Budget 2026 is the next step in your government's plan to make Canadians maîtres chez nous – building our sovereignty and giving us the freedom to live our lives as we choose. Sovereignty starts with creativity – the ability to express ourselves, tell our stories, and connect with each other. To these ends, Budget 2026 makes unprecedented investments in Canadian culture.
Today in Montréal, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, highlighted the largest investment in culture in Canadian history – $4 billion. This will strengthen our institutions, expand the reach of Canadian culture, bring communities together, and empower artists.
To ensure that Canadian culture flourishes, the government is:
Strengthening our institutions
Canada’s cultural institutions preserve our history, bring our stories to life, and connect us across regions and languages. Budget 2026 invests to protect these institutions:
- Nearly $800 million over five years, on a cash basis, starting in 2026-27, for national museums, the National Battlefields Commission, the National Arts Centre, and Library and Archives Canada to repair and renew aging facilities, protect collections, and sustain exhibitions, performances, and services.
- An additional $300 million over two years, starting in 2026-27, for CBC/Radio-Canada to strengthen its capacity to serve Canadians across the country.
- More than $130 million over four years, starting in 2027-28, and more than $40 million ongoing for the Local Journalism Initiative, strengthening independent local news, including in rural, remote, and underserved communities.
- Budget 2026 also proposes extending the 35% Canadian Journalism Labour Tax Credit to qualifying private audio and audiovisual news organisations.
Making culture more accessible
As we strengthen the institutions that preserve our culture, we are also opening them up. Canadians should have more opportunities to discover the stories and places that make our country unique. Budget 2026 proposes:
- Over $75 million in 2027-28 to renew the Canada Strong Pass for summer 2027, offering free or discounted access to national parks, museums, and rail travel, and expanding discounted access to Indigenous-led museums and cultural centres.
- More than $45 million over five years, starting in 2026-27, and more than $10 million ongoing to make national museums permanently free year-round for those under 25.
- $60 million over four years, starting in 2027-28, on a cash basis, to the National Gallery of Canada to expand opportunities for Canadians to access and engage with Canada’s arts, culture, and heritage, both in person and online.
- More than $30 million over four years, starting in 2027-28, and nearly $10 million in future years for a free national digital collection of Canadian books, growing from at least 200 titles in 2027-28 to more than 2,000 by 2031-32.
- $20 million over four years, starting in 2027-28, and $5 million ongoing to renew the Canada Book Fund, enabling publishers to bring Canadian books to readers at home and abroad and creating opportunities for careers in publishing.
Bringing Canadians together, and the world to Canada
Culture is something we experience – in our galleries, theatres, festivals, and public spaces. Budget 2026 proposes new investments in the moments that bring us together, from local festivals and Canada’s 160th anniversary to the 2028 Francophonie Summit, when Canada will welcome the Francophone world:
- $300 million in 2027-28 for a flagship Canada 160 Fund to deliver signature experiences, produce new Heritage Minutes, and enhance the Trans Canada Trail.
- Nearly $400 million over three years, starting in 2027-28, to strengthen Canada’s Francophonie leadership and to host the 2028 Francophonie Summit in the National Capital Region. The Summit will showcase the Francophonie in Canada, forge stronger connections among Francophone communities across Canada and around the world, and promote French in all formats in the age of social media and artificial intelligence.
- $10 million in 2027-28 for the Building Communities through Arts and Heritage program and $15 million for the Canada Arts Presentation Fund to strengthen local festivals and performing arts events.
Empowering Canadian artists
Artists tell stories that enrich our lives, shape how we see ourselves, and show the world who we are. Budget 2026 proposes unprecedented support to help Canadian artists pursue their craft and make a living from their work:
- A proposed Canada Creative Credit – a new non-refundable personal income tax credit that could provide tax relief on up to $45,000 in annual qualifying net business income derived from original creative artistic works.
- The new Productivity Mega Deduction would also allow businesses to immediately write off eligible equipment and technology, enabling producers and storytellers to invest in cameras, lighting, sound equipment, editing workstations, and stage infrastructure.
- $20 million over three years, starting in 2027-28, for the Canada Council for the Arts to fund the creation, production, and presentation of theatre, dance, music, and other live performances.
Canada’s story has been written by many peoples, shaped by many histories, and strengthened by many cultures. Budget 2026 will carry that story forward – supporting the artists who tell it, the institutions that preserve it, and the communities that bring it to life. By investing in Canadian culture, we are strengthening our shared identity and ensuring that Canada’s story is told in our own voices, on our own terms.
Quotes
“Canadian culture brings us together. And in an increasingly divided world, what connects us is what makes us strong. With this historic $4 billion investment in culture, we are strengthening our institutions, expanding the reach of Canadian culture, and empowering the artists at the heart of it.”
The Rt. Hon. Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada
“In a changing world, culture is at the heart of who we are as Canadians. Budget 2026 proposes a historic investment in our artists, creators, stories, and cultural institutions so Canadian voices can shine here and around the world. By investing in culture, we are strengthening our identity, our sovereignty, and everything that unites us.”
The Hon. Marc Miller, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages
“Canada’s culture is one of our greatest strengths. It reflects who we are, supports good jobs, and creates opportunities for Canadian talent to succeed. With Budget 2026, we are standing behind our artists, creators, producers, broadcasters, entrepreneurs, and skilled workers so they can continue telling our stories, growing our cultural industries, and bringing Canadian culture to our communities across the country and the world.”
The Hon. Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
Quick facts
- On November 5, 2026, the Minister of Finance and National Revenue, François-Philippe Champagne, tabled Budget 2026 in the House of Commons.
- Canada’s culture sector accounted for nearly 688,000 jobs in the first quarter of 2026 and contributes more than $69 billion to our GDP.
- Budget 2026 announces the government’s intention to consult with Canadians and the cultural sector on a new Canada Creative Credit. Details will be announced in the Spring Economic Update 2027.
- Budget 2026 has confirmed a $600-million investment to bolster Canada’s audio and audiovisual sectors, providing greater stability for creators, producers, and broadcasters.