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✦ Getting here

From your city. To the hill.

A walkable coastal capital. Direct flights from across Canada and the Northeast US. Citadel Hill sits in the heart of downtown Halifax.

✦ Airport · Halifax Stanfield (YHZ)
✦ ~35 min downtown by taxi / rideshare
✦ Citadel Hill · walkable from downtown
✦ Festival days · extended transit + bike valet

By air

Fly into Halifax (YHZ).

Halifax Stanfield International is the gateway · direct flights from across Canada and the US Northeast, with Air Canada, WestJet, Porter, United, Delta and seasonal carriers.

Toronto (YYZ)
2h direct · multiple daily on AC / WestJet / Porter
Montreal (YUL)
1h 45m direct · daily on AC / Porter
Ottawa (YOW)
2h direct · daily on AC / Porter
Boston (BOS)
1h 50m direct · daily on AC / Porter
New York (LGA / JFK)
2h direct · daily on AC / United / Delta
Vancouver (YVR)
5h 30m direct or 1 connection · AC / WestJet
Calgary (YYC)
4h 30m direct seasonal · AC / WestJet

From YHZ to downtown: 25–35 minutes by taxi (~$60 CAD), rideshare (~$45 CAD), or Halifax Transit MetroX 320 bus ($2.75 CAD, ~50 min including transfer).

By car · From the Maritimes

Moncton, NB
2h 35m · 260 km via TCH-2 / NS-104 / NS-102
Saint John, NB
4h 10m · 410 km
Charlottetown, PE
3h 15m · 270 km incl. Confederation Bridge
Fredericton, NB
3h 45m · 370 km
Sydney, NS
4h · 415 km
St. John's, NL
14h+ incl. Marine Atlantic ferry (book early)
Heads up · parking on Citadel Hill is extremely limited during the festival. We recommend parking downtown (paid lots / on-street pay-by-app) and walking up the hill, or taking transit from where you're staying. Saturday is street-cleaning day; check signs.

By car · From farther

Quebec City
9h 30m · ~950 km via TCH
Montreal
11h 30m · ~1,250 km
Toronto
17h+ · ~1,790 km · usually flying
Boston
10h · ~1,000 km via I-95 / NB
Portland, ME
9h · ~885 km via I-95 / NB

By transit + ferry

Halifax Transit is the city's bus + ferry network. The Halifax Harbour ferry (3 routes) connects Halifax to Dartmouth. The Citadel sits inside the central transit zone.

  • Halifax Transit single ride: $2.75 CAD · paid through HFXgo app or onboard
  • Festival-day extended service · Halifax Transit is partnering with us to run later schedules on the routes serving Citadel Hill. Specific route updates post here closer to the festival.
  • Bike valet · free secured bike parking at the main festival gate. Bring your own lock for after-hours.
  • Marine Atlantic · if you're driving from Newfoundland, book the ferry early (North Sydney terminal)

Accessible transit

All Halifax Transit buses are wheelchair-accessible. Accessible rideshare is available through some operators on request. For more details on accessible transit + drop-off at the festival, see the accessibility page.

By rideshare

Uber and Lyft both operate in Halifax. A dedicated rideshare drop-off zone is set up near the festival gates · check your driver's map for the Magnetic World pickup pin. Expect surge pricing during peak arrival (4–6pm) and exit (10–11pm) windows.

Make a weekend

Halifax is small enough that the walk to Citadel Hill from your hotel is part of the experience. The Waterfront, Public Gardens, Halifax Citadel National Historic Site (the hill itself, by day), Peggy's Cove (40 min drive), and Lawrencetown Beach (35 min) are all worth half a day.

Late September on the Atlantic · average highs ~16°C / lows ~9°C. Pack layers; bring a windshell; sunset is around 7pm. The harbour gets cold fast after dark.

  • Pre-fest Thursday · info on After Dark events lives on the Experiences page
  • Saturday morning · brunch culture is strong; book ahead
  • Sunday wind-down · Public Gardens or harbourfront stroll before flying home