The Shaw Festival held its Annual Meeting today, bringing community stakeholders, local supporters and company members together in the Jackie Maxwell Studio Theatre to look back on and celebrate a season defined by dynamic and inspired productions, key strategic milestones, exceptional donor and community engagement and a strong fiscal performance.

Board of Directors Chair Ian Joseph noted, “In a year made notable for record philanthropic support and exceptional levels of engagement from our community, the Shaw Festival’s 2025 season once again garnered critical acclaim and strong audience affirmation. We made significant progress on our long-term initiatives, advancing the company’s strategic vision with pragmatic adaptation to the shifting financial and social landscape across the live performing arts sector in North America.”

Record Generosity from Donors

Executive Director and Co-CEO Tim Jennings emphasized the extraordinary collective support that shaped the Festival’s results:

“Donors, deeply engaged in supporting The Shaw’s vision for a more connected, more human experience through the live arts, came to the table in record numbers. More than $16.6 million was received in annual contributions through private sources. This all-time high in private support ensured The Shaw could still post a small surplus despite broader economic pressures.

We are so profoundly grateful to the thousands of households that choose to support The Shaw each year.”

Treasurer Greg Prince reported record operating revenues of $39.5 million in 2025 and an operating surplus of $172,000.

“Earned revenues were solid at $20.7 million, though down 8 per cent from 2024. However, generous individual giving, plus $2.16 million in government grants and $3.29 million in foundation support, grew total contributed revenues to an all-time high record of $18.78 million, effectively offsetting the earned revenue shortfall. This is an excellent result in a challenging environment.”

Joseph added, “Excellent donor stewardship and management of other resources resulted in outstanding artistic achievements and enormous growth in education and outreach work, further deepening human connection and lifelong creativity.”

The Shaw Festival Endowment Foundation Board continued to demonstrate exemplary financial oversight, allowing the Foundation to finish the 2025 year at $39.6 million in total holdings, effectively mirroring The Shaw’s annual operating budget and reinforcing long-term stability.

Record Participation in Community Events and Education

Despite economic forces impacting family audiences and some reductions in U.S. tourism, attendance remained strong. The Shaw Festival presented 811 performances of its 16 separate productions including Anything Goes, Tons of Money, Major Barbara, Murder-on-the-Lake, Gnit and Blues for an Alabama Sky. Beyond the stage, 5,339 educational and community events, classes, workshops and activities engaged over 118,000 additional participants – the highest numbers for add-on experiences and attendance in The Shaw’s history, with a combined total attendance of just over 340,000 people.

Although overall attendance at performances dropped by seven per cent in 2025, Jennings said those who did come were seeking to connect with Shaw in more meaningful ways.*

“We saw a staggering growth year over year, resulting in 118,460 people attending engagement events,” said Jennings of the 5,339 opportunities the non-profit theatre company offered beyond the plays. “If that is not a record for Canadian theatre at large, I would be very, very surprised. This was clear proof that our campaign for real human connection is on to something very significant.”

Jennings highlighted the 2025 launch of The Shaw’s All.Together.Now. $150 million Campaign for real human connection – the most ambitious Campaign in the Shaw Festival’s history – to transform The Shaw into a centre for communication, creativity and curiosity. To date, the Campaign has reached $115 million and is making great strides towards its goal to deepen real human connection through the performing arts, focused on experiences, training, artists and community supported by enhanced spaces at the Festival and Downtown Niagara-on-the-Lake campuses.

Among the many generous All.Together.Now Campaign supporters, Tim and Frances Price provided a transformational leadership gift that helped bring The Shaw’s Campaign to life, while the James A. Burton & Family Foundation enabled the creation of the Burton Centre for Lifelong Creativity. The Province of Ontario made an historic $35 million commitment to the new Royal George Theatre.

Creative Accomplishments and Transformation

Artistic Director and Co-CEO Tim Carroll reflected on a year of creative accomplishments:

“The 2025 season showcased remarkable artistic achievements – from musical triumphs and hilarious comedies to sharp dramas and a fresh reimagining of a Shaw satire. Artistic excellence remained at the core of our work, upheld by the dedication and talent of our artists, crew and craftspeople. Across the stages of the Festival Theatre, Royal George Theatre and Jackie Maxwell Studio Theatre, we delivered exceptional productions. The final season at our Spiegeltent offered sold-out performances and immersive experiences that celebrated theatre as an intimate and shared, live encounter.”

Carroll also stressed the Festival’s unceasing commitment to artist development:

“Artist training and development continued to be an essential part of The Shaw’s artistic life, extending beyond the Acting Ensemble to ensure the foundations of craft, curiosity and learning stayed strong across the company.”

Carroll outlined key milestones of the 2025 season, underscoring the transformative developments across the Shaw Festival’s campus:

“In twelve short months – while delivering a successful season of ambitious and joyful productions – we secured, designed and began construction on the Shaw Artists’ Village, building the spaces that will house future learning, creativity and connection. We also laid the groundwork for the new Royal George Theatre by securing historic provincial funding and conducting extensive design and planning work.”

Carroll noted this was a landmark year as the final season of the beloved Royal George Theatre:

“As we prepared to close and rebuild a theatre that has stood for more than 110 years, we took the time to reflect on the Royal George Theatre’s remarkable history – from vaudeville, silent and talking films, and mime, to more than 12,000 performances of 180 Shaw Festival productions since we acquired it in 1980. From podcast specials, written tributes, the final Saturday Night at the George (SNAG) and farewell community gatherings, we have honoured this jewel-box theatre and celebrated the end of one chapter, as we’ve laid the groundwork for its exciting transformation and reopening in 2028. We are so grateful to the province of Ontario for its historic $35 million investment into its upcoming rebuild and thank all our donors for their generosity in making that vision a reality.”

The Shaw Festival’s 2025 season was generously supported by the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts.

The Shaw Festival’s 2025 Annual Report and financial statements are available for download at www.shawfest.com.

*Reported by Mike Balsom for www.villagereport.ca.