With less than six weeks to go, preparations are ramping up for the 2026 Montana’s Brier in St. John’s — including the release of one last full batch of tickets on Tuesday at 12 p.m. NT.
Eugene Trickett, vice-chair of the tournament committee, says there will be about 350 to 450 tickets released for each of the tournament’s draws.
He’s expecting them to be snapped up quickly, based on the overwhelming demand up to this point. A huge part of that hype is the desire to see hometown hero Brad Gushue one last time, before his retirement.
“I don’t think we’ve seen a Brier like this before, in terms of [someone] retiring at home,” Trickett told CBC Radio’s The St. John’s Morning Show on Tuesday.
Excitement on bust for Brad Gushue’s final Brier, as remaining tickets go on sale
Fans went gaga for Gushue the last time St. John’s hosted the national tournament in 2017. Gushue pulled off a fairytale ending, capturing his first Brier in front of a hometown crowd.
Trickett is expecting a raucous environment again this year, only getting more intense the deeper Gushue goes into the tournament.
Tickets can be bought on Curling Canada’s website.
There could be scattered tickets available in the week leading up to the first draws, Trickett said, as they release tickets not used by sponsors or curlers.
While tickets are hard to come by, there is still a way to get involved — if you’re interested in working late hours.
The tournament committee has managed to recruit about 98 per cent of the 400 volunteers needed to run the event. The last few needed will be stationed at the Patch — the entertainment venue being run out of the St. John’s Convention Centre.
The Patch will feature bars, food vendors, and concerts by the likes of the Irish Descendants and Billy and the Bruisers.
Trickett expects it to be a packed house, especially on Friday and Saturday nights.
“It’s going to be a very, very busy spot,” he said. “It was in [2017], and I expect busier this time. It really becomes the heart and the soul of the Brier.”
People can still register to volunteer on the Curling Canada website.
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