Festival Antigonish returns to the  

Bauer Theatre this summer  

with an expanded season of story, music, and celebration 

From Whodunnit to Whimsy: Weird and Whimsical Stories of Love and Murder 

June 19 – August 30, 2026 

Antigonish, Nova Scotia (April 24, 2026) — Festival Antigonish will return to the Bauer Theatre this summer for its 39th season, following an extraordinary wave of community support for the Bridge the Bauer campaign and a decision by the Fire Marshal that will allow one more summer together in the beloved venue before retrofit construction begins in the fall. With that, this season arrives as a celebration: a chance to gather again in a space that means so much to this region, and to prepare it for the future.  

In response, Festival Antigonish is launching a larger and more robust summer season than audiences have seen at the Bauer in recent years. With three mainstage plays, one family stage production, and three concerts, the company is welcoming audiences back with a fuller summer of activity, energy, and invitation. The Bauer will rarely be dark this summer. From mid-July through the end of August, there will almost always be something for everyone. 

This summer’s theme, From Whodunnit to Whimsy — Weird and Whimsical Stories of Love and Murder spans a riotous Agatha Christie spoof, an otherworldly one-person love story, a sun-warmed seaside romance, a puppet-filled forest adventure for families, and three live concerts — all unfolding on the storied Antigonish stage before the Bauer undergoes major fire-safety renovations this fall.  

"This season is an invitation to play," says Artistic Director Andrea Boyd. "We wanted stories that surprise you — that make you laugh out loud and then catch you completely off guard with something true and tender. Whether you're solving a murder or falling in love on a road in outer space, there's something here for everyone who's ever believed in the magic of live theatre." 

Murder at Ackerton Manor opens the mainstage with comic mayhem: a fast-paced spoof of the grand country-house murder mystery, full of theatrical sleight of hand, eccentric suspects, and escalating absurdity. The Biggest Little House in the Forest brings the family stage to life with puppets, warmth, and whimsy in a story about friendship, generosity, and making room for one more. The Greatest Play in the History of the World, a presentation produced by Theatre New Brunswick, offers an intimate and unexpectedly expansive journey through love, loneliness, wonder, and the cosmos. And Beyond the Sea closes the summer with a tender, funny, quietly moving story about second chances, and the possibility of connection arriving when it is least expected. 

Together, these plays create a season that moves from farce to tenderness, from puppetry to poetry, from laughter to renewal. Festival Antigonish has built a summer that feels emotionally full and broadly welcoming — a season that invites longtime patrons, families, music lovers, and first-time audiences into the Bauer. 

“This summer is about honouring what the Bauer means to this region while also preparing responsibly for what comes next,” said Caleb Marshall, Managing Director. The momentum behind Bridge the Bauer has been extraordinary. That support helped make this season possible, and it also inspired us to offer a fuller summer, one that keeps the theatre active, welcoming, and full of life before construction begins in the fall.” 

While theatre leads the season, music is also an important part of the summer lineup. The season opens on June 19 with All Roads Lead Home with Carolyn Curry, a benefit concert for Bridge the Bauer, and continues with concert events featuring Old Man Luedecke on July 31 and Ian Sherwood and Friends on August 9.   

Alongside the season itself, Festival Antigonish will also begin introducing AudienceView Pro, a new box office and patron service platform designed to significantly improve the audience experience online. The system will make it easier for patrons not only to purchase tickets, but also to register for camps and classes, pre-order intermission drinks, make donations, and request accessibility supports in one place. As part of that upgrade, audiences will also begin to see a modest third-party service fee applied to tickets, helping support the infrastructure behind a more seamless and responsive patron experience. 

Season passes are rolling out as part of this launch and current subscribers are encouraged to renew by April 30 to keep their preferred seats. New subscribers will be invited to purchase season passes starting May 1. Single tickets will go on sale in late May. The Launch also includes a playful new trailer video featuring “Artistic DOGrector” Clover Boyd sniffing out clues to what audiences can expect this summer.

Check out the SEASON LAUNCH VIDEO NOW!

After a year shaped by advocacy, planning, and public support, Festival Antigonish says this summer will be both a celebration and a promise: a summer season in the Bauer as audiences have known and loved it, and the beginning of the work that will help carry it forward. 

For tickets and information, visit festivalantigonish.ca or call the Box Office at (902) 867-3333.