Junos return to Hamilton with performances by Arkells and the Beaches, Joni Mitchell to be honoured

Finishing touches are being added to the outside of the newly renovated TD Coliseum but inside, Hamilton is getting ready to host the biggest event in Canadian music — the Juno Awards.

Officials revealed new details of the ceremony Monday including a top award for an iconic Canadian performer.

The City of Hamilton is expecting the Junos to have quite the economic impact on the city’s bars, restaurants and hotels.

The 2025 Junos held in Vancouver brought in an estimated $12 million to that city.

Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath said she is thrilled to welcome the Juno Awards again.

“Excited to see what was going on in Vancouver earlier this year,” Horwath said. “If we’re able to achieve the things that they did — and I think that we’re going to exceed what they did — it’s going to be a fantastic time for everyone. This is another incredible moment for Hamilton.”

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City officials shard more details about the ceremony — like how Hamilton’s Arkells and Toronto act the Beaches will both perform.

The awards ceremony plans to honour Canadian icon Joni Mitchell with a lifetime achievement award.

Eric Alper, a music publicist, said you can’t underestimate what Mitchell has done for the music industry.

“Not only lyrically for being so confessional and so open, not only in terms of storytelling and songs but also in her interviews,” Alper said. “That’s what makes a legend a legend —  the ability to be an open book.”

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Meanwhile, 10-time Juno winner Nelly Furtado will be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

Tim Potocic, co-chair for Hamilton’s Juno Awards and Supercrawl organizer, said downtown is already starting to see an economic boom – with restaurants packed Friday when Paul McCartney took the TD Coliseum stage.

“Whenever there’s something happening in the downtown core, people need to eat somewhere, they’ve got to stay somewhere, they’ve got to get here,” said Potocic. “So it all adds up to lots of money being spent and an economic boom.”

Potocic recommends getting dinner reservations booked for March sooner rather than later.

Tickets for the Junos go on sale this Friday.

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