St. John's has the hammer with the Brier returning in 2026

The wait is over, curling fans.

The Montana's Brier is returning to St. John's in 2026.

It'll be the third time the national men's top curling tournament has come to Newfoundland and Labrador's capital city. The first was in 1972, and the second was in 2017, when hometown hero Brad Gushue skipped his rink to victory with his final rock. 

"We are thrilled and excited to be back here in St. John's, and hopefully experience the passion and excitement that we had back in 2017," Gushue said during an announcement at a Montana's restaurant in St. John's on Monday.

"I can assure you that our team is going to do everything we can over the next 12 or 13 months to make sure we're part of the event come next year."

The tournament is set in stone for Feb. 27 to March 8, 2026 at the Mary Brown's Centre. Ticket packages go on sale March 6 at 10 a.m. NT. Only a limited number of full-event packages will be available during the initial phase of ticket sales. Prices range from $552 to $596 — not including "standard facility and ticket service fees."

But, for those who can't wait until March 6 for tickets, Montana's is offering a pre-sale opportunity for those who become "2026 Montana's Brier Insiders." It's an online form giving fans the chance to buy tickets on March 3. Further, fans who have signed up for the Curling Canada Collective can get a pre-sale opportunity on March 4.

The City of St. John's and St. John's Sports and Entertainment are spending $480,000 to make the event happen.

"Hosting the Brier is a tremendous honour for St. John's, and we're no strangers to hosting world-class curling," Mayor Danny Breen said during Monday's announcement.

"This will be a time to welcome visitors from across the country, boost our local economy and put a national spotlight on our city and its vibrant culture."

And, of course, the Brier Patch — an entertainment venue — will be back again at the St. John's Convention Centre, just a stone's throw from the arena. In 2017, the Brier Tankard crowdsurfed for the first time in its history among an excited group of fans.

The winning team in St. John's will go on to wear the maple leaf and represent Canada at the 2026 World Men's Championship — just a few weeks after the Brier — and again 12 months later as the defending champions at the 2027 Brier.

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