Sarah McLachlan’s secret to caring for her voice on the road? “Lots of warm water with honey and lemon, lots of sleep, humidifiers in the hotel and dressing rooms, exercise, and healthy food,” she listed, which honestly sounds like a fine recipe for surviving the winter, too. McLachlan had a major 2025, releasing her tenth album, Better Broken, in September, with a tour across the United States. and Canada in October and November—not to mention her appearance in Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery, a documentary about the iconic music festival she founded. Some coziness is more than called for.
Ahead, McLachlan, who also offers music programs to underserved young people in western Canada through the Sarah McLachlan School of Music, shared her adoration of the Big Apple, her all-time favorite venue for performing, and the wonderfully basic place she couldn’t wait to take her daughters.
What kind of packer she is
Carry-on only, whether I travel for a week or a month—though it gets more challenging when it’s cold, as everything is bulkier. After all these years of living out of a suitcase, I know that I end up wearing the same few things all the time, and as long as there is laundry, I can live with three to four outfits.
Her first flight in first class
The only time I traveled first class in my life, it was to India 25 year ago, when there were three classes of service. We used all our points to splurge. I misread the flight time, and we barely made the flight. I think they held the plane for us only because we were in first class, and everyone glared at us when we raced on panicked and disheveled.
The city she’s always thrilled to return to on tour
I’d honestly be happy to never step foot in a big city again, as I much prefer the quiet of the country. But if I had to choose, it would probably be New York for its vibrancy—a cultural cornucopia of great art, theater, restaurants, and people. I have very dear friends who live there and it’s always a whirlwind of events, great food, and conversation when I’m there.
Her favorite venue in which to perform
Red Rocks, because I love playing outside under the stars, and the venue and surrounding area are epically grand. It is a venue carved out of the side of a mountain, with steep steps leading up to the sky. You are at the whim of the elements, and you feel at once extremely small in the grand scheme of things, but also very grounded. It’s a magical place to play.
The place she could travel to a million times and never tire of it
Honestly, anywhere in British Columbia outside of the cities. It is a virtual playground of rivers, lakes, and mountains. I could easily spend the rest of my life there discovering new trails, new hills to climb, and lakes to swim in.
An underrated destination she thinks more people should see
I like to keep my remote, secret, and favorite places just that.
Her travel pet peeve
Entitlement of any sort—people pushing in line, making a stink about some first-world problem like they’re the only person in the world. Also, people talking extremely loudly on airplanes with each other, or on their cell phones, having full-blown conversations with no thought to anyone else enclosed in that same small space.
The hotel amenities she cares a lot about
Good bedding and pillows. I also really appreciate a good gym.
The trip she was eager to plan for her daughters
I remember being very excited to take both my daughters to Disneyland for the first time when they were little, as it was a childhood dream of mine that was never realized. It was wonderful to be able to take my girls there. We went on every ride! I could do that roller coaster 20 times and not get tired of it.
A place she’s never been to that is next on her list
Iceland, for its rugged beauty and adventure.
