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Detail of an image featuring text within a circle, superimposed in the centre of a grid of five photographs. Text: Barrie Theatre Festival. Top left: A man wearing a headset microphone performs on stage. Top centre: Three performers on stage, the middle one playing a guitar. Top right: A woman in a long blue print dress performs onstage, holding a closed fan to her forehead, left arm outstretched. Bottom right: Three performers on stage, the one on the right wearing a flamingo floatation device & the one in the middle with an animal puppet on their right hand. Bottom left: Three performers on stage in an animated discussion, with the man in the middle holding his tie out.
Detail of an image featuring text within a circle, superimposed in the centre of a grid of five photographs. Text: Barrie Theatre Festival. Top left: A man wearing a headset microphone performs on stage. Top centre: Three performers on stage, the middle one playing a guitar. Top right: A woman in a long blue print dress performs onstage, holding a closed fan to her forehead, left arm outstretched. Bottom right: Three performers on stage, the one on the right wearing a flamingo floatation device & the one in the middle with an animal puppet on their right hand. Bottom left: Three performers on stage in an animated discussion, with the man in the middle holding his tie out.

10 days, 6 productions 10 days, 6 productions

A carefully curated celebration of storytelling.

Home Events Performance 2026 Barrie Theatre Festival

2026 Barrie Theatre Festival

From Thursday, June 4 to Saturday, June 13, 2026 – Tourism Barrie presents the 2026 Barrie Theatre Festival. This year’s festival features six curated, professional productions, showcasing an exciting lineup of award-winning comedy, high-energy music, regional stories and contemporary dance. At Five Points Theatre.

10 days. 6 productions. 1 great city.

For 10 days each June, Barrie becomes a destination for professional live theatre. The Barrie Theatre Festival is a carefully curated celebration of storytelling designed to be accessible, engaging and welcoming for audiences. The festival presents six professional productions from across Canada, each running under an hour, allowing audiences to experience multiple productions in a single visit.

Downtown Barrie comes alive during the festival. Restaurants buzz. Conversations spill onto sidewalks. The theatre becomes a gathering place. Join the fun for an afternoon, an evening, or a few days. Perfect for theatre lovers, curious audiences, cultural explorers, weekday and weekend getaways, and anyone who enjoys discovering something new.

Your next favourite story starts here

This year’s Featured Series includes two award-winning comedies: SwordPlay: A Play of Swords by Toronto-based sketch comedy troupe Sex T-Rex and Milk Milk Lemonade by clown duo Mallowmarsh Productions.

“We are thrilled to welcome Sex T-Rex back to Barrie with a brand new, award-winning production. SwordPlay is exactly the kind of bold, high-quality, audience-driven work that defines the Barrie Theatre Festival – it’s smart, it’s hilarious, and it’s an unforgettable night at the theatre.”

– Glenn Coulson, Executive Producer of Theatre by the Bay

The festival’s Spotlight Series includes the absurd satire Village Idiots by Ben Anderson; pop culture musical You, Me, and the Big Screen performed by Danny Cannis; historical play There Are Enemies by Michael Whyte; and the dance piece How Do You Live? by Simcoe Contemporary Dancers.

Explore the lineup (see the detailed synopses below). Choose your favourites. And make the festival part of your June.

Barrie Theatre Festival is featured as part of Theatre by the Bay’s 2026 Signature Season. Theatre by the Bay is a professional, not-for-profit theatre company based in Barrie, Ontario. They produce world-class theatre, blending nationally recognized talent from Stratford Festival, Shaw Festival, Broadway and Mirvish productions with exceptional rising artists from Central Ontario. Read more about Theatre by the Bay here.

Image featuring text within a circle, superimposed in the centre of a grid of five photographs. Text: Barrie Theatre Festival. Top left: A man wearing a headset microphone performs on stage. Top centre: Three performers on stage, the middle one playing a guitar. Top right: A woman in a long blue print dress performs onstage, holding a closed fan to her forehead, left arm outstretched. Bottom right: Three performers on stage, the one on the right wearing a flamingo floatation device & the one in the middle with an animal puppet on their right hand. Bottom left: Three performers on stage in an animated discussion, with the man in the middle holding his tie out.

(Photo credits: Tourism Barrie & Theatre by the Bay. Barrie Theatre Festival.)

 

Event details

Presented by: Tourism Barrie, as part of Theatre by the Bay’s 2026 Signature Season

Type of event: theatre festival

Featured Series performances:

  • SwordPlay: A Play of Swords by Sex T-Rex. SwordPlay is a high-energy adventure comedy blending the spirit of The Princess Bride, The Three Musketeers, Game of Thrones, The Legend of Zelda and Final Fantasy. The show delivers a fast-paced theatrical experience where no plot is untwisted, no villain is left unstabbed and no chandelier goes unswung.
  • Milk Milk Lemonade by Mallowmarsh Productions. Milk Milk Lemonade is a whirlwind comedy that follows the class clowns of Mallowmarsh Elementary as they navigate snack-time economics, the horrors of health class and the rough-and-tumble world of indoor recess.

Spotlight Series performances:

  • Village Idiots by Ben Anderson. It is Friday afternoon at the Newton Village council office, and three eccentric council members are desperate to clock out for a long weekend. Their plans are derailed when a panicked townsperson arrives with a wild claim: a giant bear has eaten her brother and is charging toward the village. Village Idiots is a brilliantly absurd satire on bureaucracy proving that, in Newton Village, the most dangerous predators are the ones sitting behind the desks.
  • You, Me, and the Big Screen, performed by Danny Cannis. For film buffs and music lovers, You, Me, and the Big Screen is a 45-minute musical spectacular that brings iconic movie songs to life. Audiences can expect familiar songs, unexpected twists, and a celebration of the music that made generations fall in love with the movies.
  • There Are Enemies by Michael Whyte. Inspired by an actual rumour that enemy spies were operating in Parry Sound during the Second World War, There Are Enemies is a sharp and comical historical play about a local citizen launching a misguided cat-and-mouse game to catch suspected spies.
  • How Do You Live?, by Simcoe Contemporary Dancers. Threaded together through spoken word and physical connection, How Do You Live? explores powerful forces like grief and joy that shape our lives. Rooted in the belief that storytelling through dance helps people connect and heal, How Do You Live? invites audiences into a moving, reflective and deeply human experience.

Dates & times: The festival runs from Thursday, June 4 – Saturday, June 13, 2026. See specific dates and times for each show below.

  • Milk Milk Lemonade: Thursday, June 4 – Saturday, June 13 @ 7:00 PM ET daily.
  • SwordPlay: A Play of Swords: Thursday, June 4 – Saturday, June 13 @ 8:00 PM ET daily.
  • Village Idiots: Thursday, June 4 – Monday, June 8 @ 4:00 PM ET daily.
  • You, Me, and the Big Screen: Thursday, June 4 – Monday, June 8 @ 5:00 PM ET daily.
  • There Are Enemies: Tuesday, June 9 – Saturday, June 13 @ 4:00 PM ET daily.
  • How Do You Live?: Tuesday, June 9 – Saturday, June 13 @ 5:00 PM ET daily.

Duration: Each show runs approx. 1 hour or less (no intermission)

Cost: All prices include tax.

  • Featured Series performances (SwordPlay: A Play of Swords & Milk Milk Lemonade): C$32.75 each
  • Spotlight Series performances (Village Idiots; You, Me, and the Big Screen; There Are Enemies & How Do You Live?): C$27.10 each

Location: Five Points Theatre, 1 Dunlop Street West, Barrie, ON, L4N 1A1

Booking links: Use the booking links below to book your tickets. For accessible seating, please visit the box office (see theatre venue location above) or call (705) 739-4228 in advance to purchase tickets.

Contact details: Theatre by the Bay, 24 Maple Ave., Barrie, ON, L4M 7W4, Canada; Five Points Theatre box office: (705) 739-4228, box.office@barrie.ca; Theatre website: theatrebythebay.com

 

Content warning: Please refer to the individual performances.

Accessibility: The theatre is accessible. Please note that there are multiple stairs in the theatre that can be an obstacle for wheelchairs and walkers. Please visit the box office or call (705) 739-4228 in advance to purchase tickets for accessible seating.

Refund policy: Please contact the box office (see details above).