Shaggy, Lupe Fiasco, Tom Cochrane to headline CNE concert lineup
Posted April 30, 2026 1:02 pm.
Last Updated April 30, 2026 5:16 pm.
Jamaican-American reggae star Shaggy, Chicago rapper Lupe Fiasco and homegrown hall-of-famer Tom Cochrane are among the artists set to play the Canadian National Exhibition’s concert series this year.
Organizers of the annual end-of-summer event at Toronto’s Exhibition Place announced the first wave of headliners at the CNE, beginning with Fiasco on Aug. 21.
He’ll be followed by “It Wasn’t Me” singer Shaggy on Aug.23 and “Life Is a Highway” belter Cochrane on Sept. 5.
Other Canadians tapped to headline are rockers The Trews, synth-pop singer-songwriter Lights and post-hardcore mainstays Silverstein. More artists will be announced in the coming months.
Artists will perform across five music stages, organizers say, including the newly added NXNE Stage and the CNE Bandshell stage, which is being rebranded as the Bell Soundstage.
All shows are free with CNE admission, though organizers say this year they’re adding a VIP add-on option “with dynamic pricing,” which includes a reserved front-row viewing area at the Bell Soundstage and access to VIP areas.
The CNE runs from Aug. 21 to Sept. 7.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 30, 2026.
Alex Nino Gheciu, The Canadian Press
