Explore Downtown YYC

2026 BUMP Festival
2026-08-17 | Beltline, Calgary
BUMP 2026 HAS LANDED
Of Simmering, and the Surge
What began in 2017 as a mural festival has grown into one of Canada’s most ambitious public art organizations, transforming Calgary into an open-air gallery while expanding into sculpture, music, film, education, conferences, and year-round cultural programming. As we celebrate this milestone year, we remain committed to a simple belief: BUMP is for the people.
This year’s theme, Of Simmering, and the Surge, asks us to consider how change takes form, both slowly and explosively. How do we respond to the forces that shape our world, at both the intimate and systemic level? What are the ideas, noise, gestures, and resistances that gather in the margins, in undergrounds, in small rooms, in fleeting conversations? And how do these moments accumulate, building pressure until they break through into the larger public sphere?
Throughout August and beyond, you’ll encounter an extraordinary collection of local, national, and international artists creating new public works across Calgary. From large-scale murals to the inaugural BUMP Public Sculpture Program, this year’s festival asks how public art can become more than something we simply look at. How can it become a portal into new ways of thinking, gathering, and imagining our shared future?
For the first time in BUMP’s history, we’ve invited guest curators to help shape the artistic direction of the festival. We are honoured to welcome Ken Lum, one of Canada’s most influential voices in contemporary public art, Marigold Santos, whose multidisciplinary practice has profoundly shaped artistic conversations in Calgary and beyond, and Said Dokins, an internationally celebrated artist from Mexico City whose work examines language, memory, and public space. They have assembled a remarkable group of artists whose practices reflect the diversity, complexity, and ambition of contemporary public art today.
This year also marks the third BUMP Urban Art Conference, taking place August 13-15 at Contemporary Calgary. Over three days, artists, writers, musicians, journalists, architects, curators, and cultural leaders from around the world will come together to explore the ideas shaping public life today. Through keynote talks, panel discussions, and conversations, the conference extends the questions raised on our walls into broader discussions about cities, culture, identity, ecology, technology, and the future of public space.
Whether you’re discovering BUMP for the first time or have been with us since the beginning, we invite you to experience the city differently this August.
We’ll be announcing details for our 2026 Festival Finale in the coming weeks, along with additional public programming and events taking place throughout the festival.
Thank you for being part of BUMP’s first ten years. We can’t wait to show you what’s next.

Monday Rap Night by Tribe Cypher
2026-08-17 17:00 - 19:30, 2026-08-24 17:00 - 19:30, 2026-08-31 17:00 - 19:30, 2026-09-07 17:00 - 19:30 (America/Boise) | Werklund Centre, 205 8th Avenue SE, Calgary
Every Monday
Time: 5:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Location: Werklund Centre, formerly Arts Commons, 205 8 Ave S.E.Room: Arts Learning CentreAge: 18+Cost: Free
Schedule:5:00-5:30 p.m. – Snack, Chill, Network5:30-6:00 p.m. – Smudge
6:00-6:30 p.m. – Mini Workshop
6:30-7:30 p.m. – Cypher

Surge City Hoops Summer Series
2026-08-18 18:00 - 20:00, 2026-08-20 18:00 - 20:00, 2026-08-25 18:00 - 20:00, 2026-08-27 18:00 - 20:00, 2026-09-01 18:00 - 20:00, 2026-09-03 18:00 - 20:00, 2026-09-08 18:00 - 20:00, 2026-09-10 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Edmonton) | Century Gardens Basketball Courts, 826 8 Ave Sw, Calgary, T2P 1H7
This summer, the Calgary Surge & The City of Calgary’s Downtown Strategy team have partnered to bring back Surge City Hoops, and our FREE youth basketball clinics to the heart of our city.
Join us for free basketball clinics every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from June through September, hosted at the ﻿Century Gardens Basketball Courts (826 8 Avenue SW).
Open to youth ages 8 to 17, these clinics are all about building skills, boosting confidence, and having fun on the court—whether you’re a beginner or looking to take your game to the next level. Surrounded by the downtown energy and led by experienced coaches, this is your chance to train, play, and grow in one of Calgary’s most iconic outdoor spaces.

River Hall YYC
2026-08-20 11:00 - 22:00, 2026-08-21 11:00 - 22:00, 2026-08-22 11:00 - 22:00, 2026-08-23 11:00 - 22:00, 2026-08-27 11:00 - 22:00, 2026-08-28 11:00 - 22:00, 2026-08-29 11:00 - 22:00, 2026-08-30 11:00 - 22:00 (America/Edmonton) and 5 more dates | 311 8 Street SW, 311 8 Street Sw, Calgary
River Hall YYC

☀️ Free open air community events
along the Bow River
🎶 Entertainment •
Activities • Wellness & more!
💫
Family + Dog friendly 🐾
📍 Lot 6, 311 8 ST SW

Hours
✨ Thursdays & Fridays:
5–10 PM
✨ Saturdays & Sundays:
11 AM–10 PM

Enjoy the best of summer at River Hall with vibrant events,
local talent, vendors, and plenty of opportunities to connect, relax, and have
fun!

Whether you’re looking for a fun weekend outing, a perfect
date spot, or simply somewhere to soak up the sunshine, there’s plenty of room
to hang out and make the most of the season.

Home Residency - Artist Talk with Jona Redwood and Yu Chen
2026-08-22 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Edmonton) | Sparrow Artspace, 36 4 Street Northeast, Calgary, Ab, T2E 5A8
FREE, please register
Join HOME Residency artists Jona Redwood and Yu Chen for an artist talk exploring identity, belonging, cultural memory, and the personal meanings carried through handcrafted objects and portraiture. Jona will share their practice creating dreamcatchers, jewelry, and interactive craft experiences as intentional forms of grounding, self-expression, mindfulness, and connection. Yu Chen will speak about her oil painting practice, which uses portraiture and traditional attire to explore immigrant identity, cultural exchange, and collaboration. Together, the artists will reflect on how art can hold personal stories, honour cultural meaning, and create space for connection across lived experiences.
This is part of the HOME residency in July/August 2026 and gratefully funded by Calgary Arts Development.

Soccer City FC - Presented by Calgary Wild FC
2026-08-30 | Peace Park, 2 Ave SW, Calgary, T2P
Free youth soccer is taking over Peace Park this summer, bringing high-energy, high-quality programming right to the heart of downtown. Whether your child or teen is trying soccer for the first time or building on their skills, these free programs offer a fun, positive, and accessible way to stay active and connected all summer long.
Delivered in partnership with The City, Cavalry FC, Calgary Wild FC, Calgary Minor Soccer Association and the Centre for Newcomers, this initiative creates meaningful opportunities for young people to learn, play, and thrive. With coaching led by Cavalry FC and Calgary Wild FC, participants get top-tier instruction at no cost, learning from the pros, building confidence, and experiencing the joy of the game in a supportive environment.

Soccer City FC – Presented by Cavalry FC & Suncor
2026-08-30 | Peace Park, 2 Ave SW, Calgary, T2P
Free youth soccer is taking over Peace Park this summer, bringing high‑energy, high‑quality programming right to the heart of downtown. Whether a child or teen is trying soccer for the first time or building on their skills, these free clinics offer a fun, positive, and accessible way to stay active and connected all summer long.
Delivered in partnership with The City of Calgary, Cavalry FC, Calgary Wild FC, Calgary Minor Soccer Association, and the Centre for Newcomers, this initiative creates meaningful opportunities for young people to learn, play, and thrive. With coaching led by Cavalry FC and Calgary Wild FC, participants receive top‑tier instruction at no cost while learning from the pros, building confidence, and experiencing the joy of the game in the heat of the city.
When: June 7 – September 20, most Sundays Who: Youth ages 8–17 Where: Peace Park (2 Avenue & 8 Street SW) Weather: Clinics may be cancelled if conditions are unsafe

Party in the Park
2026-09-01 | Lougheed House, 707 13 Avenue Sw, Calgary, Ab, T2R0K8
An all-ages, pet-friendly outdoor celebration each September at Lougheed House. Enjoy live music, food and drink, lawn games, local vendors, and end-of-summer vibes in one of Calgary’s most beautiful green spaces. Free to attend and open to everyone.
