Brett Kissel to play first concert at Nisku’s new arena for New Year’s Eve

Alberta's Brett Kissel talks about his New Year's Eve concert at Nisku's Silent Ice Center.

Alberta’s own Brett Kissel joined CTV Your Morning Edmonton’s Kim Wynn to talk ringing in the new year with a concert at the Silent Ice Center in Nisku.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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Kim Wynn: Tell us about this big show that you’re having in a couple of days here.

Brett Kissel: I’m just really proud that they invited me to Silent Ice Center. It has got to be the coolest arena in Alberta – maybe in Canada – and I’ve been to them all. Like, this is an amazing place to bring in the new year. So get your tickets at BrettKissel.com.

It’ll be me and my good friends: Haley Benedict from St. Albert, and Morgan Clyburn from down in Medicine Hat, Alta.

So three Albertans are going to be ringing in the new year, and we want everybody to come out. There’s still a few tickets left.

KW: Lots of hometown love. We love to see it. Now, you’re starting off the new year on a different foot; you and your wife, Cecilia, just announced you’re separating. First of all, how are you guys doing?

BK: Thanks for asking. We’re doing really well. We look at each other, we say it’s the best divorce of all time. We’re very, very proud of how we’re doing things, and we’re putting the kids first, which is exactly what I think, what everybody is supposed to do, and especially over Christmas. We had a wonderful Christmas with our kids, and we were still together. And watch, I bet you we will be that couple that is still together for the holidays, for our kids, no matter what.

KW: I put money on it. You just released the single “Farmer” after a big 2025, How do you look back on the last year?

BK: It’s been an incredible year. Music has been at the start of everything. I’m very, very proud of what we’ve accomplished, and especially (that) we put music first. “Cowboys and Dreamers” was a big song for us. “Hurtin’ Songs” with Dierks Bentley is out right now at radio across Canada.

Lee Brice and I recorded “Farmer,” and I’m very proud of that song, especially because of my roots. I grew up on a farm in St Paul, Alta. Flat Lake, actually. Bought the family farm from my grandparents. So my Alberta roots are showing more and more and more, and I’m very proud of that.

KW: As you ring in the new year, you’re planning a cross-Canada tour. When does it all start? What can we expect?

BK: Lee and I, we’re going right across Canada. We start in April, and we are going to be playing at Rogers Place, which I’m really excited about. It’s been a long time since I’ve been back at Rogers. Everybody knows when I sing the anthem, the Oilers lose, so hopefully I won’t sing the anthem. What I’m going to do is I’m going to sing all my favorite country songs, like I did when I opened for Garth Brooks, but that was many years ago.

However, as we ring in the new year and everybody comes out to Nisku, what they want to do at the Silent Ice Center is to show everybody in the Edmonton area that they’re a venue not just for, the Grand Slam of Curling and the world championship, not just for all these epic hockey tournaments, but they want to get in the music game. So I’m very, very excited that we get to be their very first concert.

A lot of people, they don’t know what they’re going to do for New Year’s, but I’m making your plans for you. If you’re watching this right now, that’s a sign to get your tickets and come party with me.

KW: I’ll throw in this last question, do you have any new year’s resolutions? Do you even make them?

BK: I do, but it actually starts over Christmas. It’s to slow down on the booze in and to put the pedal to the metal on all the great things. You know, in family and in career. We’ve got four beautiful kids, so I spent a lot of time on the road in 2025 this year. I really, really want to spend as much time as I can with my family.