During summer in Canada, the snow and ice give way to sun, fun and festivities. Read on for nine of the best upcoming events, from coast to coast.
Calgary Stampede, Alberta
Don’t miss out on the world-renowned Calgary Stampede, the place where hides are raw, hearts untamed, and the world’s toughest rodeo stock walk on two legs. From 5 – 14 July 2024, more than four million guests will don cowboy/cowgirl boots and feast on the Stampede’s infamous carnival fare. The Calgary Stampede is as much about the music as it is about rodeo. Previous line-ups included Katy Perry, Keith Urban, Nelly Furtado, Ben Harper, KISS, and the Dixie Chicks. This year’s performers include Motley Crue and country music icon, Miranda Lambert, with the full line-up to be announced soon.
Festival d’été de Québec
Is 11 days enough time to explore 300 shows and 10 stages? Find out at the Festival d’été de Québec from 4 – 14 July 2024. Every year, the Festival d’été de Québec attracts over one million festival-goers to Québec City’s historical district for concerts by international superstars and top new talent. Don’t forget to check out the street performers and night festivities too!
Just For Laughs, Montreal
Every summer, the largest comedy festival in the world tickles Montreal into a laughing frenzy with galas, street art, theatre productions, and stand-up performances. Hosting more than 1,700 artists from 19 countries as well as over 2 million festival-goers, Just For Laughs offers 1,600 performances, including 1,200 free outdoor shows. The festival runs from 12 – 28 July 2024.
Folklorama, Winnipeg
Folklorama is the largest and longest-running multicultural event of its kind in the world. This not-to-be missed festival allows you to explore a stunning array of the world’s diverse cultures displayed community centres, high school gymnasiums and cultural centres across Winnipeg. Taking place from 4 – 17 August 2024, The Folklorama extravaganza features world-class entertainment, ethnic foods and beautiful cultural displays.
Adäka Cultural Festival, Yukon Territory
Visit the Yukon from June 28th – July 1st 2024 for the Adäka Cultural Festival, when more than 150 aboriginal artists and performers will congregate in the capital city of Whitehorse to share their arts and culture during this week-long event. The banks of the Yukon River offer the perfect backdrop to this world-class festival, hosted at the Kwanlin Dun Cultural Centre. Immerse yourself in the traditional and contemporary music, and sign up for a workshop to try your hand at drumming, dance, storytelling, film, visual art exhibitions, interpretive programming, and community feasts.
Indigenous Fashion Arts Festival
From 30th May to 2nd June 2024, Indigenous Fashion Arts Festival returns to Toronto, Ontario, where almost 100 Indigenous artists and designers will participate in runway shows, panel discussions, hands-on workshops, and an art exhibition. Led by Indigenous women, the festival explores the connections between mainstream fashion, Indigenous art, and traditional practices. The 2024 line-up features 89 Indigenous artists, designers, makers and brands, with a spotlight on Indigenous Latinx artists from across Turtle Island.
Canadian Tulip Festival, Ottawa
The Canadian Tulip Festival, taking place from 10 – 20 May 2024 in the capital city of Ottawa, is a vibrant celebration of nature, culture, and Canadian history. This annual event showcases over a million tulips in bloom, painting the city with a kaleidoscope of colors and fragrances. Beyond the breathtaking blooms, attendees can immerse themselves in a diverse lineup of cultural performances, culinary delights, and interactive activities that celebrate the enduring friendship between Canada and the Netherlands, commemorating the symbolic gift of tulips from the Dutch Royal Family to Canada.
Luminato, Toronto
Taking place from 6 – 16 June 2024, the Luminato Festival “was born out of the cultural and creative energy of the city of Toronto” and harnesses that energy by turning theatres, parks, and public spaces into homes for art. This international arts festival is dedicated to performance, media and visual arts, and programming that cuts across traditional artform boundaries, working closely with Canadian artists to support the development and creation of distinctive new work as well as presenting today’s most exciting artists from around the world.
Bluesfest, Ottawa
From 4 – 14 July 2024, Ottawa Bluesfest features world-class acts including Motley Crue, Tyler Childers and Talk. This epic outdoor music festival has gone beyond its blues roots to increasingly showcase mainstream pop, hip hop, reggae and rock acts. Full line-up to be announced in the coming weeks.
GETTING THERE
Air Canada offers daily direct flights to Vancouver from Sydney and Brisbane. Direct flights from Sydney to Vancouver are also available on Qantas. Internal flights are available throughout Canada from all major cities, in addition to the VIA Rail train service.
