Kat Harlton
Two Canadian non-profit organizations working at the intersection of entertainment, mental health, trauma, and substance use health are joining forces once again to drive meaningful impact. Live Loud is a national partnership between Matthew Perry House and Make Music Matter, harnessing the power of music and storytelling to reduce stigma and support those on the path to healing.
Live Loud returns on September 10, 2026, at Toronto’s legendary Massey Hall. This year, the event will be hosted by award-winning actress, comedian and musician Lauren Ash and award-winning comedy legend Bruce McCulloch.
The live benefit concert will feature a world-class lineup including award-winning artists The Strumbellas, Aysanabee, Julian Taylor, Tim Hicks, Crown Lands, The Washboard Union, Fefe Dobson, Maestro Fresh Wes, Michie Mee, Bif Naked, Hill Kourkoutis, Aaron Solowoniuk (Billy Talent), Menno Versteeg (Hollerado), Sekou Lumumba (Big Wreck), Todd Morse (The Offspring) and Cone McCaslin & Dave Baksh (Sum 41).
Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a charity auction featuring a variety of exclusive items and experiences. Veteran broadcaster Rudy Blair will serve as auction host, helping to spotlight featured auction items.
Ticket proceeds will be shared equally between the two charities to help support mental health and substance use health initiatives.
The inaugural 2025 event, presented by title sponsor Bell Let’s Talk, brought together acclaimed artists and national attention in support of its mission, quickly establishing Live Loud as a powerful new platform.
Its impact extended well beyond the stage with a concert documentary of the same name, which reached audiences nationwide on Crave following its release to coincide with Bell Let’s Talk Day 2026.
I had the opportunity to speak with Founder and CEO of Make Music Matter and organizer of Live Loud, Darcy Altman about the inspiration behind the event, vision for the future and more.
Kat: What inspired the creation of Live Loud, and what does this event hope to achieve beyond being a concert?
Darcy: Live Loud was born out of a burgeoning friendship with Caitlin Morrison, founder of Matthew Perry House. We were introduced through a mutual colleague just after I’d returned from the Democratic Republic of Congo with Make Music Matter. It had been an incredibly difficult trip, and I was admittedly not in a good space mentally. The support Caitlin gave to this near-stranger was a lifeline for me.
As our conversations continued, we quickly realized how much overlap there was between our organizations’ missions and approach to mental health. At one point we simply said, “Want to pool our collective Rolodexes together and put on a concert?”
Through my work in war-torn regions, I’ve witnessed firsthand the staggering progress that’s been made in how mental health is understood and discussed. I wanted to bring that same spirit of collective resilience back home, where, in many ways, we should already be leading the conversation.
Beyond an incredible night of music and entertainment, we hope Live Loud inspires people to talk more openly about their own journeys and by proxy inspire their own friends and families to do the same. We also hope it shines a spotlight on the life-changing work of Make Music Matter and Matthew Perry House and raise some funds in order to keep our respective work sustainable.
Together, we can help create a culture where shame no longer holds power over any of us.
Kat: This is the second edition of Live Loud; what can attendees expect from it?
Darcy: Attendees can expect an evening of music, community, and inspiration expressed through the lens of our amazing artists and performers. While Live Loud is a celebration, it’s also an opportunity to open up conversations about mental health and be inspired to take individual and collective action. They will also get a lot of laughs and levity from our hosts Lauren Ash and Bruce McCulloch!
Kat: Live Loud brings together an incredible lineup of Canadian artists across multiple genres. What was your vision in curating this year’s lineup?
Darcy: We wanted to curate an artist lineup that was distinct from last year, while taking the audience on a meaningful emotional journey through the evening. We wanted the music to reflect the depth and importance of the conversations we’re having around mental health, while also creating moments of joy, inspiration, and connection.
The range of artists, along with our iconic hosts, represents a collective vision that, regardless of background or genre, we are bound together just the same when it comes to the importance of mental health and the need to support one another; music connects us all.
Kat: This year’s event supports both Matthew Perry House and Make Music Matter. Can you talk about the impact these organizations have and why they created the event?
Darcy: I may be a little biased, but there is a natural connection between the two organizations. While our work focuses on trauma, both Matthew Perry House and Make Music Matter recognize the profound impact that shame, poor mental health, isolation, and stigma can have on people’s lives. We are committed to creating pathways toward healing, connection, and hope.
Matthew Perry House is working to transform how we approach substance use health by helping build systems that support long-term wellness and meaningful, sustainable change. Through a trauma-informed, evidence-based model that uses music as a tool for healing, Make Music Matter has supported nearly 20,000 survivors of extreme trauma in communities around the world.
At the heart of both organizations is a belief that when people have access to the right support and tools to heal, they can reconnect with their sense of identity and agency, make positive changes in their lives, and help strengthen the communities around them.
By bringing together these world-class artists to openly share their own experiences and mental health journeys through music, we hope Live Loud creates a safe space where attendees and all those who hear about the show feel encouraged to start important conversations and recognize that they are not alone.
Kat: If someone is considering attending, what would you say to encourage them to be part of this event?
Darcy: First, I would simply say that it’s going to be a beautiful evening of music, entertainment, and community that is absolutely worth attending regardless of the cause.
More importantly, I would encourage people to come and become a part of this growing and universal movement to make conversations about mental health as open and accepted as the conversations we have about our physical health.
I’ll share an example. I was recently presenting our Healing in Harmony music therapy model in Ukraine at a hospital in Kyiv for wounded soldiers. During the question and answer period, one of the soldiers said to me, “We are soldiers. We don’t talk to therapists, we don’t trust them, and we don’t trust therapy. What do you say to that?”
I replied that while you can’t pass down your physical injuries, your missing limbs, to your children, you can pass down your trauma. He then got up from his wheelchair, balanced on his prosthetics, and gave me a hug.
That moment reminded me that all of us, regardless of circumstance, want to be seen, understood and connected. Live Loud is an opportunity for all of us to reconnect.
More information and ticket details can be found here.