LISTEN – Supercrawl & Polaris Festival Present William Prince and Population II
September 12, 2026 | TD Main Stage, Hamilton, Ontario | William Prince: 10:30 PM | Population II: 8:15 PM | Free All Ages
The Polaris Festival travels to Hamilton this September for a free live music experience presented in collaboration with Supercrawl, Hamilton’s premier multi-arts festival. Staged along a pedestrian-only creative corridor in the heart of downtown, the co-presentation brings together Polaris-recognized artists William Prince and Population II for performances that reflect the range, imagination and creative risk found across Canadian music.
Rooted in Community and Driven by Discovery
Founded by Hamilton artists and community builders in 2009, Supercrawl was created to showcase the city’s cultural vibrancy and eclectic arts landscape. The not-for-profit festival brings new and independent music together with visual and media art, fashion, performance, literature, theatre and artisanal craft, positioning local and emerging artists alongside established provincial, national and international peers.
What began as a one-day celebration on a single downtown block has grown into a multi-day festival spanning more than two kilometres of Hamilton’s streets and welcoming more than 285,000 attendees in 2024. Through its free public programming, Supercrawl creates an accessible gathering place where audiences can discover artists, encounter different creative disciplines and experience the cultural vitality of Hamilton.
Through its partnership with the 2026 Polaris Festival, Supercrawl creates another opportunity for audiences outside Toronto to experience Canadian music recognized for its artistic merit and cultural significance. The collaboration reflects a shared commitment to supporting artists, removing barriers to participation and presenting adventurous Canadian music within welcoming public spaces.
The co-presented performances embody the values shared by Polaris and Supercrawl: rooted in community, driven by discovery and committed to arts and culture.
Population II
Population II is a band dedicated to its disengagement, constantly working on refining their imposing, yet unpretentious sound. A trio consisting of singer/drummer Pierre-Luc Gratton, guitarist/keyboardist Tristan Lacombe and bassist Sébastien Provençal, Population II are masters at both improvised madness and sophisticated composition, delivering heavy psychedelic rock infused with feverish funk rhythms, a hint of jazz philosophy, a burst of energy reminiscent of punk’s early days, and a love of minor scales that harkens back to the roots of heavy metal.
Their sources of inspiration are diverse and not limited to music: the Detroit garage rock and psychedelic funk scenes of the late 1960s, the Canterbury scene of the same period, the German experimental rock of the 1970s, and Miles Davis’ eclectic era collide, bound together by the swampy decor of their hometown of Pointe-Calumet and, above all, by the deep friendship and undeniable chemistry emerging from its three members.
William Prince
The distance travelled on William Prince’s new album, Further From the Country, is generational, aspirational, and metaphysical. Expansive and declarative, Further From the Country is the work of an artist who meets the challenge of putting incisive and enduring words to this age of uncertainty. William Prince’s perspective — a songwriter who carries great legacies of family and songcraft forward — is singular and significant. Further From the Country, his fifth LP, is an extraordinary work of observation, reflection and ambition, a work that will leave its mark on listeners for its humanity and its potency.
The two-time JUNO Award-winning artist continues to build an exceptional body of acclaimed work, with recent accolades including the John Prine Songwriter Fellowship and Americana Honours & Awards nomination. From Newport Folk Festival to sold-out shows at prestigious theatres including Massey Hall, from NPR’s Tiny Desk to tours with The War and Treaty, Yola and more, William Prince has made significant appearances on historic stages. Celebrated by peers, critics and fans, William Prince’s songs resonate on deep emotional levels.
About Supercrawl
Supercrawl is Hamilton’s premier multi-arts festival, September 12-14, 2025, fusing new and independent music with art installations, fashion, performance, literature, theatre, and artisanal craft. Supercrawl’s diverse multi-disciplinary program of sound, performance, visual and media arts is staged along a pedestrian-only creative corridor in the heart of downtown.
A not-for-profit arts organization, Supercrawl is committed to honouring, showcasing and celebrating all varieties of creative work, positioning local and emerging artists alongside significant provincial, national and international peers. The festival fosters and promotes arts and culture as well as the myriad benefits they provide.
A team of Hamilton artists and community builders founded Supercrawl in 2009 out of a desire to showcase the city’s cultural vibrancy and eclectic arts landscape. The event’s principals had based their independent business in the dynamic James North neighbourhood since 1997 and had long been active and prominent partners in the city’s creative community.
About the Polaris Festival
Polaris Music Prize is a Canadian charitable arts organization honouring music as art. Through its Album, Song, and Heritage Prizes, Polaris amplifies Canadian artists based on artistic merit — not genre, sales, or algorithmic popularity.
The 2026 Polaris Festival is presented by SiriusXM Canada and made possible through the support of Experience Ontario, Ontario Creates, the City of Toronto’s Cultural Festivals Funding Program, FACTOR, the Government of Canada, Canada’s private radio broadcasters, and the Festival’s many community and venue partners.
