The Calgary Folk Music Festival was founded in 1980 and is produced by the not-for-profit Folk Festival Society of Calgary. Held at Calgary's bucolic Prince’s Island Park since its inception, it’s one of Canada’s flagship, trailblazing music festivals with a national and international profile and a broad, cutting-edge programming vision.

The annual Festival is a four-day family-friendly cultural and musical extravaganza. Some 70 artists from Alberta, Canada and the world perform on six daytime and two evening stages in concerts and sessions – unpredictable mash-ups where artists collaborate in unique and unexpected ways, sharing songs and stories. It’s a genre-bending affair that cleverly unites roots, world and indie icons and upstarts from around the globe; a destination event and essential community gathering for 53,000 Calgarians and tourists.

The site boasts a family area with interactive activities and live entertainment, a Talk Tent featuring comedians and spoken word artists plus other site animations, an artisan market, global culinary delights, a record tent and tree-shaded beer garden within earshot of two stages. Our multi award-winning environment program includes recycling, composting, wind-powered energy and bicycle parking.

Future festival dates

• July 22 – 25, 2021
• July 21 – 24, 2022
• July 27 – 30, 2023

For 14 years, artists have had a unique opportunity to learn from their favourite Festival instrumental heroes, singers and song craftspeople at our mentorship and educational master classes for three consecutive days Festival week amongst the National Music Centre’s exhibits and instrument collection.

Heading into its 5th year, Block Heater is an annual winter music extravaganza that brings together diverse programming to keep Calgary warm in the coldest month. It’s a magical weekend in the heart of Calgary’s downtown featuring concerts and collaborative sessions from over 25 local, Canadian and international artists on stages inside the National Music Centre, King Eddy, Festival Hall, and the Central Library.

Since opening in September 2012 in the historic Inglewood community, Festival Hall has presented its own multi-disciplinary fall and summer concert series. It’s also hosted a variety of other events through rentals to community individuals and organizations.