CNE food is broken down into three categories: weird, wonderful, and what?!

The CNE (Canadian National Exhibition) is back in Toronto!

It’s that time of year again: wasps are ravenous, store shelves are stocked with back-to-school supplies and everything is coming up dill pickle. Summer is drawing to a close, which means the EX is back and primed to top itself once again.

I’m especially excited about this year’s music lineup

For starters, Montreal’s Bran Van 3000 will perform with Bif Naked on August 26. They broke through in the 1990s, and I still love this song:

"What the hell am I doing drinking in L.A.
At twenty six?"

Drinking in L.A.

And then of course, Glass Tiger.

I've seen them perform before, but if you are a fellow  retro lover, you'll enjoy their classics, like this nostalgic one: 

My Town

Of course there are a lot more bands to see are free to see. 

One important issue: everything beginning with “includes drag queens…” and the entire food list is from an older CNE, likely 2023. The Barbie references and those featured foods will make the post look outdated. I would remove that whole section unless you plan to replace it with the 2026 food lineup.

So you'll be surprised that the food images are not included.

Those dates are confirmed in the current 2026 lineup, and the concerts are included with CNE admission. The Ex runs from August 21 to September 7, 2026. Official CNE music schedule

Between Bran Van 3000 and Glass Tiger, this year’s CNE lineup is serving up plenty of Canadian nostalgia. The wasps may be ravenous, but at least the end of summer comes with a pretty great soundtrack.