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#EXPLOREDOWNTOWNYYC Downtown Summer Festivals

Calgary’s Summer Festival Season is in full swing! Downtown is where you’ll find the electric energy as people unite to celebrate community, creativity, and culture. With over 100 festivals and events happening downtown this summer, the heart of our city will be bursting with fun and entertainment for everyone.

Festivals & events are generally approved to proceed, as long as they adhere to water restrictions currently in place. Please check the events website for any updates.

Explore downtown with these summer festivals and events:


FEATURED EVENT


Calgary International Blues Festival

When: August 1 – 4
Where: Cowboys Park, (formerly Millennium Park)
Website: Calgary International Blues Festival

The 20th Annual Calgary International Blues Festival promises an unforgettable experience with live blues performances, a diverse selection of food trucks, a vibrant artisan market, unique festival souvenirs, and bar service throughout the site. Perfect for all ages, this family-friendly event has been a cornerstone of Calgary's cultural scene for two decades! 

Briscoe

When: August 12

Location: Palomino Smokehouse 

West of It All, the debut album from Americana folk-rock band Briscoe, is a coming-of-age soundtrack set against the backdrop of the Texas Hill Country. Written in the Lone Star State and recorded in North Carolina, it's an album that charts its own musical geography, with production from Grammy nominee Brad Cook (Bon Iver, Waxahatchee, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats) and adventurous songwriting that bridges the gap between classic American roots music and its modern-day incarnation.

High Park Movie With a View - Chungking Express

When: August 14

Where: High Park - 340 10 Ave. S.W. on Level 6 (top floor) of the City Centre Parkade.

Experience an unforgettable evening presented by BUMP Festival, under the stars at the High Park rooftop with an outdoor screening of the arthouse classic film Chungking Express. Join us for this cinematic event where the urban skyline meets the silver screen - bring your friends, enjoy the stunning views, and immerse yourself in Wong Kar-wai’s captivating tale of love and chance encounters. 

Window Case Concert

When: August 14

It's a lunch time party! Head down to the Window Case Concert and enjoy live music by the talented members of One Big Jam inside the corner of the window case on 7 Ave SW. Hosted by The Oratory, this free, all ages event offers the opportunity to enjoy a free tea, conversation, engage and make art! If loud music isn’t your thing, free ear plugs are also available.

GlobalFest

When: August 15 - 24

Where: Elliston Park

Take in GlobalFest, a multi-cultural celebration with five incredible nights of dancing, music, food, and fireworks displays. Each night features a world-class fireworks show set to music from an international group of pyro-artists at Alberta’s most explosive festival.

Lamb of God & Mastodon: Ashes of Leviathan Tour

When: August 15

The Lamb of God & Mastodon: Ashes of Leviathan Tour celebrates 20 years of Ashes of the Wake and Leviathan with Special Guests Kerry King & Malevolence. Exclusive Viewing Area, Early Entry Tour, VIP Meet & Greet, and VIP Merchandise Packages are available!

Sons of the East

When: August 16

Premiere songwriters and a brilliant live act, Sons Of The East are a remarkable independent success story. Their stellar debut album, Palomar Parade, has already seen over 60 million streams, with sold out shows at O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire London, Williamsburg Music Hall New York, Troubadour LA, Razzmatazz Barcelona, Metro Theatre Sydney, Boston, Denver & The Hague to name just a handful. A steadfastly in- dependent trio, Sons Of The East continue to defy genre and carve out a unique position amongst their indie folk contemporaries.

Carifest

When: August 16 - 18

Join in the fun of Carifest, a spectacular celebration of Caribbean music, costumes, tradition, and culture. Carifest hosts a colourful parade that starts in Olympic Plaza and makes it way to Shaw Millenium Park for a festival of live reggae and steel pan music, dancing, and food.

Expo Latino Festivals

When: August 16 - 18

Expo Latino Festivals is Western Canada’s largest Latino festival and welcomes visitors for a vibrant weekend of food, artisans, dancing, music, and entertainment for over 35 years.

Country Thunder

When: August 16 - 18

Where: The Confluence Historic Site & Parkland (formerly Fort Calgary)

The biggest names in country music take the state at Country Thunder for an epic concert event each summer. The Confluence Historic Site & Parkland hosts this outdoor music festival with two stages, up-and-coming artists, and a nightly headliner straight from the top of the country charts.

Getting downtown


Calgary Transit
You can get downtown with Calgary’s Public Transit system. For more information on Calgary city buses or the CTrain, including schedules, maps, passes and fares, visit Calgary Transit.

Extend your Stay with Calgary Parking!
Sleep-in and enjoy a cup of coffee when you use a City lot or parkade on the weekend and extend your parking session for free! This program provides the flexibility to park your vehicle conveniently and securely, without having to pick it up until 10 a.m. the next morning.

Walk, Wheel or Spin
If you’d prefer an active mode of transportation, walk, wheel or spin downtown!

Submit an event


If you have an event you would like added, please email: downtownevents@calgary.ca
with the subject: Downtown Summer Festivals.

*Please note, this page is updated regularly. The festivals and events listed below are either organized, supported, or in good standing with The City of Calgary.

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