Edmonton: Canada's Festival City
Festivals All Year Round
Welcome to Edmonton, Canada's Festival City. With more festivals than weeks in the year, there’s no shortage of excitement to fill your stay - whether it’s 30 degrees above or below. Folk music in a natural open-air amphitheatre? You got it. Canoe races in the middle of winter? Done and done. North America's largest and wildest Fringe Theatre Festival? You know it. In Edmonton, we have a festival for that.
Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter
Discover some of the city's hottest celebrations, then cruise to our event calendar for even more legendary events. Book your stay with Edmonton's Best Hotels and receive up to $225 in rewards!
Northwestfest & Rainbow Visions Film Festival
Canada’s longest running documentary film festival, Northwestfest presents a wide selection of documentary films made by local and international filmmakers alike. Rainbow Vision Film Festival runs after Northwestfest and showcases the best new 2SLGBTQIA+ focused films. Sit back in the historic Garneau Theatre, enjoy the best popcorn in the city, and be prepared to learn something new!
Northwestfest - May 8-15, 2025
Rainbow Visions Film Festival - May 16-18, 2025
UFest Edmonton Ukrainian Festival
Western Canada's largest multi-day Ukrainian festival returns to Borden Park this May! UFest is a celebration of Ukrainian culture, food, music, dance… and a whole lotta fun. This free, two-day event brings together people of Ukrainian heritage, as well as audiences of many diverse cultures.
May 30 & 31, 2025
International Children's Festival
This magical multi-day festival transforms the banks of the Sturgeon River in downtown St. Albert into a mighty carnival as kids come out to play with professional artists and performers from across the country and around the world.
May 29-June 1, 2025
The Heart of the City Music and Arts Festival
This two-day family-friendly festival celebrates the full spectrum of talent and culture in central Edmonton. Wander past the shops and restaurants that line the street of Edmonton's historic Little Italy, catching the sound of live music and laughter.
May 31 - June 1, 2025
NextFest
Want a glimpse at the next generation of Edmonton talent? Look no further than Nextfest, a festival made up of hundreds of young and emerging artists from a wide variety of disciplines. Each year the festival celebrates an electric line up of performances and installations.
June 5-15, 2025
Alberta Spirits & Cocktail Festival
Get ready for Alberta’s largest cocktail party, featuring specialty beverages and cocktails, local beer, great eats, live music and so much more! Meet some of Alberta’s top master distillers and local celebrities, rock out to live musical performances by Edmonton’s rising stars and stay for the late-night concert parties featuring Punch Drunk Cabaret and the multi CMAB award-winning band, The Prairie States!
March 2026, Dates TBA
Dreamspeakers Film Festival
Celebrate the latest works by Indigenous Peoples’ innovation in film, video, and new media, with exciting selections of works from around the globe. Dreamspeakers International Indigenous Film Festival has been around since 1993, and highlights the outstanding work of Indigenous artists. Immerse yourself in culture, art and an exploration of the stories that shape humanity. Get ready to be inspired!
April 2026, Dates TBA
Downtown Defrost
Get ready for Edmonton’s coolest winter party! The Downtown Defrost is back, celebrating 10 years of dance music and culture. With headliners like Channel Tres, Yaeji, and Neil Francis, this 2-day festival in Churchill Square promises non-stop energy and epic vibes. By day, enjoy all-ages fun in the square—kids under 12 get in FREE! By night, the party heats up with afterparties at Double Dragon. Don’t miss this frosty celebration of music, community, and culture.
April 2026, Dates TBA
Pride Month
June in Edmonton is Pride Month, meaning there are countless 2SLGBTQ+ events to experience around the city! Celebrate with local organizations like Fruit Loop, spend the evening at Evolution Wonderlounge, and check out our 2SLGBTQIA+ section for more great events around the city!
June 2025
National Indigenous People's Day
National Indigenous Peoples Day uplifts the accomplishments and contributions of Indigenous Peoples in Canada. For time immemorial, June 21 has been a celebration of culture and heritage due to its significance as the summer solstice. Look for events hosted by Métis Crossing, Enoch Cree Nation and the Canadian Native Friendship Centre!
June 2025
Alberta Circus Arts Festival
Step right up and be part of the Alberta Circus Arts Festival! Join Firefly Theatre and Circus for four days of awe-inspiring Canadian contemporary circus acts at La Cite Francophone. Immerse yourself in breathtaking performances, enlightening workshops, stimulating panel discussions, and more!
June 19-22, 2025
Improvaganza
The best improvisers in the world live right here in Edmonton! Each summer, Rapid Fire Theatre hosts the best improv and sketch comedy acts on the planet for Improvaganza! This June, Rapid Fire Theatre hosts top-ranked improv teams from across the globe. Here you'll find improv, comedy, music and more. Get your laugh on at Edmonton's funniest festival!
June 19-22, 2025
The Works Art & Design Festival
Every summer, Edmonton transforms into a massive celebration of creativity. As North America's largest free outdoor art & design festival, The Works Art & Design Festival features countless performances and events, with exhibits in venues all over the city. Ignite your senses in vivid colours, massive sculptural installations, and live music!
June 21 - July 1, 2025
Edmonton International Jazz Festival
The Edmonton International Jazz Festival brings the world’s best jazz performers to Edmonton! You’re sure to hit the right note with the full gamut of jazz sounds on the menu. It’s mellow, it’s lively and it’s a great time to listen to sax, silky voices – all that jazz. Catch performances across a variety of venues including Winspear Centre, Starlite Room, Bellamy’s Lounge, and more!
June 21-29, 2025
Freewill Shakespeare Festival
Get thee to a festival that brings the Bard to life and enjoy the works of the most famous playwright of all! Celebrating 35 years, the Freewill Shakespeare Festival's performances will take place at four community leagues across the city this year. Plop thy bum on thy seat and prepare for revelry!
June 27 - July 20, 2025
Grindstone Comedy Festival
Grindstone Theatre's annual stand-up, sketch, and improv comedy festival will be bringing both national performers and rising local talent together under Edmonton’s spotlight. This inclusive in-and-outdoor festival is spread across West Ritchie, Old Strathcona and the French Quarter.
July 2-6, 2025
Edmonton International Street Performers Festival
What do unicyclists, puppeteers, tightrope walkers and acrobats all have in common? You'll find them all at the Edmonton International Street Performers Festival this July, celebrating its 40th anniversary! Performance artists will transform the city into busker central with their zany, witty or just plain silly performances.
July 4-13, 2025
Whyte Avenue Art Walk
Imagine a 4 km walk through the hearts and minds of artists. Over 400 visual artists take to the streets of Old Strathcona, transforming the neighbourhood into an open-air gallery that stretches across several blocks. The legendary Whyte Avenue Art Walk showcases Alberta's hidden talents, offering visitors a chance to discover and curate their own art collections from numerous emerging artists.
July 11-13, 2025
Taste of Edmonton
Get a taste of Edmonton’s food scene at Western Canada’s largest food festival! Sample dishes from over 50 locally owned restaurants & food trucks, and rock out from afternoon to evening to amazing live music. With over 170 scrumptious dishes on the menu, Taste of Edmonton is a staple that showcases the vibrancy in Edmonton's Downtown core through art, food, music, heritage, and culture.
July 17-27, 2025
The Great Outdoors Comedy Festival
The Great Outdoors Comedy Festival features three days of incredible comedy superstars. Andrew Schulz, Shane Gillis, and Mark Gagnon will bring the laughter on Friday! Head back to Kinsmen Park on Saturday for Kevin Hart, and then again on Sunday for more laughs with Bert Kreischer, Whitney Cummings, and Steph Tolev, hosted by Lisa Gilroy!
July 18-20, 2025
KDays
It's time for the midway at KDays! Get the adrenaline pumping with exciting rollercoasters and rides, discover the shopping markets and programming inside the Explorium, taste the warm sugary bliss of freshly fried donuts, dance along to big-name concerts, and wrap up each day by watching fireworks light up the night sky.
July 18-27, 2025
Edmonton Heritage Festival
This is your one-way ticket to a world of flavours! Take a peek at Pakistan, taste the flavours of Fiji, feel the beat of Burkina-Faso, and explore cultures from Afghanistan to Wales. The Edmonton Heritage Festival is a family-friendly mingling of nations sharing their entertainment, music, culture, and cuisine! You can attend this legendary festival at Borden Park located beside the Edmonton EXPO Centre!
August 2-4, 2025
Disco in the Park
This annual off-the-hook music festival brings together young and old for one purpose - to dance! It’s like the Edmonton Folk Festival for funky disco electronic music, put together by The Grindstone Theatre. Get your groove on!
August 2025, Dates TBA
Edmonton Folk Music Festival
The hills are alive with the sound of Folk Fest! Four magical days of eclectic performers, delicious food and drinks, plus a remarkable setting make the Edmonton Folk Music Festival the summer's premiere musical event. Nestled in the natural amphitheatre of Gallagher Hill, you'll find toe-tapping performances and so much more!
August 7-10, 2025
Cariwest Caribbean Arts Festival
Cariwest, Edmonton's annual celebration of Caribbean arts, music, and culture, is taking over Churchill Square! The 3-day event includes a Friday Night Costume Extravaganza, the iconic Saturday Cariwest Parade, and a Caribbean Village throughout the weekend including live entertainment, the Kids Korner, savoury Caribbean cuisine, and the Caribbean Marketplace.
August 8-10, 2025
Edmonton Blues Festival
The Edmonton Blues Festival just celebrated its 25th birthday! Experience the blues in the newly-renovated Klondike Park where you can watch a lineup of iconic performers. Get your tickets, or you may be the one singin' the blues.
Paused for 2025. Returning August 2026, Dates TBA
Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival
Edmonton's hip Old Strathcona neighbourhood is centre stage for North America's biggest and oldest Fringe Theatre Festival. Over 11 days, local, national, and international performers put on every type of theatre performance imaginable. Wander the grounds between performances and enjoy the buskers, outdoor stages, and lively beer gardens. We live for the drama!
August 14-24, 2025
Edmonton Mural Festival
Experience a burst of colour and creativity throughout the city local and international artists turn Edmonton into an open-air gallery! Feast your eyes on stunning murals, engage in hands-on art experiences, and join vibrant community events, including an unforgettable closing party. This festival promotes inclusivity and inspires future artists with every brushstroke.
August 15 - September 15, 2025
PRIDE Festival
Celebrate love and diversity in Churchill Square this August at Edmonton's Pride Festival! Dance to live music, be awed by dazzling performers, and engage in community activities as you enjoy an incredible week in a sea of rainbows. Don't miss the Pride Cup in Edmonton's ICE District, then head to Churchill Square for Indigenous Pride, Retro Retro, and more, closing with a performance by Dragonette on August 24!
August 22-24, 2025
Purple City Music Festival
From psyche rock to electronic, avant-garde to folk, Purple City Music Festival offers a diverse range of music for discovery and indie staples alike. Experience cutting-edge music, a vibrant atmosphere, and a celebration of Edmonton's thriving music community! Check out Purple City Music Festival's Spotify playlist to catch the vibe.
September 5-7, 2025
Feed The Soul Dining Week
Fill yuh belly, feed yuh soul! Feed the Soul Dining Week is an annual Black Futures Month celebration of Edmonton’s Black food scene. The dining week invites curious diners to experience the rich cultural and fusion flavours that Black foodpreneurs have to offer. Throughout the festival, you’ll find special meal deals and food walking tours.
September 2025, Dates TBA
Kaleido Family Arts Festival
Kaleido Family Arts Festival is a joyous, exuberant, radically open arts festival that shares the love of the Alberta Avenue Arts District. Experience multi-arts collaborative performances such as music, dance, theatre, film, literary and visual arts with performances on rooftops, sides of buildings, back alleys, parks and found spaces. It’s a celebration of imagination and play!
September 5-7, 2025
Edmonton Comic & Entertainment Expo
Calling all timelords! The Edmonton Comic and Entertainment Expo (Edmonton Expo) is our city's greatest pop culture convention. Tens of thousands of people gather each year for a celebration of all things pop culture — comic books, sci-fi, fantasy, comedy, and everything in between.
September 19-21, 2025
The Mosquers Film Festival
Enjoy an amazing showcase of films by talented Muslim filmmakers. This festival enlightens, entertains, and brings people together by shining a spotlight on talent and the rich tapestry of the Muslim experience. What started as a humble local competition fifteen years ago has now transformed into a worldwide sensation, attracting budding filmmakers and enthusiastic audiences from every corner of the globe!
September 2025, Date TBA
Edmonton Comedy Festival
Ready to laugh? Or cry because you’re laughing so hard? Edmonton Comedy Festival is back with some of the best comedians around. The Festival returns with “4 Days of Funny” this fall. Discover a stellar line-up on stages throughout Edmonton!
September 2025, Dates TBA
Edmonton International Film Festival
Indulge your cinematic appetite with the Edmonton International Film Festival... and a large bag of popcorn (with extra butter of course). Here you'll find independent, international, and eye-opening films. Experience the best in independent film making from around the globe!
September 25-October 5, 2025
Rodeo Week
Rodeo Week rides into town every fall to put some dirt on your boots and western soul in your step! For a whole week, the Wild West takes over Edmonton with music, tailgate parties, buffets, western-themed markets, and of course - cattle! Celebrate a rich culture that spans centuries with local businesses, ranchers, and performers. Then finish your week at the Canadian Finals Rodeo, a competition of Canada's best rodeo athletes that is hosted at Rogers Place. Hold your horses - it's a wild ride!
September/October 2025, Dates TBA
Canadian Finals Rodeo
You can't have Rodeo week without the Canadian Finals Rodeo! Edmonton is Canada's host city for the Canadian Finals Rodeo - a professional competition where the best rodeo athletes of Canada compete in a variety of rodeo events in downtown Edmonton at Rogers Place arena. Come experience the spirit of the wild west in the city where it all began in 1974!
October 1-4, 2025
Edmonton Design Week
Edmonton Design Week began as a celebration of the city's remarkable design talents and has evolved into the ultimate festival showcasing Edmonton's creative genius! Brought to you by the cool folks at Media Architecture Design Edmonton (MADE), this multi-day event offers the chance to connect with designers and learn about the designs that shape Edmonton. Get your creative juices flowing at interactive exhibits, fun events, and inspiring talks from industry rockstars.
October 2025, Dates TBA
Litfest
Nonfiction comes to life at Litfest! Avid readers connect with writers through a series of live & virtual events, great conversations, and immersive readings. Don't miss this exclusive opportunity to interact with some of the best-selling, award-winning and emerging authors of books, magazines and films!
October 2025, Dates TBA
Edmonton Short Film Festival
The Edmonton Short Film Festival is a one-of-a-kind platform, showcasing the talents of independent filmmakers. The ESFF celebrates a diverse range of works, from brand-new creations to beloved classics, spanning genres like trailers, music videos, web series, commercials, and short films. Their main goal is to uplift and champion Alberta's indie short film scene and our local filmmaking community.
October 2025, Dates TBA
Pumpkins After Dark
Get ready for spooky season! Pumpkins After Dark is the ultimate outdoor Halloween extravaganza. With over 6,000 hand-carved pumpkins, it's a fall must-see! Stroll through this enchanted wonderland of illuminated pumpkin sculptures and captivating displays, all accompanied by eerie music, spine-tingling sounds, and mesmerizing special effects!
October 2025, Dates TBA
DARK at Fort Edmonton Park
Back for its sixth year, DARK offers three wicked experiences that will leave you sleeping with one eye open. Come for the scares and stay for the food and fun. From local food truck favourites to spooky cocktails to a live DJ spinning spooky beats, DARK is Edmonton’s Haunted Festival, and you won’t want to miss it.
Select nights in October.
Farmfair International
Kick up your heels at a real Western agricultural fair! For over 45 years Farmfair International, one of Canada’s top agricultural shows and Alberta's largest beef cattle show, where international guests come to the Edmonton Region to show and sell top quality livestock, make important connections, share knowledge and build the industry.
November 5-8, 2025
Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival
Explore an incredible array of dynamic wines, smooth spirits, and downright delicious beers from around the globe, all under one roof at the Edmonton Convention Centre. Cap it all off with tantalizing bites from some of Edmonton’s best restaurants and food purveyors, equaling a can’t-miss event.
November 7 & 8, 2025
All is Bright
One of Edmonton's hippest neighbourhoods flips the switch on its holiday lights at the All is Bright Festival. Witness some amazing fire and light dancers, cozy up in the beverage gardens, cook some delicious treats over the fire and much more. Find all the excitement on 124 Street at Helen Nolan Park.
November 15-30, 2025
Winterval
Kick off the winter season with the family friendly, holiday event, Winterval! Located on the historic 104 street (north of Jasper Avenue), you'll find a celebration of the magical season with live music, wagon rides, winter crafts, specialty cocktails, and more! Expect to walk amidst dozens of lit up pine trees, look up at the decorated buildings, take in the nostalgic window paintings, and smell the ready-to-eat sweet treats that come with the season.
November 2025, Dates TBA
Winter Whyte Light Up
Head to Old Strathcona to discover McIntyre Park turned into a winter wonderland and celebrate the holiday season. Free family-friendly activities will fill the entire block, with live music and street performers and previews of the Ice on Whyte and Flying Canoë Volant festivals. Plus, there will be plenty of hot drinks, winter treats, and fire pits to keep you cozy!
November 2025, Dates TBA
Luminaria
Don't miss your chance to take in the candlelight, starlight, peace and tranquility at Luminaria. A short forty-minute drive from downtown Edmonton you'll find the University of Alberta Botanic Garden — the largest botanical garden in the province. When the snow falls, the garden transforms into a true winter wonderland with snow sprites, glowing light sculptures, musical performances and more.
December 2025, Dates TBA
Chiseled: Edmonton International Ice Carving Competition
Edmonton’s International Ice Carving competition – formally Ice on Whyte – has moved to the ICE District! See the work of some of the world’s elite carvers. Artists have thirty-four hours to complete their work, with the full splendour revealed on the final day!
January 2026, Dates TBA
Deep Freeze: A Byzantine Winter Festival
Enjoy winter panache, food, art, culture, and winter fun—including races in actual deep freezers! Take an amazing walk, stroll or gallop down Alberta Avenue district and be enchanted by magnificent ice sculptures, song, dance, and tasty delights that share the stories and cultures of Canada's Ukrainian, French-Canadian and Indigenous communities. Forge your way to the Deep Freeze Festival!
January 2026, Dates TBA
Winterruption YEG
Bust out your puffer jackets and your dancing shoes, because Winterruption YEG is hitting downtown Edmonton with a bang! This multi-venue music and arts festival is not just about beats; it's a celebration of inclusivity and winter wonders. The lineup is always a melting pot of talent! This year, Winterruption will feature iconic names such as Nap Eyes, Reignwolf, Dead Ghosts, The Secret Beach & so many more! This Edmontonian-favourite event is the perfect start to 2025.
January 2026, Dates TBA
Flying Canoë Volant
Flying Canoë Volant is a creative, interactive, and cultural event where you can celebrate local history and everything that is great about a long winter’s night. Inspired by the legend of The Flying Canoe and French Canadian, First Nations and Métis traditions, this event illuminates Edmonton's beautiful Mill Creek Ravine and the French Quarter. Channel your inner Voyageur!
January/February 2026, Dates TBA
Canadian Birkebeiner Ski Festival
Channel your inner adventurer, strap on your skis and whip around the loppet when you take on the Canadian Birkebeiner! Feel the rush as you glide across the final stretch of track before falling into a blanket of white snow. The fatigue only lasts an hour or so, but the sense of accomplishment and appreciation for one of winter’s oldest sports will last forever!
February 2026, Dates TBA
Silver Skate Festival
Enjoy a celebration spanning 35 incredible years at the Silver Skate Festival—Edmonton's longest running, winter festival! Silver Skate strives to create unique winter experiences through arts, culture, recreation and sports. Feel the breeze on your face as you glide along the ice in the heart of Laurier Park, then marvel at the enchanting Snow Sculpture Garden, explore the Folk Trail, and more at this FREE 10-day festival.
February 2026, Dates TBA
Winefest
Celebrate Valentine's Day at Winefest! One ticket includes an all-inclusive sampling of wines, hors d’oeuvres, and a take-home wine glass. Prepare your palate and enjoy a variety of red, white, port, sparkling, and dessert wines (and more) from the world’s most celebrated wine regions, and pair them with a selection of sweet and savoury decadent bites. Use the code: EXPLORE25 for $15 off tickets!
February 2026, Dates TBA
UIAA Ice Climbing World Championships & YEG Ice Fest
Witness history as the Ice Climbing World Cup Finals come to Edmonton, Canada. Edmonton's ACC Ice Wall will be found in Louise McKinney Park this year, boasting a massive 18-meter climbing structure. Brace yourselves for an unforgettable experience with community competitions, expert-led clinics, gear demos, local bites, and a winter market. Conquer the climb, embrace the chill, and make this 3-day event a winter calendar essential!
February 2026, Dates TBA
Skirtsafire Festival
SkirtsAfire is a theatre and multidisciplinary arts festival featuring women artists! Be entertained and inspired by theatre, music, dance, comedy, visual art, spoken word, workshops, design and more. Taking place in various venues in the heart of Old Strathcona and the French Quarter: theatre & dance in Gateway Theatre and La Cité, multidisciplinary storytelling, comedy, and art installations at Walterdale Theatre, music at Holy Trinity Church, and pop-up performances and visual art installations in various businesses on Whyte.
March 2026, Dates TBA
But Wait, There's More!
Choose from Edmonton's Best Hotels
Find the perfect place to lay your head after a festival or two! Edmonton’s Best Hotels offers the best accommodations at the best price!
- Stay one night and receive $50
- Stay two nights and receive $150
- Stay three nights and receive $225