There’s a lot to look forward to in Hamilton this year.
From blockbuster concerts to headline-making sporting events to appetizing restaurant openings, here's a few dozen new reasons to put a visit to Hamilton on your bucket list in 2022.
Take a bite at a new restaurant
Matty's Hot Chicken
January will see the permanent location on Locke Street of chef Matthew Cipollo’s Nashville-style chicken joint.
Afrolicious
Get a taste of the best of global African cuisine at this new fave on James Street North.
The Burnt Tongue
Hamilton’s fallen hard for this eatery’s rotating lineup of soups, burgers and salads. So will visitors and locals in Dundas in early 2022 where they’re opening their fourth location.
Martello
Adore classic Italian dishes? On James Street North, discover sophisticated versions of favourites, like pasta carbonara, along with gorgeous pizzas.
Flora Pizzeria
Hamilton’s pizza offerings are off the hook, including this new downtown spot featuring Roman-style pies.
Mimi’s Asian Gourmet
As soon as it opened, this new downtown take-out spot was earning five-star reviews for its pad Thai, laksa (a Singaporean soup), and Malaysian-style curries.
Just Crepe N Around
Whether you like your crepes sweet or savoury, you’ll find plenty of choices at this new spot on Parkdale Avenue in the city’s east end.
Cheer the return of spectator sport
It's going to be a big, big year for sporting events in The Hammer. Consider these notable highlights:
Heritage Classic
March 13
Hockey fans can cheer on the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Buffalo Sabres at this historic matchup at Hamilton's Tim Hortons Field.
ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships
April 7 – April 9
Be there to witness a battle of the blades when world’s best synchronized skaters hit the ice at FirstOntario Centre in downtown Hamilton.
The Rock
2021-2022 season
Lacrosse fans are celebrating the arrival of the city’s newest professional lacrosse team. In May 2021, it was announced The Rock of the National Lacrosse League would leave its Toronto home and head to Hamilton for its 2021-2022 season.
Around the Bay Race
March 27
This historic 30k race around the city is back as an in-person event for 2022 when it will mark its 127th season. It is the oldest running event of its kind, pre-dating the Boston Marathon.
Feel the energy of a live performance
With so many great acts coming to Hamilton in 2022, you might have a hard time choosing which ones to see. Here are a few already generating excitement.
Concerts at FirstOntario Centre
You can almost hear the roar of the crowd when it comes to these coming acts: Just For Laughs Comedy Night, hosted by Rick Mercer (April 28), Jann Arden (May 30), Rage Against the Machine (July 19), RuPaul’s Drag Race World Tour (Aug. 17), and Iron Maiden (Oct. 12) to name just a few.
The Arkells present The Rally
June 25
Hamilton’s own Arkells will kickstart summer in style with an outdoor concert that will rock Tim Hortons Field.
Bridgeworks
The folks behind Supercrawl and Mills Hardware have launched a new mid-size concert space in a former carpentry shop on Caroline Street North. The activity will ramp up in 2022 with up to 500 guests in attendance and a packed schedule of cool and independent acts. Check their schedule for a full schedule of cool and independent acts
Supercrawl Returns
Sept. 9-11
The city's marquee music and arts street festival returns this September, coinciding with the Music Cities Forum (Sept. 7-8) the city will host to celebrate all things music.
Get to and from the city faster
All-day GO train service
Getting to and from Hamilton recently got a lot easier (and faster) with additional service from Union Station in Toronto to the West Harbour GO Station in Hamilton. Trains now run hourly, seven days a week.
Hamilton International Airport
Hamilton's hassle-free airport only 15 minutes from downtown, and continues to offer the perfect starting and arrival point for low-cost and convenient flight trips across the country and beyond.
Enjoy a revitalized waterfront
Theodore the Tugboat
The replica of the iconic kids’ tv show favourite recently made the voyage from Halifax to his new home in Hamilton. Deck tours and activities are in the works. In the meantime, drop by for a selfie.
Copps Pier Park
Hamilton’s newest waterfront park at the West Harbour will have its grand opening this spring. Expect striking design that honours the city's marine and industrial history and lots of public spaces, perfect for sandy beach play, markets, festivals and performances.
See more of Hamilton on the big (and little) screen
The city is getting plenty of time in the spotlight lately with tons of productions happening locally. Follow in the steps of these productions and see where the cameras rolled.
Umbrella Academy
Season 3 coming to Netflix in 2022
The cast and crew are no strangers to Hamilton. They keep coming back to their favourite filming spots and finding new ones. Snap a selfie in Gore Park, Shorty’s Pizza, Gage Park and ‘Restaurant Row‘ along King William Street - all featured in the third season.
Mayor of Kingstown
now available on Paramount Plus
The drama about for-profit prisons made a big splash with its debut episode. Watch for Hamilton Harbour to make an appearance, along with Sam’s Tavern and the Trocadero Restaurant (both on Barton Street), the downtown core, and the pedestrian bridge on Emerald Street North.
Firestarter
set for release fall 2022
Based on Stephen King’s supernatural novel, this feature film used some of Hamilton’s most beautiful natural scenery in its storytelling. You’ll see Van Wagner’s Beach and the Dundas Valley Conservation Area featured.
Visit Worthy Attractions and Exhibits
Art Gallery of Hamilton (AGH)
There’s always something new at AGH, the largest and oldest art museum in Southern Ontario including these new exhibits in 2022. Young Water Speaks (until Feb. 27). The national textile installation series connected more than 2,500 youth with acclaimed storytellers to help them create original art reflecting local waterscapes, culture and history. Next up is Michèle Pearson Clarke: Muscle Memory (Feb. 12 to May 23) and Margaret Watkins: Black Light (Feb. 12 to May 1).
Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience (February 11 to March 6)
Using cutting-edge projection technology, visitors can experience more than 300 of Van Gogh’s masterpieces in a new way, incorporating still and moving art, spread over 30,000 square feet of the Hamilton Convention Centre.
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum
If you love planes, you'll want to put these events on your calendar, especially ones marking the museum's 50th anniversary: HeritageCon XIV (March 27), Canada's largest plastic scale model show; Airshow50 (June 25-26), Flyfest (July 16-17) and Air Force Day (Aug. 13).
Treetop Trekking
Now open for winter fun for the entire family. This crowd-pleaser is worth checking out. It was named people's choice ‘top attraction’ at Ontario Tourism Awards for the second year in a row.
New Street Art to Explore
Hamilton is packed with amazing new street-level murals and art installations to look out for.
Downtown on James Street North, you'll find two new striking pieces:
Nitewaé:non or 'the place where I come from'
Mohawk artist Melissa General explores her relationship to her home Six Nations of the Grand River Territory (118 James St. N.).
Dominion
Mary Anne Barkhouse explores humanity's relationship with other animals and the natural world (91 James St. N).
Seven Sacred Grandfather Teachings
Up the 'Mountain' at 576 Concession Street, find the newest piece by prolific local artist, Kyle Joedicke. Seven Sacred Grandfather Teachings features seven animals that reflect the oral history and traditions passed down by Indigenous elders from the artist's Haudenosaunee culture.