Five HSL Gold Medallists, 53 bands entered for Maxville 2026

The 2026 edition of the annual Glengarry Highland Games at Maxville, Ontario, will feature five Highland Society of London Gold Medal winners at the top-flight solo piping competitions on Friday, July 31st, and now fewer than 53 bands across five grades at the Saturday contests.

On any other weekend, Maxville has about 750 residents. More than 20,000 are expected to converge on the rural farming community about 30 minutes from Ottawa, Canada’s capital city.

Twelve are entered for the Piobaireachd Society Gold Medal (Canada), and 10 are in for the Bar to the Piobaireachd Society Gold Medal (Canada), which is reserved for winners of the Piobaireachd Society Gold Medal (Canada).

The 2026 edition of the Piobaireachd Society Gold Medal (Canada) marks the fiftieth time the contest has been held. The event was launched in 1973 in Ottawa, before moving to Cambridge, Ontario, and since 1995 at its current home in Maxville. The Bar competition was added in 1982.

Among the 10 Highland Society of London Gold Medallists in the Bar to the Piobaireachd Society Gold Medal, Canada are Bruce Gandy, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia; Andrew Hayes, Nepean, Ontario; Jack Lee, Surrey, British Columbia; Ian K. MacDonald, Whitby, Ontario; and Mike Rogers, Silver Spring, Maryland.

Both events will be held at the St. Michael and All Angels Anglican Church in Maxville, within easy walking distance of the expansive games park.

The 2026 Piobaireachd Society Gold Medal (Canada) is created by Pommier Jewellers, and the cash prizes for the event are presented in memory of Bill Livingstone, who won the Piobaireachd Society Gold Medal (Canada) contest a record three times and the Bar 13 times, also a record. An endowment fund has been established to fund the Piobaireachd Society Gold Medal (Canada) prizes in Livingstone’s name permanently. The Bar contest prizes are sponsored by the Clan Donald Land Trust for the Gaelic Performing Arts.

Piobaireachd Society Gold Medal (Canada)

• Aidan Bowen, Pickering, Ontario
• Gillian Blaney, Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia
• John Bottomley, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
• Tyler Bridge, Guelph, Ontario
• Andrew Donlon, Washington, DC
• Kevin Dugas, Inverness, Nova Scotia
• Jean-Sebastien Gamache, Orleans, Ontario
• Johnathan Grady, Summerside, Prince Edward Island
• Andrew Hutton, Brantford, Ontario
• Tyler Johnson, Oak Park, Michigan
• Dan Lyden, Timonium, Maryland
• Michael MacDonald, Toronto

Prizes are 1st: CAD$700, a solid gold medal (approximate value $3,000), and a Piobaireachd Society kilt pin; 2nd: $500; 3rd: $300; 4th: $200; and 5th: $100. The judges are John Cairns, Dr. Angus MacDonald, and Colin MacLellan

Bar to the Piobaireachd Society Gold Medal, Canada

• Daniel Carr, Collingwood, Ontario
• Jacob Dicker, Maxville, Ontario
• Alex Gandy, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
• Bruce Gandy
• Andrew Hayes
• Jack Lee
• Ian K. MacDonald
• James MacHattie, Summerside, Prince Edward Island
• Sean McKeown, Ajax, Ontario
• Michael Rogers

The prizes are 1st: $3,000, and the Sir John A. Macdonald Targe; 2nd: $2,000; and 3rd: $1,000; and the judges are Ed Bush, John Cairns, and Dr. Angus MacDonald. Colin MacLellan recused himself from the bench because of a conflicting interest in at least one Bar competitor.

The Piobaireachd Society Gold Medal (Canada) competitions are run independently by the Glengarry Highland Games, with no sanctioning by the Pipers & Pipe Band Society of Ontario.

There are approximately 270 solo pipers and drummers competing almost shoulder to shoulder with each other at the games park on Friday (all amateur events) and Saturday (professional events), all contests sanctioned by the PPBSO.

Most of the 18 Professional solo pipers will subject themselves to a gruelling, but, they hope, rewarding morning workout as they navigate their way across five events: Piobaireachd, 2/4 March, Strathspey & Reel, Jig, and a seemingly redundant MSR, which is being judged by light music-accredited Solo Piping Judges’ Association member Barry Donaldson of Scotland. Dr. Angus MacDonald will assess the 17 entrants in the Professional Piobaireachd.

Like Donaldson, Paul Turner of Blairgowrie, Scotland, is a “guest” judge at the games, and will evaluate all the solo snare events, including the Professional MSR, which has four entrants.

Grade 2 the top band competition on Saturday

The total band entry of 53 is the same number that competed in 2025, and five fewer than competed at the 2026 Chicago Highland Games in June. Organizers have added a third band competition circle, mainly to accommodate an expanded Grade 3 category, bands playing for the first time in both Medley and MSR contests.

Hordes of people attend Saturday’s festivities, occasionally including Canada’s Prime Minister or a federal cabinet minister. It is not known if Prime Minister Mark Carney will be on hand this year.

Once again, the 78th Fraser Highlanders are the only Grade 1 entry, so they’ll play for judges’ comments and prize money, as well as the official “North American Champions” title.

The performances are sure to attract a strong crowd, since they are the final organized appearances by the band before they stage their “True North Strong” Pre-Worlds Concert at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall in Scotland on Wednesday, August 12th.

The top contested category is Grade 2, with three of the eight bands are from the United States: Ulster Scottish of Philadelphia will defend their Maxville title against seven other bands: Ottawa Highlanders (Canada), Toronto Police (Canada), Guelph (Ontario), Peel Regional Police (Canada), Midlothian Scottish (USA), Ulster Scottish, Dartmouth & District (Canada), and Wasatch & District (USA).
Medley judges are John Elliott, Joe Biggs (piping); Mike Hunter (drumming); and Colin MacLellan (ensemble). MSR judges: Barry Donaldson, Glenna Mackay-Johnstone (piping); Paul Turner (drumming); Bob Worrall (ensemble).

The Commonwealth from Massachusetts will strive to win Grade 3 again, this time against 11 others: Roisin Dubh Irish (USA), St. Andrew’s (Canada), Glengarry (Canada), St. Andrew’s College Association (Canada), Commonwealth (USA), Rob Roy (Canada), Guelph 3 (Canada), Macalester College (USA), Durham Regional Police (Canada), Peel Regional Police 3 (Canada), College of Piping (Canada), and Capital District United (USA).
Medley judges: Amy Garson, Trish Kirkwood (piping); Joe Kiah (drumming); Dan Bist (ensemble).
MSR judges: Trish Kirkwood, Ross Davison (piping), Mike Hunter (drumming); John Elliott (ensemble).

Grade 4 (medley): Durham Regional Police 4 (Canada), Capital District Youth (USA), Manchester (USA), Paris-Port Dover (Canada), Stuart Highland (USA), Mohawk Valley Frasers (Canada), St. Andrews 4 (Canada), Claddagh (USA), Calgary Highlanders (Canada), Glengarry (Canada), Hamilton Police (Canada), Dartmouth & District 4 (Canada), London Fire Fighters (Canada), MacEoin Ramsay (Canada), Catamount (USA), Fredericton Society of Saint Andrew (Canada), and Ottawa Caledonian (Canada).
Judges: Amy Garson, Glenna Mackay-Johnstone (piping); Daniel Bist (drumming), Jim McGillivray (ensemble).

Grade 5 (march medley): Montreal (Canada), Peel Regional Police 5 (Canada), Glengarry 5 (Canada), College of Piping 5 (Canada), Dartmouth & District 5 (Canada), Henderson Highlanders (Canada), Kingston Police (Canada), Smiths Falls Gordon (Canada), Manchester 5 (USA), Rob Roy 5 (Canada), Foothills Caledonia Youth (Canada), and Sons of Scotland (Canada).
Judges: Colin MacLellan, Brian Williamson (piping); Mike Hunter (drumming), Paul Turner (ensemble)

Juvenile (march medley): Capital District Youth (USA), Durham Regional Police (Canada), and Glengarry (Canada).
Judges: Amy Garson, Glenna Mackay-Johnstone (piping); Daniel Bist (drumming), Jim McGillivray (ensemble).

The weather forecast is good: highs around 27C and mostly sunny. The two-day event usually ends around sunset.