Returning to Boots & Hearts in 2026. What Happened So You Don’t Miss Out In 2027

Boots & Hearts has returned for its 2026 year, bringing you many iconic country artists and stars like The Chicks, The Rascal Flatts, and even… The Jonas Brothers?! Yes, you read that right! 2026 may have been one of the most exciting years for Boots & Hearts, and with what went on this year, you are not going to want to miss Boots next year. 

With the MainStage and the Front Porch Stage there is absolutely no shortage of performances going on at the Burls Creek festival grounds. Kicking off Boots was the emerging artist show case which allows local talent to compete for a chance to win a year deal with Universal Music, a single roll out, and the chance to perform at Boots in 2027. Last years winner School House took the Front Porch stage to delight and welcome everyone to Boots & Hearts. 

Day one of Boots was fun and adventurous. Seeing the photo op signage in the middle of the field, those attending could take selfies with the giant Boots & Hearts sign, and an oversized guitar. Not to mention the different fun carnival games that attendees could play and seek the chance to win prizes, ride the ferris wheel, and scout out what they would like for a quick munch from the many food trucks and vendors situated around the grounds. The positive vibes were buzzing and you could feel the warmth from everyone (not just because the early August Ontario sun was blazing down), but because everyone was there to have a great time and enjoy their love and passion of country music. 

Dasha took to the Main Stage first on Friday getting the crowd moving and singing. Dasha owned that stage, moving about constantly and interacting with as many fans as she possibly could. She was also presented on stage with her first ever Diamond certification award in Canada that her song ‘Austin (Boots Stop Workin’)’ had surpassed 150 million streams in Canada.

Emily Anne Roberts took to the Front Porch stage shortly after, bringing in true southern country vibes that reminded me of a younger Dolly Parton. With her fun upbeat songs she performed tracks like “Whole Lotta Little” and “Jack & Jill Daniels”, she brought that true Tennessee country sound to Burls Creek Festival grounds. 

Returning back to the pit of the Front Porch stage the crowd was indeed excited to see Brett Kissel’s performance. Everyone in attendance was chanting his name and screaming as loud as they possibly could. The real party took off once he emerged on stage, moving about, interacting with the crowd and performing an over the top set. Brett Kissel knew how to close out the Front Porch stage on a Friday at Boots & Hearts. 

Returning to the Main Stage for the final performance of Friday, the crowd packed in close as The Jonas Brothers got ready to bring in a huge performance at Boots. Singing some of their hit songs like ‘Sucker’, ‘What a Man Gotta Do’, and ‘Lovebug’. They also payed homage to their solo adventures with performances including ‘Chains’ by Nick Jonas, ‘Gotta Find You’ by Joe Jonas, and ‘Cake By The Ocean’ by DNCE. They also brought out with them Russell Dickerson to perform their song ‘Happen to Me’. Tying in some country themed elements to their tracks, The Jonas Brothers knew how to fit in at Boots & Hearts. 

Day 2 brought rain. Due to a heavy storm day 2 started at 5:30 having to unfortunately cut performances by Tony Stevens, and Carolyn Dawn. Once the weather warning had lifted everything started right up in quick fashion, and the vibes of Boots & Hearts continued regardless of the cloudy sky. Kicking off on the Front Porch stage was The Jack Wharff Band, followed by Waylon Wyatt on the Main Stage. 

Heading back to the Front Porch stage duo Thelma & James were gearing up to put on a fun performance. The couple bringing their Nashville charm to Oro-medonate really resonated with me, and I thought their performance was a great fit in showing different types of country music. They performed songs of their such as, ‘Chainsmokin Memories’ and ‘ Happy Ever After You’. 

Jessie Murph was up next on the Main Stage. I was intrigued to see her performance as one of my co-workers had spoken highly about her. Her set started and I was blown away. Her music is a blend of pop, country, hip-hop, and rap, a blend that is done extremely well. I also enjoyed the way she moved about the stage, interacting with the crowd, and having different elevations to perform from, as a photographer, I liked how my photos of her turned out. 

My final artist attendance for the weekend was Sam Barber. He had the most unique stage set up by far, featuring trees and a mountain range and a digital backdrop to transport him and his band wherever they needed to be during their set. The crowd was going absolutely crazy for him, this was definitely the loudest by far. When he took stage and was meet with a roar of cheer, he moved the crowd at Boots through his set with songs such as ‘Borrowed Time’, ‘Restless Mind’, and ‘Indigo’. 

Closing out the night were The Chicks, followed by a line up of performances by Savannah Jade, Ashley Cooke, Mitch Zom, James Barker Band, Kaitlin Butts, Tucker Wetmorer, Max McNown, and the Rascal Flatts. If this sounds like something that would interest you, be sure to check out their website for future updates on 2027’s Boots & Hearts.