Calgary's Culture Days
Discover. Experience. Celebrate. Calgary Culture Days
Calgary Culture Days takes place every September 1 – 30 and is a celebration of local arts, culture and community spirit.
About Calgary Culture Days
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A Calgary tradition
Calgary Culture Days has been recognized since 2014. Each year, more people participate and discover something new about our city, our stories and each other. It’s an opportunity to showcase creatives, community groups and cultural organizations from all backgrounds, sharing diverse expressions of arts and culture in Calgary.
Calgary Culture Days also includes moments of remembrance. We commemorate Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation by highlighting events that honour residential school victims, survivors and their families, while encouraging meaningful learning and dialogue.
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Why it matters
Arts and culture are at the heart of what makes Calgary a vibrant, welcoming city. They spark creativity, connect communities and breathe life into our neighbourhoods. From murals and music to film, festivals, and food — culture is everywhere.
Arts and culture creates jobs, attracts visitors and helps grow our local economy. Most importantly, arts and culture help us feel like we belong by sharing our stories and celebrating what makes each of us unique.
Featured event
Music on the Avenue: Aug. 30
Join us as we kick off Culture Days by enjoying the sounds of local live music on Stephen Ave outside The Palace Theatre starting at noon.
Schedule:
- Noon – Amy Hef
- 12:25 p.m. – Stephen Fletcher
- 12:50 p.m. – Tayo G
- 1:15 p.m. – Robert Adam
Event calendar
New events added weekly.
Heritage for Harmony
Presented by the Hindu Heritage Society, enjoy face painting, mehandi, a Garba dance workshop and more!
Hoy Sun Best Voice Singing Competition
Experience Chinese Hoy Sun culure through a singing competition, cooking workshop and board games from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Joyland Film Screening + Panel Discussion
A community led screening and panel discussion of the award-winning Pakistani film Joyland about queer love. An exploration of identity, desire and family expectations.
Ovarian Cancer Canada's Walk of Hope
The Walk of Hope is the only walk in the country dedicated to working towards a future in which ovarian cancer is eradicated.
Taste of Italy
Celebrate Italian culture with food, music, dance and contests! Taste of Italy showcases local Italian businesses and brings a true taste of Italy to Calgary.
TapTalks | Want to Live on Mars? What Martian Rocks Tell Us About Life in Space
TapTalks is a speaker series that brings Calgary’s brightest minds together. Join us for a fascinating talk on what Martian rocks reveal about the Red Planet’s habitability and what it means for the future of life beyond Earth.
Chinatown Lantern Festival
An unforgettable Mid-Autumn Festival evening with stunning lantern displays, vibrant local vendors and delicious eats from the best food trucks.
When: Sep. 12
Cinema on 17th
Cinema on 17th is a one-of-a-kind, interactive outdoor movie experience featuring 10 blockbusters.
Sacred Defenders of the Universe - Digital Immersion Experience
Sacred Defenders of the Universe is a graphic novel adventure that comes to life as a sensory experience for all ages.
Calgary Culture Days funding
This year, we introduced the Calgary Culture Days Microgrant to support community-led initiatives that help activate Calgary’s greater downtown through free or low-cost arts and culture programming during the month of September.
With a total of $100,000 in available funding for 2025, the Calgary Culture Days Microgrant supported new small-scale initiatives or the enhancement of existing ones, offering up to $5,000 per initiative.
Applications are now closed
Thank you to everyone who applied. You can see the supported initiatives in our events calendar.
Do you have a larger initiative in mind? Check other funding opportunities here.
Calgary Culture Days collaboration
Calgary Culture Days 2024 introduced an exciting partnership between Calgary Opera and two of Calgary’s popular cultural festivals: Taste of Italy and Fiesta Filipino.
This collaboration explored new opportunities for cultural exchange and helped raise awareness of Calgary Opera’s underutilized services. The City of Calgary’s Arts and Culture team facilitated the connection, provided funding to support event delivery, and helped create a more cohesive cultural experience.
The partnership drew more than 87,000 attendees over four days of performances and laid a strong foundation for future collaborations. It demonstrated the power of diverse engagement in shaping a vibrant and inclusive city.