The ‘Barns2Beaches Music Tour’ is coming to Brighton’s Memorial Park on Friday, Aug. 8, 2025. / Richard Wintle photo
A massive celebration of Canadian arts and culture – put on by Canada’s rising stars – will take centre stage in downtown Brighton this Friday as the “Barns2Beaches Music Tour” rolls into town.
Sixteen up-and-coming artists will hit the stage at Brighton’s Memorial Park on Friday, Aug. 8 for the free, family-friendly concert, as the Canadian Musicians Co-operative brings its “Emerging Artist Showcase” summer tour to Northumberland County under its new “Barns2Beaches Music Tour” name.
Project manager for the tour Carter Duggan tells us more about how the co-operative ended up landing in Brighton this summer.
The tour is being hosted in partnership with the Municipality of Brighton and with support from the Bay of Quinte Regional Marketing Board, Brighton DBIA, Mistral Communities, Gordon Tobey Developments, and Multi Tech Audio Visual. Described as an exhilarating live show filled with high-energy performances from a diverse cast of emerging artists, the production features 100 per cent Canadian music – including original songs and medleys and mashups of classic hits throughout the decades.
“We’re providing something that Brighton can really use to bump up their tourism, and they’re providing us with a beautiful, lovely stage in a brand-new community (for us) that we may hopefully visit again in future seasons to come,” says Duggan.
The production will bring together 16 unique artists – all of whom are independent.
“They all have their own individual music careers and so we use this show to help leverage the artists’ careers and to provide them with extra performance training,” explains Duggan, adding this is part of the co-op’s mission under professional development programming.
And that’s what makes this project unique – by bringing these artists together, they’re able to participate in a “larger, more highly-produced production than any of these artists have ever done on their own.”
Duggan tells us more.
The production itself is a bit of a “mix of everything,” which Duggan notes is a massive undertaking.
Those new works include those written and produced by the artists themselves – so yes, you could discover your favourite new Canadian artist in Brighton this coming Friday. At the same time, audiences will be treated to several mashups of Canadian hits – some of which, folks might not even realize are Canadian – and more.
In terms of the full lineup, the artists include pop vocalist Tia Nova, punk rock vocalist Feura, vocalist and lead guitarist Jacob Diamond, baritone saxophonist and rhythm guitarist Jordan Sanderson, keyboardist Evan Hutt, percussionist and punk vocalist Ed Dietrich, pop and rock vocalist Anna Goldsmith, pop and R&B vocalist May Sadan, folk vocalist Rogan Mei, pop vocalist and flutist Emma Della Rossa, percussionist Sam Ruttan, bassist Kyle McLeod, music director and percussionist David Peredun, assistant music director and bassist Colin Sankey, trumpetist Mylz Powell, and tenor saxophonist, clarinetist and flutist Rob Carruthers.
Duggan says an opening act (set for 6 p.m.) is also still to be confirmed, with more details coming soon on their set. The Barns2Beaches artists will hit the stage starting at 7 p.m. and ending at 10 p.m.
The event officially opens at 5 p.m., offering attendees a chance to set up in their seats and get a bite to eat, as food trucks will also be set up at the park.
Since 2018, the Canadian Musicians Co-operative has showcased more than 20 emerging artists each summer, aiming to provide a unique platform for young Canadian talent to shine, reads a recent release on the event.
“This year’s Barns2Beaches series captures the heart and soul of what the co-op is all about – community, creativity, and developing the next generation of Canadian musical excellence.”
Interested attendees can also follow along the organization’s website and social media channels as the event draws nearer.
(Written by: Sarah Hyatt)
