60 Pleasant Street, Bridgewater, NS, B4V 3X9
Tel: 902-543-4651 Fax: 902-543-6876
Emergency After Hours Tel: 902-543-5142

Open menu

Music on the Riverbank

Can you hear it? It’s the sound of music wafting up from the edge of the LaHave River in Downtown Bridgewater.

Music on the Riverbank, presented by the Town of Bridgewater, is popular summer-long, free to attend, music festival along the banks of the LaHave River!

Musicians and musical groups of all sizes, genres and cultural backgrounds are invited to apply to for this opportunity to perform as a part of our Music on the Riverbank - a celebration and showcase of our community.

Taking place on Thursday evenings (NEW day of the week in 2026), at Pijinuiskaq Park, the festival runs over 4 months, June - September. Each week we welcome a new performer to our stage!

DEADLINE to apply, expressing your interest to be a part of our Music on the Riverbank, is April 1, 2026.

Year-round Opportunities to Perform
The Town of Bridgewater hosts and supports a number of events throughout the year that showcases musicians and performers. Realizing we have many talented performers in our community, those applying for Music on the Riverbank could also be called upon for other events that pop up throughout the year by the Town or by other organizations. King Street Court, Shipyards Landing, and Pijinuiskaq Park are wonderful backdrops for music and performances, we’re hoping to see and hear more wafting from these areas. 


Do you BUSK?
Did you know that Busking is permitted in Bridgewater? If you are a performer, clown, mime, juggler, or artist and would like to pop up and perform in one of our parks or on the street corners, it is possible! With many upcoming events being planned for 2026 we want to offer a wide spectrum of diverse entertainment to our town.  As part of this invitation for performers, we are inviting you to complete the form below as well to become part of our database of Buskers and Musicians.


MUSIC ON THE RIVERBANK:  WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

-- Performers selected as part of our Music on the Riverbank receive an honourarium from the Town in the amount of $400 per performance. PLEASE NOTE: Performers are required to provide their own sound equipment.

-- Performances must be at least 60 minutes in length. Each performer will be required to sign a performer agreement. Typically, the show starts at 6:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

-- Our venue is outdoors in Pijinuiskaq Park, weather can impact our schedule. If inclement weather is in the forecast, the performance will be moved to an indoor venue. We typically strive to make a call by no later than 2 p.m. on show day if the performance must be moved indoors.

-- Music on the Riverbank is an all-ages show, so while we embrace free expression we ask performers to keep their shows clean and family friendly.

-- Our program typically runs over a series of 14 weeks.

--While we are grateful for all who indicate their interest in playing, submitting your information here is in no way a guarantee that you will be booked to perform. We receive numerous submissions each year and only have so many performance opportunities which we try to program with a balance of different musical genres. We do, however, retain all information submitted for future events. Final selection of performers resides with the Town of Bridgewater Events Coordinator and supporting staff team.

-- Music on the Riverbank is promoted and marketed through a number of Town-based channels including our social media channels; radio and print media including but not limited to CKBW, Country 100.7, and South Shore Bulletin; showcased on ExploreBridgewater.ca; and integrated within our tourism communications.

The call for performers shall remain open until further notice.

Have questions? Send us an email at festivals@bridgewater.ca

Digital Fusion