About Edmonton Festival City
Edmonton Tourism, a division of Edmonton Economic Development Corp., is dedicated to fostering and promoting the City’s festival scene.
In Edmonton, we and our visitors enjoy more than 30 established festivals throughout the year. It’s one of the reasons Edmonton was named Canada’s Cultural Capital in 2007. Here’s just a sampling:
Music
Fests of live music include Edmonton’s Labatt Blues Festival, Symphony Under The Sky, Yardbird Jazz Festival, and the world-renowned Edmonton Folk Music Festival.
Performances
Among live theatre, dance, and film fests are the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival, the Festival of Dance, and the Edmonton International Film Festival.
Learn more about the Fringe Theatre Festival and the International Film Festival through the stories of people who've experienced it at www.edmontonstories.ca.
Visual Arts
Events include The Works Art & Design Festival and the VisualEyez festival of performance art.
Learn more about The Works Art & Design Festival through the stories of people who've experienced it at www.edmontonstories.ca.
Family Fun
Some special times are the International Children’s Festival, Edmonton's Capital EX summer exhibition, the Heritage Festival (with lots to eat!), and the Santa Claus Parade.
Learn more about the International Children's Festival through the stories of people who've experienced it at www.edmontonstories.ca.
Sports
Watch and cheer, or put on your gear and compete. Some of our many sports events are the Canadian Birkebeiner Ski Festival and the splashy Edmonton Dragon Boat Festival.
Cultural
Edmonton celebrates a great cultural diversity. Fun times include the multicultural Edmonton Heritage Festival, with tantalizing tastes from round the world, the vivid and vibrant Cariwest, and the rough-and-tumble Canadian Finals Rodeo.
Learn more about the Heritage Festival and the Canadian Finals Rodeo through the stories of people who've experienced it at www.edmontonstories.ca.
Whichever festivals you choose to attend, you can count on enjoying a stimulating cultural experience — and a warm Edmonton welcome.
Visitors love the warmth and energy here
It’s not only because we have dozens of festivals each year that Edmonton has become known as Canada’s Festival City. It’s also because of the local spirit, the way people wholeheartedly celebrate. Visitors find people in Edmonton are friendly, relaxed, and engaging.
Learn more about Edmonton's culture through the stories of people who've experienced it at www.edmontonstories.ca.
Every year, between 2 and 3 million people attend our multitude of festivals. Many are visitors of course, but most are locals.
There is no “typical” festival goer
There are as many ways to enjoy our festivals as there are individuals who attend. Some people love to experience as much as they can of theatre in the streets, music in the parks, art in public squares, and everything in between.
Other festival goers prefer to be more stationary, sit back and observe the scene. Many festivals have beer gardens and international food fairs on site.
There are festivals favoured by families with young children. Others primarily attract urbane adults. Overall, our festivals are a great mix of great people having a great time. Come and experience a festival here for yourself.
