Festival Info

Whether one of the thousands of families with babies in strollers and toddlers on piggyback, gangs of girlfriends stretched out on the lawn or elderly couples perched in the shade listening to Corb Lund and Annie Lou, from their hearts to their souls to the bottoms of their bare feet, it's no secret that tourists and locals alike love this folk fest.

Kelly Doody - Calgary Herald

The Festival

July 26-29, 2012 at Prince’s Island Park – Over the water and through the trees an island teems with the sights and sounds of musical exploration and community, a magic place that springs to vivid life every July for four wonderful days. Step off the edge of Calgary’s concrete jungle and feel the grass beneath your toes, hang with your friends and neighbours and be reminded about what it means to be alive and connected.

It is a village fifty thousand strong, full of care-free innovators and history makers writing their stories on the warm summer breeze. It is our small town in the big city, rebuilt for 32 straight years and brimming with the joyous sounds of collaboration and inspiration. It’s an aural adventure; sweet and edgy, evolving and unpredictable. Diverse voices from across the globe will emancipate your ears and thrill your hearts with a tapestry of once-in-a-lifetime moments.

See and hear 68 artists from 14 countries on 7 stages. Visit the interactive family area, browse at the original tree-shaded artisan market, sample some cuisine from the global village and share a beverage with your tribe in the beer garden.

Hike, bike, float or fly. Get yourself to the place where anything is possible. Put down some roots. Discover a world of music.

Coming from out of town? Read our press kit about the festival and check out things to do in Calgary.

Festival Times

Top 10 Festival Tips

• The festival is comprised of mainstage concerts and workshops/ sessions.

• The mainstage concerts take place in the evenings Thursday - Sunday. The workshops and other concerts take place on smaller stages throughout the day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Most of the mainstage artists also participate in workshops.

• When you arrive, check the main field for space. Become a tarpie! Seating is on the grass in front of the mainstage. Those in first get the best spots. Bring a tarp (6 X 8 max size), a blanket and short beach chairs to sit on. People use it as their home base for the day; a place for their extra clothes, coolers, etc. and a spot to hook up with friends during the mainstage shows.

• There's a dancing and standing area near the front on both sides of the mainstage so that you can get close to your favourite artists. There are large video screens to view the mainstage from.

• Programming for the 6 workshops stages changes almost every hour, so audience members go from one stage to another, setting up in front of the stage as they go.

• Sessions on these stages bring musicians together in unpredictable and magical collaborations.

• Once you have a wristband, you can come and go from the site.

• There's a variety of reasonably priced, and delicious, international food on site for sale, but you're welcome to bring your own food (we reserve the right to search coolers to ensure there’s no glass or liquor inside).

• Stay for the day. Alongside the great music there's a beer garden, a children's play area, a craft market, artist merchandise for sale, and lots of beautiful sunshine to bask in. Bring a change of clothes (it's Calgary after all). During the course of a day temperatures can fluctuate by 10 or even 20 degrees from the hot mid-day sunshine to those mountain-chilled evening breezes. Back in 1993 it even rained.

• Car pool, bike or walk to the site. There’s lots of inexpensive parking around the Eau Claire district ($2 evenings and weekends at the Eau Claire Market). As the festival is downtown, it’s on bus routes. The Festival has secure bicycle parking on site.

• Come back next year; all the new friends you'll make will be there too.

Still have some unanswered questions? Read our Frequently Asked Questions.

Future Festival dates

July 25-28, 2013
July 24-27, 2014
July 25-28, 2015