This page describes the production history of the Stratford Festival The Stratford Festival (formerly known as the Stratford Shakespearean Festival, the Stratford Festival of Canada and the Stratford Shakespeare Festival) is a summer-long celebration of theatre held each year in Stratford, Ontario. Theatre-goers, actors, and playwrights flock to Stratford to take part—many of the greatest Canadian, American and British actors have played roles at Stratford. It was one of the first and is still one of the most prominent arts festivals in Canada.