Culture of Halifax, Nova Scotia

Exhibits

Halifax is a centre for the visual arts, being home to a celebrated school for art and design as well as more than thirty art galleries.^[1]

Many Halifax universities operate art galleries. The Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University (NSCAD), since its founding in 1887 as the Victoria School of Art and Design,^[2] has had a major influence on the visual arts in Nova Scotia, particularly in urban Halifax. Many NSCAD graduates have remained in Halifax and practice as ceramicists, film-makers, graphic designers, jewellers, muralists, photographers, and weavers. NSCAD has its own exhibition space, the Anna Leonowens Gallery in Historic Properties.

At Dalhousie University, the Dalhousie Art Gallery is within the Dalhousie Arts Centre. Established in 1953, the art gallery is the oldest public art gallery in Nova Scotia.^[3]

Saint Mary's University have hosted an art exhibitions since 1967 in the foyer of its former library - now its current Education building. In 1971, as the Loyola residence was finished, the main floor became host to its current gallery location.^[4] The permanent collection features over 2,000 works.^[5]

With a purpose-built space opened in 1971, Mount Saint Vincent University is home to the MSVU Art Gallery which is a free, public gallery which serves the university, Metropolitan Halifax, and beyond. Many of the gallery's works can be viewed in the E. Margaret Fulton Communications Centre or other places on its campus.^[6]

Halifax has a multitude of galleries, both public and private, including the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. The gallery is housed in a 6,200 square metres (67,000 sq ft) facility with a permanent collection of more than 19,000 items.^[7] Private galleries include Eye Level Gallery, Zwickers Gallery, and Studio 21. There are numerous works of public art on display in the urban area.

Film

The Atlantic Filmmakers Cooperative, founded in 1974, is the oldest English-speaking film co-op in Canada. It is a member-run registered charity offering equipment and facilities to aid in film making.^[8] The cooperative also runs the Halifax Independent Filmmakers Festival, which celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2016.^[9]

The Centre for Art Tapes (CFAT) facilitates artists working with electronic media including video, audio, and new media. Founded in 1979, it is a charitable, not-for-profit organization which works with artists at all levels. Their vision statement:

Halifax has become a film-making centre, with many American and Canadian filmmakers using the urban core's streetscapes, often to stand in for other cities that are more expensive to work in. The municipality's port status also makes it a popular location for films about ships; scenes from the films Titanic (1997), Amelia (2009),^[10] and Hobo with a Shotgun (2011)^[11] were all filmed in the region, as well as numerous silver-screen movies and various documentaries.

Music

The musical scene in Halifax greatly varies. Halifax Regional Municipality is occasionally included in the tours of top-grossing concert acts. Acadian traditional, Celtic, European classical to various forms of indie. Furthermore, African, South American, Asian, and Indigenous cultures greatly influence the music of Halifax.

Some notable artists to have emerged from Halifax include April Wine, Buck 65, Classified, Thrush Hermit, Sarah McLachlan, Neon Dreams, The Joel Plaskett Emergency, Sloan, Pat Stay, Universal Soul, and Wintersleep.

Halifax is the home of Symphony Nova Scotia, which dates back to 1897 when it was known as The Halifax Symphony Orchestra. As of 2026, Symphony Nova Scotia's conductors are Principal Baroque Leader, Julia Wedman; and Artist in Residence-and-Community Ambassador, Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser.^[12]

On 23 September 2006, the Rolling Stones held a large concert on the Halifax Commons which over 39,000 people attended.^[13] Also, the municipality hosted the 2006 Juno Awards and the 2024 Juno Awards.

Performing

Halifax has been the home to live music and theatrical productions virtually since its founding. Writer-historian Thomas H. Raddall wrote that by the 1780s there were no less than two theatres, the "old" Grand Theatre on Argyle Street and the "new" Grand Theatre on Grafton Street. "The plays were mostly farces of the sort popular in London at the time..." (note Raddall). From 1876 until its demolition in 1929, plays, concerts and even operas were performed at the Academy of Music building near the corner of Barrington Street at Spring Garden Road. Reflecting the change in popular taste, the Academy building was torn down to make way for the Capitol Theatre, a movie house. The old-style cinema was itself subject to obsolescence, and in the 1970s demolished to make way for an office building - now the Maritime Centre.

Multiple dance associations exist within Halifax Regional Municipality. Since 1947, the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts (The Conservatory) has offered post-secondary dance, music, and theatre programs. It is located in the West End of Halifax. It offers general and professional programs to beginners or the experienced. Furthermore, the school offers a post-secondary Teacher Training Program Diploma.^[14]

Halifax Dance offers classes from the Maritime Centre in Downtown Halifax. Established in 1973 as the Halifax Dance Association, Halifax Dance offers recreational classes in ballet, creative movement, hip-hop, jazz, modern, physical theatre, and tap. At an advanced level, choreopgraphy; dance; and performance are offered within the Intensive Training Programme (ITP). Furthermore, Halifax Dance has several companies-in-residence: Senior Company-in Residence, Gwen Noah Dance, the modern companies Mocean Dance and Verve Mwendo and also the Young Company which tours Nova Scotian schools and annually presents The Nutcracker.^[15]

Halifax's immigrant communities also have an array of dance troupes that perform all over Halifax and Nova Scotia. One of these troupes is the Romiosyni Dance Group from the Greek community^[16] which headlines at the annual Greek Festival and performs throughout the Maritimes. The group is composed of volunteer instructors and dancers who share the love of Greek dance and culture. Their costume collection comes from the various regions of Greece and their repertoire includes a large number of traditional Greek dances.

Theatre

Halifax is home to a number of theatre groups, the most prominent being the Neptune Theatre. Though Neptune was founded in 1963, live theatre had been performed on the present site since 1915 when it was reputed to be the first Vaudeville house designed and built specifically as a theatre.^[17]

Since 1993, the Eastern Front Theatre hosts theatre camps, stage theatre, and promotes accessibility to theatre. This theatre is based in Alderney Landing, Dartmouth.

The open air Shakespeare by the Sea,^[18] Canada's longest continuously running community theatre The Theatre Arts Guild^[19] operates within the municipality and was started in 1994.

Smaller theatre companies such as Zuppa Circus,^[20] 2b Theatre;^[21] Foghorn Theatre,^[22] OneLight Theatre,^[23] as well as various community-based theatre groups including the Chester Players^[24] and the Dartmouth Players.^[25]

Museums

The Nova Scotia Museum network hosts two museums in the municipality: The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History. Both of these museums are within Halifax's urban core. Furthermore, the Canadian Museuim of Immigration at Pier 21 is on Terminal Road. The Halifax Citadel within the urban core is a 22.6 ha (56 acres) fort and National Historic Site.^[33]

The Discovery Centre offers interactive educational subjects. Its current location off of Lower Water Street has over 3,700 square metres (40,000 sq ft) of floor space, which is double that of the former location.^[34]

On 3 November 1964, the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame was established. The free museum showcases achievements of sport within the Nova Scotian community and has been in its current location at the World Trade and Convention Centre off of Argyle Street since December 1988.^[35]

Within the North End, the Africville Museum shares the history of the Africville community.^[36]

With over 3,700 square metres (40,000 sq ft) of exhibit space, the Steele Wheels Motor Museum in Bayers Lake contains classic, super, and exotic vehicles.^[37]

The Dartmouth Heritage Museum was established in 1967. Since 2002, its locations include Evergreen House off of Newcastle Street and the Quaker House off of Ochterloney Street. Both museums have exhibited Dartmouth cultural, historical, and storytelling of Greater Dartmouth.^[38]

The Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia is a library resource and museum dedicated to African Nova Scotian culture. Located in Cherry Brook, it has been in operation since 1983 and exhibits to protect, preserve, and promote black culture.^[39]

In 1973, the Cole Harbour Rural Heritage Farm was established. This museum focuses on the preservation and interpretation of Cole Harbour's agricultural past.^[40]

With a goal to acquire, conserve, organize, research, and interpret things with relation to Canadian Maritime Military Aviation, the Shearwater Aviation Museum displays Canadian Armed Forces artifacts and documents. Opened in 1978, the museum is located in Shearwater.^[41]

A museum which is dedicated to the Shubenacadie Canal System education, the Fairbanks Centre is located at the entrance of Shubie Park. This centre is open all-year and is the Shubenacadie Canal System's interpretive liaison.^[42]

The Urban Farm Museum, which is partnered with the Urban Farm Museum Society of Spryfield, is over 1.41 hectares (3.5 acres) urban farm. In 2016, the farm received a gift of over 0.86 hectares (2.1 acres) of old growth forested land from Ralph Medjuck. Gardens commenced in 2002, and the museum promotes skills to provide healthy and safe food for now and in the future.^[43]

Built in approximately 1770, The Scott Manor House and its namesake Museum is a home which has a cellar, first floor, second floor, and an attic. Located in Central Bedford, the museum depicts life in the area during the time period.^[44]

The Fultz House in Lower Sackville was finished in 1865 and opened as a museum on 1 July 1982. With a display of artifacts from Beaver Bank, Kinsac, Lucasville, and Lower; Middle; and Upper Sackville history, some pieces date from the 1800s.^[45][46]

In Waverley, the Waverley Heritage Museum gives visitors education on local milling, mining, railway, and smithing industry in the area. Furthermore, a collection of area census records, directories, and maps.^[47]

Venues

The largest indoor venue in Halifax Regional Municipality is the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax's urban core. At over 1,500 square metres (16,000 sq ft), it has a seating capacity over 10,500 people. The multipurpose facility has been host to numerous concerts, hockey games, and events since its opening in 1978.^[57]

Outdoor concerts are often performed on the slopes of Citadel Hill or on the Halifax Common. Other venues include:

• Citadel High School
  • Spatz Theatre is a 780-seat auditorium.
• Halifax West High School
  • Bella Rose Arts Centre a 600-seat auditorium.
• Dalhousie University
  • Rebecca Cohn Auditorium is a 1023-seat auditorium.
  • Dalhousie Arts Centre is home to Symphony Nova Scotia.
  • Ondaatje Hall is a 535-seat lecture halls.
  • Sir James Dunn Theatre is a 198-seat theatre.
• Mount Saint Vincent University
  • Seton Auditorium is a 1000-seat auditorium with a unique round configuration.
• Saint Mary's University
  • McNally Theatre is a 600-seat auditorium.
• Casino Nova Scotia has several venues for concerts and events.
• Alderney Landing Community Cultural Centre is a convention centre, art gallery, market, and theatre facility in Downtown Dartmouth, Nova Scotia with capability to host events with up-to 8000-persons.^[58]
• The Halifax Pavilion is an all-ages club and operates as a venue to foster new performers and offer a stage for burgeoning bands to try out their tunes. It also hosts up-and-coming out of town bands and creates a community among indie and especially punk musicians.
• Paul O'Regan Hall is a 300-seat auditorium at the Halifax Central Library.
• The Khyber is an arts and performance centre on Barrington Street.
• The Music Room is a 110-seat venue noted for its excellent acoustics.
• The Paragon (formerly the Marquee Club) is the place for the bigger indie acts in Halifax, in an old, run down looking commercial building in the Halifax's North End. Considered one of the best live music venues in Atlantic Canada, its stage has hosted a who's who of local and Canadian music staples.^[59]
• Neptune Theatre
  • Fountain Hall has 479-seats.
  • Studio Theatre has capability for 200 seats.

Halifax has many cannabis and liquor vendors. With over 655 licensed liquor establishments^[60] and 25 licensed cannabis dispensaries,^[61] Halifax has 148 liquor establishments and 5 cannabis dispensaries per 100,000 residents.

The Split Crow Pub is a tavern founded in 1890 and named after the oldest pub in the town, which was the first place in Nova Scotia to get a liquor licence.^[62][63]

Halifax's relatively late last call (between 03:00 and 04:00) means that many party-goers are out into the early hours of the morning. A popular destination after leaving the bars is Pizza Corner.^[64] Many bars have live music every night of the week and artists performing almost any style of music can be found.