What's On at Burlington Performing Arts Centre This Week: Indigenous Voices, Dance and a Pay-What-You-Can Concert

The Burlington Performing Arts Centre's programming around October 17 pairs a pay-what-you-can family concert in the afternoon with an evening show in the Main Theatre by three Indigenous singer-songwriters. The date falls within Secret Path Week, which the centre marks in support of the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund. BPAC says it is the first performing arts centre in Canada to create a Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund Legacy Space.

Secret Path Week and a pay-what-you-can afternoon

Secret Path Week runs October 17 to 22, a national week of reflection tied to the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund and named for Downie’s 2016 album and graphic novel about Chanie Wenjack, a 12-year-old who died in 1966 after fleeing a residential school. BPAC is marking it with a Cushion Concert in the Family Lobby from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 17. Admission is pay-what-you-can, including free, and drop-ins are welcome. The afternoon is open to all ages and is led by Coast Ts’msyen Elders Shannon Thunderbird and Kate Dickson, with representatives from the Downie & Wenjack Fund on site throughout the day. The centre set out the week’s programme in a release dated October 8, 2026.

She Carries the Song brings three Indigenous voices to the Main Theatre

That evening, She Carries the Song takes the Main Theatre at 7:30 p.m. The concert brings together three Indigenous singer-songwriters: Celeigh Cardinal, a Cree and Métis artist and JUNO Award winner; Mimi O’Bonsawin, of W8banaki heritage; and Lacey Hill, who is Oneida and Mohawk. Tickets run $37.50 to $57.50, with a member price of $32.50 to $52.50.

Dance, icons and a rock classic

Other events on the calendar include Nova Dance’s Svāhā! in the Main Theatre at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 15, a work by Toronto choreographer Nova Bhattacharya staged for the company’s 15th anniversary with a BODY Choir of 20 community members joining the dancers. Tickets are $39.50 to $59.50. Icon Productions presents Timeless Icons on Friday, October 16 at 8 p.m., and Classic Albums Live returns on Wednesday, October 21 at 7:30 p.m. to perform Led Zeppelin IV in full.

Looking ahead to the holidays

Further out, James & Jamesy bring O Christmas Tea: A British Comedy to the Main Theatre on Sunday, November 22 for two shows, at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The 60-city tour runs 90 minutes without an intermission; the show’s event page cites five-star reviews from CBC, the London Free Press, Torontoist and Stage Door. In the new year, BNP Productions presents A Tony Bennett Salute with the Franklin Penny Quintet on Thursday, January 21, 2027 at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets and visiting

BPAC’s box office is open Tuesday to Saturday from noon to 4 p.m., and tickets are sold online around the clock. The box office can be reached at 905-681-6000 or bpacboxoffice@burlington.ca. The centre is at 440 Locust Street in Burlington, Ontario, L7S 1T7, and operates as a registered not-for-profit charity, No. 82461 3020 RR0001. CHCH TV is the 26/27 season media partner, and executive director Sara Palmieri appeared on CHCH Morning Live to discuss the season.

Sources

Burlington Performing Arts Centre, “Secret Path Week” (October 8, 2026), and the centre’s events listings and individual event pages for She Carries the Song, Nova Dance’s Svāhā! and box office details.