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Orangeville selected for a ‘Nashville Takeover,’ featuring intimate songwriter experience

November 27, 2025   ·   0 Comments

By Sam Odrowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Orangeville is well-known as a music community.

From the Blues and Jazz Festival to the live-music focused Orangeville Ribfest and Theatre Orangeville’s Summer Arts Fest, these annual events collectively attract tens of thousands of people to the community each year.

But there’s a new event coming to town – the Nashville Takeover.

Backyard Music Co. announced on Nov. 17 that Orangeville has officially been selected as one of 13 towns across Canada to host a Nashville Takeover next year from July 10-12

“The Nashville Takeover is a three-day songwriter-style experience where top emerging artists from Nashville and Canada perform in intimate venues and unique spaces throughout Orangeville,” said Scotty James, founder of Backyard Music Co. and the Nashville Takeover.

“Rather than big stages or loud production, this is built around storytelling, connection, and hearing the songs behind the music directly from the artists who wrote them. Think candle-lit rooms, historic spaces, patios, and hidden venues with artists sitting just feet away, sharing the stories that inspired their songs.”

Participating venues include Orangeville’s Bluebird Cafe, Revival 1863 (within Barley Vine Rail Co.), Taphouse, and the historic Opera House. James said additional locations will be announced soon.

More than 15 artists are anticipated to perform over the three-day event.

With only 13 towns selected to host Nashville Takeovers in 2026, residents from each community rallied on social media to bring it to their backyard.

“Orangeville was selected from hundreds of towns across Canada after an overwhelming show of community support during a nationwide campaign. The level of pride, engagement, and enthusiasm from Orangeville residents stood out immediately, and it was clear this is a town that rallies behind local experiences. That sense of community is exactly what this event is built around,” said James.

Orangeville Mayor Lisa Post told the Citizen she was thrilled to learn that Orangeville has been selected as a host community for the Nashville Takeover.

“Bringing new, fun, and vibrant events like this into our town helps to support our local economy, showcase our incredible downtown and local businesses, and create memorable experiences for residents and visitors,” Mayor Post enthused. “Orangeville has a long history of being an arts and culture community, so being chosen as a destination for an event like this is a real honour. We can’t wait to welcome the energy, music, and excitement that Nashville will bring to Orangeville next summer.”

James noted that the festival’s up-close-and-personal aspect will create an intimate musical experience for attendees.

“It’s unlike any typical music festival. There are no barriers, no large crowds, and no production distractions – just close-up moments, emotion, laughter, surprise collaborations, and artists performing like they would in Nashville’s famous Bluebird Café. It’s real, raw, and incredibly personal. Guests often describe it as goosebumps from start to finish,” James lauded.

The Nashville Takeover will feature writers behind major songs, artists on the rise, and performers who are poised for breakout success.

“Past lineups have included artists with Billboard-charting songs and writers with multiple number-one hits,” said James.

While the Nashville Takeover concept is new to Canada, Backyard Music Co. has been curating intimate Nashville-style experiences across North America for years. The Nashville Takeover model was launched earlier this year, with events in Collingwood and Port Stanley. James said he was blown away by the response and decided to increase the number of Nashville Takeovers held in 2026.

“Due to that success, we expanded nationwide, and Orangeville is part of this next wave,” he said.

James anticipates a few thousand attendees across all participating venues over the three-day event.

“The venues are intentionally small to preserve the intimate nature of the shows, so space is limited,” James noted.

He warned the Citizen that once tickets are gone, more won’t be added, so people interested in attending should secure them before they’re gone.

“We can’t add capacity because the whole experience relies on closeness with the artists. If you want to be part of something truly unique, something that will likely sell out, now is the time to secure passes,” said James.

Going forward, he told the Citizen he’s working with local venue partners to design memorable locations while finalizing the performing artists’ travel and scheduling.

“We’ll also begin grassroots promotion across the community to build local excitement. Our goal is to work closely with Orangeville businesses to create an event that feels fully embedded into the town,” James noted.

“This is more than a musical event, it’s a cultural experience for the town,” he continued. “For three days, Orangeville will host some of the most promising songwriters in North America in a setting that allows the audience to truly connect with the artists. You don’t just watch the show, you become part of it. We’re proud to bring this to Orangeville and believe it will be one of the most unforgettable weekends the town has ever seen.”

Tickets are currently on sale at luma.com/x27sd7wi, with weekend and day passes available.

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