Bryan Adams says his upcoming holiday special will be like ‘the Christmas Last Waltz’

Bryan Adams is ready to cut like a knife — through some gift wrap.

The Canadian rocker says he will headline a one-hour holiday special on Citytv this winter and release an accompanying album.

Dubbed “Bryan Adams and Friends: A Great Big Holiday Jam,” the special will feature Adams playing festive hits along with Canadian musicians including Alessia Cara, Alan Doyle, Barenaked Ladies, Lights and The Sheepdogs.

The “Summer of ’69” singer-songwriter says the special was filmed over two days at his Warehouse Studio in Vancouver and captures the live energy of the musicians collaborating in a room.

Adams says he will a release a new song via the special and plans to put out the tracks — which include new renditions of some of his own holiday hits, including 1984’s “Christmas Time” — in album form.

He notes the special is essentially “the Christmas Last Waltz,” referencing The Band’s famed 1978 musical documentary.

“The idea was that everybody was in the room and we would just work it out as we went. And it’s kind of an insight to what it’s like to actually make records. So if you haven’t ever made a record before, you might get a strong idea just seeing how everybody interacts,” says Adams.

“We improvised a ridiculous version of ’12 Days of Christmas’ and we improvised an incredible version of ‘Three Ships.'”

Adam says audiences can expect his special to be less polished than other holiday specials they may have seen, including Michael Bublé’s.

“I’ve never seen Michael’s but I’m sure that Michael’s would be a lot more slick than this one. This one’s pretty rough,” he says.

“The show is quite unchoreographed.”

As for what Adams wants for Christmas?

“I want peace in Palestine,” he says.

Citytv says broadcast details for “Bryan Adams and Friends: A Great Big Holiday Jam” will be announced in the coming months.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 18, 2025.