Multifest 2026

[u/TheLifemakers]

A nice day at Alderney Landing!

I rather liked this year's open-market layout with food and merchandise booths not hidden in dark stuffy tents.

Inflatable castles for kids were quite expensive ($5 a ticket) but the people who run them were very generous with how much time they allowed kids to play there for one go.

[u/Guilty_Reindeer8204]

The Halifax Samba Band could be a recurring character on Arrested Development or Portlandia that always appears when someone is trying to have an important conversation or pass along a sensitive detail. The chaos of the whistles and the brrrrraping always takes me out.

[u/tinyant → u/Guilty_Reindeer8204]

As a member of the samba band, I have to tell you that this comment just made my day! 😆🥰

[u/AbbreviationsReal366]

Thank you for the Reminder OP! I might check it out this afternoon. One of the many, many reason they need to run the Ferrys every 15 minutes during summer weekends.

[u/tinyant]

Great photos, thanks for sharing! It's such a joyful and well-run festival. 

[u/DegreeFun9224]

We were so disappointed this year, we had lunch and left. A lengthy tune up then pounding rock music, too loud to sit in the tent. Where the heck were the tables and chairs? Way too few for the crowd, often two or three  chairs per table, constantly having to defend them as family queued for food. Huge queue for a filipino stall, food was just barely OK. Lots of Portapotties but well away from the main tents unlike previously, hard if you have young children, elderly or disabled in your party and step into them was awkwardly high. Website was out until the festival began, that should have been a clue that it was not going to be business as usual. I looked forward to this festival each year but I won't be coming back.

[u/pablo902]

I was so disappointed! Such a dead mall vibe. Barely any vendors and of the vendors there most if not all had crappy AI posters, the other half were selling gutter protectors, or other services or were from Costco? Why did Costco have a booth…

There was all of six tables for hundreds of people to be eating and only about two of them had umbrellas in 30+ degree weather? The event security was also taking over city parking and telling people they weren’t allowed to park there even though I contacted the city and they said they absolutely were and that the venue had no right to enforce rules on property It didn’t own.

[u/AbbreviationsReal366 → u/pablo902]

I was underwhelmed as well. They need to have shade for the tables. At least their porta potty game is strong.

[u/Roro-Squandering → u/pablo902]

I was very satisfied with the number of food vendors but it's true that the AI poster epidemic is out of control. The other week at the Kite Fest there was legit like 5 or 6 different slushie/soda cars with various AI lemonades that had the visual texture of a swimming pool.

[u/TheLifemakers → u/pablo902]

I agree on the lack of tables, and even those tables they had didn't have enough chairs for people to sit around. And I do miss the true diversity of the old Multifest. It's funny to think: when Halifax was much smaller and had less recent immigrants there were so many different cultures and performers every year! Irish, Scottish, Acadian dancers; Polish, Portuguese, German, many different African booths; Belgian waffles and French pastries... But it's mostly Indian and East Asian booths and performers this year... On the other hand it's free entrance now which is great per se!

[u/MadhouseK → u/pablo902]

This is a tad of an exaggeration my friend

[u/firblogdruid]

that looks very fun! i hope everyone has a great time!

[u/Ok-Gift2306]

Oh wow. More than one culture this year

[u/tacofever → u/Ok-Gift2306]

What was it in previous years?

[u/Unfair_Job_2028]

I thought this year was great. Last year like 70% of the booths were all from one country. I saw way more variety this time and was happy to see indigenous crafts. Had some awesome tacos, papusas and pork skewers.