AREA 506 exists to celebrate the best of New Brunswick. It’s the music we make and the music we listen to. It’s the culture that surrounds us and that makes us who we are. It’s all of the amazing art, crafts, goods and services that are created right here at home.

Since 2016, AREA 506 has brought all of these things together to create engaging experiences and engaged New Brunswickers. 

We sure are — it’s the 11^th one! Mark your calendars for July 30 — August 2, 2026.

As always, it’s over the New Brunswick Day long weekend — that just always seemed fitting for a celebration of everything NB. For 2026, we’ve added a fourth night, so that’s July 30 to August 2.

The Festival pops up in the space beside the Waterfront Container Village at Pugsley Terminal. You may also know it as ​‘the parking lot immediately adjacent to the AREA 506 Waterfront Container Village’ at 85 Water St. There’ll be a big tent — you won’t miss it.

We announced the lineup back in March. Here’s the poster:

No! This experience is open to anyone, and subject to available space, if you’re 12 or younger you can even attend for FREE in General Admission as long as you’re with your grown-up. Not in the VIP area, though — that’s only for those 19+. 

Kids, bring your grown-up with you to the gate, we’ll check everyone’s IDs and get you situated. Everyone receives a wristband at the gate.

Well, that depends — who’s your favourite? We’ve posted the latest schedule below (set times are correct at the time of posting and artist schedule is subject to change without notice) but the truth is, your pass works all day, so come and support the openers. Check out a band you’ve never heard of before — legend has it, folks have even discovered new favourites that way.

On Thursday (July 30) and Friday night (July 31) they open at 5PM. On Saturday & Sunday (August 2 & 3) the gates open at 2PM.

There is no parking available on-site, but our friends at TD Station have graciously offered their parking lot to festival attendees over the weekend. If that doesn’t work for you, uptown Saint John has tonnes of available parking options in garages and on-street. You could also park at one of the pickup points and take the free ANBL Safe Ride shuttle.

Yes! Thanks to our friends at ANBL Safe Ride, you’ll have a safe and reliable way home.

We’ll have three shuttles that runs continuous loops with pickup points at the Irving Oil Field House, the Moosehead Taproom, and the Rothesay Arena.

Yes, for sure! The whole site is recently paved and relatively flat to help with getting around, and we work to create space for anyone with mobility challenges on an individual basis. If you have specific questions and you’d like to chat, please email hidden; JavaScript is required.

You’re too late for Early Bird Passes — they were $299 and they’ve sold out.
Weekend Passes are on sale NOW and they’re incredible value — $349 $379 $399 for four full nights of music
We have Two-Day Passes starting at $209 and Single-Day Passes start at $119 $129 $139

Check out the full list of ticket options here.

No. All pricing is + tax & fees.

The VIP experience by Atlantic Lottery includes access to a preferred viewing area that provides great sight-lines, dedicated VIP washrooms (with touchless sinks!) and a VIP bar (with shorter lines!)

Note that VIP passes are only for those 19 years of age and older. ID is required.

You know the rules. AREA 506 is a smoke-free site. There is no smoking or vaping on the Festival grounds or within 9 metres of the entrance.

Sorry, there are no personal chairs allowed in the concert site — they can become a hazard in an emergency. As always, we’ll have some seating options available, but you should leave any folding/​portable/​camp chairs at home.

If you need to take a break from the action, you can visit the AREA 506 Safer Space by Emera New Brunswick on the top level of the Viewing Deck, or take a breather in the Container Village where you’ll find additional seating.

Apologies, but we do not have an in-person option for purchasing tickets. All tickets are sold online at area506​.ca.

Yes! You can use cash at most vendors, and in the merch tent. We’ll be using tokens again for the bar, but you can still buy those with cash, credit or debit.

Uh, YES. We might even go as far as to say ​‘encouraged’. We’ll try to make sure our photographer gets a snap.

Sure! If you create an account and register here, you’ll be notified when the schedule is open and you can sign up for available opportunities with the Festival or in the Waterfront Container Village. If you’re at least 19, you can volunteer to help serve in the bar with our friends at the United Way — sign up here.

AREA 506 is a rain or shine event. We promise you won’t melt, and — as they say — the show must go on. It’s actually one of the reasons we get that big tent!

As long as it’s safe, we’ll be here. May we be so bold as to recommend picking up some ​‘weather-appropriate attire’? Ask your mom, she’ll know what to do. She tried to teach you in junior high.

PRO TIP: get yourself one of those fold-up ponchos. REAL pros know you get a clear one so everyone can still see your ​‘fit.

Yes, they call that ​‘re-entry’. Like with astronauts! You can re-enter with your ticket and wristband.

OK, but really — how much stuff do you need for one day? You can bring a reasonably-sized bag with you — a purse or a small backpack. How big is ​‘reasonable’? Well, whatever size you choose, security is going to check it at the gate, so you can be sure that everyone waiting behind you in line will have an opinion on what’s reasonable. 

Here’s what you should bring along:

• Sunscreen — yes, it’s probably going to be foggy, but still
• Bring a sweater, it’s the waterfront and it can still get chilly at night
• One (sealed) bottle of water (up to 1L) and/​or your (empty) refillable water bottle to use at the Refill Station by Culligan Water

Things you will want to leave at home: folding/​camp chairs, umbrellas, your pet(s) and bad vibes.

Pets are welcome in the Waterfront Container Village (on their leash AND their best behaviour) but no, no furry/​fluffy/​scaly friends will be allowed the licensed, ticketed Festival area.

Unless they have their own ticket, maybe? But how would they even get that? Does your dog have a credit card?

We allow phone cameras and point-and-shoot cameras, but cameras with detachable lenses won’t be permitted through the gates unless you’ve been approved for media access.

If you’re looking to apply for a Media or Photography pass, leave your info here.

Our first suggestion is always with our friends at the Delta Hotel by Marriott Saint John, but there are lots of other options – try the hotel tool at Discover Saint John here.

Ah, you’re probably looking for a Newschaser group. Or the comment section of any completely unrelated Facebook post. Twitter (yes, we said Twitter) used to be great for that, but it’s been a real dumpster fire lately so we haven’t been checking. Could you make a TikTok about it?

Well, if you got in on them, Early Bird Weekend Passes were just $299 and they give you the very best bang for your festival-going buck. 

We’ve implemented tiered pricing again this year, so the earlier you buy, the more you save. 

• Weekend Passes (4 Days) are now $349 $379 $399
• A limited number of Two-Day passes are available starting at $209
• Single-Day Passes are available starting at $119 $129 $139

You can check out all of the options on the ticketing page. Remember that there are a limited number of tickets available at each price tier, it’s designed so that the earlier you grab your pass, the better the savings.

At par.

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