• SWMF 2026 Keys of Life Banner Art

    DISCOVER MORE ABOUT THIS YEAR'S FESTIVAL
  • Two male musicians playing violins on stage, with sheet music in front of them. One is wearing glasses and both are dressed in black. A grand piano is behind them.

    Do you know any classically trained musicians between the ages of 15 to 25?

    We are looking for aspiring, emerging musicians to perform as a part of the up-and-coming Young Artist Program.

    TAKE A CLOSER LOOK
  • Making Music Happen Banner Img

    Music that Inspires, Challenges, and Connects.

    The SweetWater Music Festival showcases the best musicians from across Canada and beyond performing classical, jazz, and contemporary music.

    SEE WHAT'S WAITING FOR YOU!
  • Sheet music on a stand with a harp in the background and a blurred figure playing the harp.

    Help Us Keep the Music Alive!

    Your donations fund the September Festival, other concerts, community outreach initiatives, education programs, and ongoing operations.

    SUPPORT SWEETWATER MUSIC FESTIVAL

For twenty years, SweetWater Music Festival has been captivating and enriching our local community by spreading the joy of music. This year’s festival was a proud homage to our dedicated audiences, hard-working volunteers, and our supremely talented musicians as we celebrated twenty years of enjoying live music together!  

An enormous thank you to our guest performers, volunteers, staff and many patrons for making this year one to cherish – we look forward to seeing you again this year!

SWMF 2026 Keys of Life September 15-20
A group of five musicians playing string instruments on a stage with a black background, with a music stand in front of each of them.
A man with glasses and a pink T-shirt holding a violin on a dark stage.
A woman with glasses playing a cello during a music rehearsal, with sheet music in the foreground.
A man with long, curly hair and a beard hugging a woman with short, gray hair on a dark stage.
Three older adults, two women and one man, are standing together in a conference or event setting. They are smiling and wearing name tags. The man is holding a booklet or pamphlet. The background includes a large colorful artwork on the wall.
Two smiling people, a man with long red hair and a beard wearing a blue floral shirt and black blazer, and a woman with short gray hair and glasses wearing a black top and conference badge, standing together in a warmly lit indoor conference setting.
A group of people gathered at an art gallery event, with some holding drinks. One woman is raising a framed certificate or award, while paintings are displayed on the wall behind them.
People conversing at an art gallery event, with paintings hanging on the wall in the background.
Part of a woman with glasses holding a glass of white wine, and a man in black jacket holding a glass of red wine, standing at a table with a bar menu, a purple pamphlet, and a second wine glass.
Young woman playing a cello during a performance in front of an audience with blurred audience members in the foreground.
A live performance featuring a violinist and a singer at a concert or event, with an audience of older adults watching.
Group of adults happily socializing, with a woman in the center smiling, at an indoor art gallery.
Group of people looking at art or photographs displayed in an art gallery.
A man with long blonde hair and a beard is speaking into a handheld microphone; he is wearing a blue Hawaiian shirt with darker blue floral and animal patterns. In the background, there are wooden paneling and a painting of a landscape with hills and
Music stand with sheet music and a tablet in front of an audience seated in a darkened room.
A young man with blond hair and a beard playing a grand piano, with a violin hanging nearby.
A group of elderly people sitting in an auditorium, attentively listening to a speaker at an event.
Person with long hair holding a microphone, speaking or singing, on a stage with a dark background.
A woman wearing sunglasses and a colorful patterned blouse stands on stage, holding a folder, with a piano and other musicians in the background, performing in a dark auditorium with a blue banner reading 'Harmony Centre'.
A woman in colorful clothing and red glasses standing and speaking to an audience while four musicians play violins on stage in a dark performance setting.
Three musicians playing violin on stage in front of an audience, with dark background and some audience members visible in the foreground.
Woman with red hair, pink glasses, and colorful geometric patterned blouse singing or speaking at a piano during a performance, with other musicians visible in the background in a dimly lit room with windows
Black and white photograph of a musical performance inside a church. A woman is singing into a microphone while four musicians play instruments, including a violin, piano, and cello. The audience, seated in pews, watches attentively.
Classical string quartet performing on stage in front of an audience, with a priest's cross in the background.
A young woman with long wavy hair holding a microphone in one hand and a violin in the other, smiling during a performance or speech.
A woman in a black dress playing the piano, with a man sitting beside her and another person standing nearby, in a room with cream-colored walls and a cross on the wall.
Woman with curly brown hair and glasses smiling and singing into a microphone while holding a guitar, in a room with beige walls.
A woman with glasses and curly hair singing and playing a ukulele in front of an audience, with a bouquet of plants on a wooden stand behind her.
A large group of musicians playing violins and violas during an orchestra rehearsal in a concert hall.
A young girl playing the cello, sitting on the ground, with a focused expression, holding the bow in her right hand and the neck of the cello with her left, in black and white.
An orchestra performing in a concert hall, with musicians playing violins, cellos, and basses, and music stands holding sheet music, during a rehearsal or concert.
A group of people sitting at a bar or counter, smiling and engaged in conversation, with sunlight coming through large windows.
A group of musicians, including string players, taking a bow on stage after a performance in a concert hall, with audience members seated in front.
A woman singing passionately on stage with a man playing the violin behind her, both dressed in colorful clothing, with a decorative background featuring white dove cutouts and red and orange drapes.
A group of six young musicians performing a classical concert on a wooden stage. Four are playing violins, one is playing a cello, and one is playing a grand piano. The stage is decorated with red and orange drapes, a green cloth with a gold cross, a
Orchestra performing on stage in a church or concert hall decorated with red and gold drapes and white dove decorations, with concert attendees seated in the foreground.
Man playing an upright bass on stage with headphones nearby, in a dark setting.
Bald man in black suit Playing Yamaha drum set on stage in dim lighting.
A man in a black suit playing a grand piano on a stage with music sheets open. Audience members are seated and watching the performance in a dimly lit room.
Musicians performing on stage at a concert, with a pianist, double bassist, and drummer, while an audience watches. The stage has a black grand piano, sheet music, and plants.
Musicians preparing for a concert in a church with stained glass windows, a large wooden cross, and a blue altar with a butterfly design.
A man with glasses and a patterned shirt playing a French horn in an indoor setting, with another musician holding a violin partially visible behind him.
A woman with glasses and dark hair playing a violin during a performance.
Women playing violins in an orchestra during a performance.
Group of musicians playing violins during a performance, with a decorative wooden art piece in the background.
Orchestra performing on stage with musicians playing violins, cellos, flutes, clarinets, French horns, and a double bass, in a room with wooden floors and decorative wood paneling.
A woman in a dark blue gown singing on stage with an orchestra, in front of a decorative wooden backdrop with musical symbols.
A group of 16 musicians, including 1 young girl, pose with their instruments on a wooden stage in a concert hall. They are holding violins, a cello, a clarinet, and a double bass, smiling and dressed in formal and semi-formal attire. The background f

What’s New?

Featured
SweetWater How it Began…
SweetWater How it Began…

Hear how it all began… interviews with SweetWater co-founders Keith Medley and Mark Fewer, Evan and Ian Medley, as well as core volunteer Judith Thomson about how the festival began.

Read more →
Small Town – Big Idea
Small Town – Big Idea

Small Town – Big Idea is a conversation between the two gifted musicians who have led SweetWater, its founding artistic director, Mark Fewer, and his successor and once violin student, Edwin Huizinga, now the current artistic director.

Read more →
SweetWater Music Festival Strategic Plan 2025-2030
SweetWater Music Festival Strategic Plan 2025-2030

Check out our new Strategic Plan 2025-2030.  We are building on past successes and have big plans for SweetWater in the future!

Read more →
Something Sweet for Spring in Leith
Something Sweet for Spring in Leith

The SweetWater Music Festival’s Springtime Live concert week was a huge success on many fronts. This year, the festival expanded to offer a sold out show at the L.E.Shore Gallery in Thornbury on Thursday, May 22.

Read more →

A quick look at how SweetWater is making music happen over the past year.

A short look back at some of the musical moments and more from SweetWater 2021. Special thanks to Livestream Partner CTRE for their videography and post production to bring these highlights together.

Make a donation.

Your donations fund the September Festival, other concerts, community outreach initiatives, education programs, and ongoing operations. You can also support one of our endowed funds. Remember, you will receive a tax receipt for any contribution to SweetWater. Thank you for your support!

DONATE TODAY! 
Charitable Registration Number 850874389RR0001.

SweetWater is possible thanks to the ongoing support of

Canada
Ontario Arts Council
Ontario
Leflar Foundation
CFGB
ArtsAlliance-Resized.png