Calgary Festivals
Your guide to the city's biggest festivals, all in one place.
Upcoming festivals
Happening nowBUMP Festival
August 3–18
BUMP, the Beltline Urban Mural Project, turns blank walls into some of the best public art in the country. Over a few weeks each summer, new murals go up across the Beltline and beyond, joined by block parties, artist talks, and walking tours. Explore on foot and watch the city's open-air gallery grow wall by wall.
Calgary Pride
August 31 – September 6
Calgary Pride is a full week of celebration, community, and visibility for the city's 2SLGBTQIA+ community and its allies. Parties, performances, and events lead up to the Pride Parade, when tens of thousands line the downtown streets in a wave of colour. Come as you are and celebrate everyone.
Calgary International Film Festival
September 24 – October 4
For eleven days each fall, Calgary's cinemas fill with the year's most talked-about films, from festival-circuit favourites to hometown premieres. Galas, red carpets, and Q&As with filmmakers turn every screening into an event. Grab a pass, pick your must-sees, and settle in.
Wordfest
October 13–18
Wordfest's Imaginairium gathers more than 50 authors from Calgary and around the world for six days of readings, conversations, and performances. Part literary festival and part variety show, it is built for anyone who loves a great story told out loud. Come curious and leave with a stack of new books to read.
Past festivals
High Performance Rodeo
January 13–31
Every January, One Yellow Rabbit turns downtown Calgary into a three-week playground for the adventurous. The High Performance Rodeo brings boundary-pushing theatre, live music, comedy, and performance art to stages across the city, mixing local artists with acts from around the world. It is the boldest way to shake off winter.
Chinook Blast
January 30 – February 16
When a Chinook rolls through, Calgary heads outside to celebrate. Chinook Blast lights up the downtown core with glowing art installations, live music, ice sculptures, and winter sports, turning the coldest weeks of the year into the city's biggest outdoor party. Bundle up and wander from one warm surprise to the next.
YYC Hot Chocolate Fest
February 1–28
For one delicious month, cafes and restaurants across Calgary compete to create the most inventive hot chocolate in the city. Every cup you order supports Calgary Meals on Wheels, so a sweet afternoon does some real good. Grab a map, round up some friends, and taste your way across town.
Sled Island
June 17–21
Sled Island packs hundreds of artists into five days and dozens of places, spilling music, comedy, film, and art across Calgary. A rotating guest curator sets the tone each year, so the lineup always feels fresh and a little unpredictable. Buy a wristband, follow your ears, and stumble onto your new favourite band.
JazzYYC Summer Festival
June 22–28
JazzYYC brings a week of world-class jazz to intimate rooms and open-air stages around the city, with Canadian talent sharing bills with international headliners. The whole thing builds toward the free JazzWalk, when live music spills out onto the street. Whether you know your bebop from your bossa nova or just love a good groove, there is a seat waiting.
Calgary Stampede
July 3–12
For ten days every July, Calgary goes all in. The Stampede pairs world-class rodeo and chuckwagon racing with midway rides, grandstand concerts, pancake breakfasts, and parties in every corner of the city. Pull on your boots, put on your hat, and find out why they call it the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.
Calgary Fringe Festival
July 31 – August 8
The Fringe takes over Inglewood with nine days of bold, unfiltered, independent theatre. With more than 150 performances and no jury deciding what makes the cut, you will find everything from gut-busting comedy to raw one-person dramas, all at ticket prices that make it easy to take a chance. Show up, take a risk, and discover something new.
