Calgary's Culture Days
Discover. Experience. Celebrate. Calgary Culture Days
Calgary Culture Days takes place every September 1 – 30 and is a celebration of local arts, culture and community spirit.
About Calgary Culture Days
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A Calgary tradition
Calgary Culture Days has been recognized since 2014. Each year, more people participate and discover something new about our city, our stories and each other. It’s an opportunity to showcase creatives, community groups and cultural organizations from all backgrounds, sharing diverse expressions of arts and culture in Calgary.
Calgary Culture Days also includes moments of remembrance. We commemorate Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation by highlighting events that honour residential school victims, survivors and their families, while encouraging meaningful learning and dialogue.
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Why it matters
Arts and culture are at the heart of what makes Calgary a vibrant, welcoming city. They spark creativity, connect communities and breathe life into our neighbourhoods. From murals and music to film, festivals, and food — culture is everywhere.
Arts and culture creates jobs, attracts visitors and helps grow our local economy. Most importantly, arts and culture help us feel like we belong by sharing our stories and celebrating what makes each of us unique.
Event calendar
New events added weekly.
Fiesta Filipino
A vibrant celebration of Filipino culture, diversity and unity through music, food, art, performances and storytelling.
LOOP&PARALLEL - KOAC 4th Annual Fall Fundraiser
Experience an evening of vibrant contemporary art and community at KOAC’s annual fall fundraiser and exhibition - featuring art, auction and celebration in the sculpture park.
Afro Caribbean Festival YYC
Celebrate African & Caribbean culture with music, dance, art, food & more. Unity and diversity in Calgary’s inclusive festival!
Joyland Film Screening + Panel Discussion
A community led screening and panel discussion of the award-winning Pakistani film Joyland about queer love. An exploration of identity, desire and family expectations.
Taste of Italy
Celebrate Italian culture with food, music, dance and contests! Taste of Italy showcases local Italian businesses and brings a true taste of Italy to Calgary.
Chinatown Lantern Festival
An unforgettable Mid-Autumn Festival evening with stunning lantern displays, vibrant local vendors and delicious eats from the best food trucks.
When: Sep. 12
Greatest Nigerian Classics Orchestra Concert
Greatest Nigerian Classics is a jazz orchestral performance to celebrate the music of Nigeria’s music legends.
Franco Festival Calgary
Franco Festival celebrates Francophone diversity with music, food, art, a new outdoor movie night and a First Nations Cultural Village.
Beyond the Postcard: Cuba's Untold Stories
Beyond the Postcard: A vivid 60-min journey of Cuba’s soul in film, poetry & puppetry. Listen. Feel. Remember.
Calgary Culture Days funding
This year, we introduced the Calgary Culture Days Microgrant to support community-led initiatives that help activate Calgary’s greater downtown through free or low-cost arts and culture programming during the month of September.
With a total of $100,000 in available funding for 2025, the Calgary Culture Days Microgrant supported new small-scale initiatives or the enhancement of existing ones, offering up to $5,000 per initiative.
Applications are now closed
Thank you to everyone who applied. You can see the supported initiatives in our events calendar.
Do you have a larger initiative in mind? Check other funding opportunities here.
Calgary Culture Days collaboration
Calgary Culture Days 2024 introduced an exciting partnership between Calgary Opera and two of Calgary’s popular cultural festivals: Taste of Italy and Fiesta Filipino.
This collaboration explored new opportunities for cultural exchange and helped raise awareness of Calgary Opera’s underutilized services. The City of Calgary’s Arts and Culture team facilitated the connection, provided funding to support event delivery, and helped create a more cohesive cultural experience.
The partnership drew more than 87,000 attendees over four days of performances and laid a strong foundation for future collaborations. It demonstrated the power of diverse engagement in shaping a vibrant and inclusive city.