[UPDATE 28-May-21] Oh happy day! Outdoor dining patios are permitted to open effective Wednesday June 2!

[UPDATE 19-May-21] Restrictions will stay in place until the second week in June. Show rescheduling continues!

Closing all Halifax restaurants to indoor dining effective tomorrow, Friday, April 23 is one of the many lockdown measures announced by Premier Rankin and Dr. Strang this afternoon.

This means cancellation of all Carleton events for likely the next month. We will begin work with artists and partners to determine whether and when we can reschedule, and will reach out to every ticketholder and reservation to confirm or offer refunds.

Stay safe, and please be patient while we work this through.

The Carleton is looking for creative, hard-working, and committed individuals who love food, drinks, and music and who will enjoy working with renowned musicians and entertainers as part of an award-winning team.

Positions available: Bartender, Server, Assistant Manager, Bar Manager and General Manager

Previous relevant experience is an asset, as is familiarity with Touch Bistro.

If you believe you’re suited for any of these positions, please send us your resumé, along with a cover letter, to hire@thecarleton.ca

For more information on The Carleton, please peruse this website and join us on FaceBook @TheCarletonHalifax, Twitter @ CarletonHalifax and Instagram @CarletonHalifax

Thanks to the-pandemic-that-shall-not-be-named…  Dave Gunning & J.P. Cormier are unable to deliver their traditional Christmas show in person.

Quick pivot and… “We hope that we can bring some holiday cheer to you where ever you’ll be watching.  Love and see you all soon — Dave & JP.”

This one hour private virtual event will be made available on each of the original 5 Carleton show dates from 7 pm til 10 pm AST. Click on the links below to purchase.

Sunday December 13 COMPLETE

Tuesday December 15 COMPLETE

Wednesday December 16 COMPLETE

Thursday December 17 COMPLETE

Friday December 18 COMPLETE

BONUS every night:  At 6:15 pm before the show, join JP & Dave for a LIVE Christmas fireside chat.  Hop on JP’s YouTube channel here then click on the Live Fireside Chat video.

Two of the most talented musicians in the country come together in a new format this year to bring us a one-of-a-kind show for the holiday season with favourite tunes and good laughs. We need this!

It’s not clear whether my alter-kitty is rockin’ out or crying to the heavens.  Perhaps a bit of both.

After the province announced on Friday that HRM hospitality would remain shut down until “at least” December 16, The Carleton team was left with significant questions:  What were the chances of being permitted to open on this new date?  Was it worth opening for only 4 days even with 4 sold out shows?  Would we be able to staff in order to provide our guests the excellent food, drink, and music experience they have come to expect?

The punchline is the risks are just too high.  So it’s official:  The Carleton will remain closed until the New Year, with a target re-open Friday January 8.

We’re still on hold, folks.  COVID-19 numbers have not yet stabilized and we don’t know for sure when and under what circumstances HRM hospitality will be permitted to re-open.  It’s so important that you (and we) FEEL safe and ARE safe.

Congrats to Leona Burkey, David Bradshaw, and Jon Cornwall who on incredibly short notice pulled together an amazing livestream for Shine Blue for Autism NS Wednesday November 25.

Kudos to Còig offered a virtual alternative to all who purchased tickets to their 3 sold out (now cancelled) shows: “We went into a theatre and filmed a Christmas show to offer our fans.  Video by Mark Westburg, and audio mixed by everyone’s favourite recording engineer, Dave Gunning, we have a 70 minutes Christmas concert waiting for you.  If you were inclined to turn a cancelled “in-person” concert into a festive “at-home” concert, we would be happy to still bring you some festive songs and tunes this year.”

All other Carleton shows through December 9 have been postponed or cancelled.  Events from December 10 onwards are in limbo til next week. Thanks for your patience as we work things through!

Last week, we were uneasy.  This week, the pandemic walls are closing in again.

The Carleton has been fortunate. We have remained COVID-free. We reduced seating to 1/2 capacity and implemented contact tracing. We were ready to ensure that 5 was maximum table size. We are a ticketed destination for music lovers and foodies, as opposed to a stopover for the casual bar crowd. Our audience is for the most part very respectful of “the rules”.

But then cases began to spike. And Nova Scotia, rightly so, has imposed tight restrictions in order to stop the spread, including closing all restaurants and bars in western and central HRM for at least two weeks. So much for our master plan to proceed with currently scheduled shows where possible.

Master plan #2 is to fully close The Carleton until at least Thursday, December 10, 2020. Unfortunately, as delicious as Chef’s food is, our takeout audience cannot justify the kitchen staying open.

For the shows that are impacted, ticket holders will be contacted directly. Please be patient as this takes time.

We can’t thank you all enough for the love you’ve shown The Carleton experience since coming out of lockdown this summer. The tunes, the frites, the joy… we promise it will all be back!

In the meantime, stay safe, be kind, and listen to music – it’s good for you!

We’re very much looking forward to our upcoming shows and continuing to host you at The Carleton. These have been trying months for all of us and we appreciate your willingness to help bring live music back and support local restaurants.

To make sure this trend continues; we’d like to remind everyone that it is imperative that Nova Scotia’s COVID-19 protocols are followed to the letter if we’re going to be allowed to continue to safely stay open under the current circumstances. 

When visiting us, please remember:

• Wear a mask when entering and exiting the venue or going to the washroom.
• Remain seated at your table at all other times.
• Provide at least one point of contact per table for tracing and tracking purposes.
• You will automatically be seated with your purchase bubble of up to 10 people. If you want to sit with others who have purchased their tickets separately, please email reservations@thecarleton.ca with the names.
• There is no service or standing at the bar. Our staff will be pleased to take your food and drink orders and deliver directly to your table.
• There is no standing, dancing, or mingling with other guests or artists who are not part of your bubble.

To support the mental and economic health of our artists, staff, and guests, we must be vigilant. Thank you and stay safe!