spot on the main stage.
“Those five bands will perform live at Rope Factory on Saturday, July 18,” he said. “We’re going to have some industry judges there, and one of those bands will win the opening spot on the main stage Friday night. The other four remaining bands will be playing on the side stage at the festival. They’re all going to be playing no matter what, it’s just a matter of where they’re playing.”
Those battling it out for the top spot are: Full Throttle, Frontline Poets, Circle of Black, Treading Zero and Foolproof.
As for Saturday, the lineup features Sumo Cyco, Econoline Crush, Gob and headliner The Offspring.
“It’s definitely the biggest concert Brantford’s ever seen, and probably will see for a while until we figure it out next year,” said Stephens. “It’s a huge year for us. Our two headline bands are ones that we’ve been trying to get for years, and so the fact that we were able to get both of them in the same year is just over the top for us. We’re super excited and it’s going to be fun.”
While it’s all about the music, the organizer added that festival-goers can expect a variety of things to enjoy throughout the two-day, 19-plus event.
“The wrestling was so popular last year that we had to bring it back, so Brantford Wrestling will be there with a full show on Friday and Saturday,” said Stephens. “We’ve got a partnership with Black Fly Beverage Company, so we’re actually going to be doing vodka slushies. We’ve also got plenty of food vendors, about 12 to 14 of them, as well as 15 to 20 marketplace vendors who will be selling products geared towards rock crowds.”
Whether attendees decide to purchase VIP or general admission tickets, both sides will have access to the front of the stage, though, those who opt-in for the VIP experience will also get some extra perks.
“We’ve got ServiceMaster Restore sponsoring our VIP lounge area, so they’re going to be there with some activations like Corn Hole and giant Jenga games,” said Stephens. “There’s definitely a case to be made for upgrading to VIP, not only will people have access to mixed drinks, but there will be a premier food vendor, a dedicated bar, and your own washrooms as well. We also hired a local illustrator, Steve McGinnis, to design the passes. It’s actually a commissioned art piece that he’s made for us, and it’s going to be a collectible item that people can proudly hang in their collection of tickets and passes.”
Stephens went on to say that he and his team are ready for the event, and excited to welcome everyone back.
“We’re at the point now where we’re ready to go,” he said with a laugh. “If the City called me today and said, ‘you guys can start setting up the park now,’ we would be there tonight. It’s just one of those things where I can’t wait for it to get here because I’m already thinking about next year.”
While tickets are selling fast, Stephens said the public will be able to purchase theirs until the days of.
“The gate closes at 10 p.m. on Saturday, and we’ll sell you a ticket all the way until then,” he said.
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
