Explore Downtown YYC

CJFF justREEL Event: Vriend to Blackwood - Sexual Orientation, Rights & Equality
2026-07-21 18:30 - 21:15 (America/Edmonton) | The Confluence Historic Site & Parkland, 750 9 Ave Se, Calgary, Alberta, T2G 5E1
Vriend to Blackwood: Sexual Orientation, Rights & Discrimination

(Proceeds to the End of the Rainbow Foundation)
The Calgary Justice Film Festival (CJFF), in partnership with Purnell Employment Law, presents an extraordinary evening of film and dialogue exploring how LGBTQ+ communities experience discrimination through subtle, systemic forms within schools, and the human rights implications within policies and practices. Following the screening of Pride vs. Prejudice: The Delwin Vriend Story, a panel discussion will then bring together speakers with unique perspectives for an engaging conversation.

CJFF justREEL Event: Vriend to Blackwood - Sexual Orientation, Rights & Equality
2026-07-21 18:30 - 21:15 (America/Edmonton) | The Confluence Historic Site & Parkland, 750 9 Ave Se, Calgary, Alberta, T2G 5E1
Vriend to Blackwood: Sexual Orientation, Rights & Discrimination
(Proceeds to the End of the Rainbow Foundation)
The Calgary Justice Film Festival (CJFF), in partnership with Purnell Employment Law, presents an extraordinary evening of film and dialogue exploring how LGBTQ+ communities experience discrimination through subtle, systemic forms within schools, and the human rights implications within policies and practices. Following the screening of Pride vs. Prejudice: The Delwin Vriend Story, a panel discussion will then bring together speakers with unique perspectives for an engaging conversation.
Doors: 6:00 p.m.
Screening: 6:30 p.m.
Tickets: $10 (If cost is a barrier, please send us a message and we will take care of it, no questions asked)
Panel Members:Moderator – Karla Marx: A star in Western Canada’s entertainment scene, Karla is a drag & burlesque entertainer, and a well known comedian. She is also a sessional professor at Mount Royal University in Calgary, where she specializes in German and military history and gender theory.
Gonghong Liu: An active member of both the Local 38’s (Alberta Teacher’s Association) Diversity, Equity, and Human Rights Committee and the Planning Committee for the Anti-Racist Teachers Network.
Scott Blackwood: Scott is teacher and a claimant pursuing legal action at the Alberta Human Rights Commission, alleging dismissal for being gay. Throughout his career, he has worked in education, research, and leadership roles.
Sophie Purnell: Sophie is an exceptional Calgary employment lawyer known for her outstanding work in human rights and discrimination cases, including representing Scott Blackwood and others in a wide variety of claims.

Little Mermaid
2026-07-21 19:00 - 23:59, 2026-07-22 19:00 - 23:59 (America/Edmonton) | One Yellow Rabbit Performance Theatre (Big Secret Theatre), 225 8 Ave Se, Calgary, T2G 0K9
Looking for a memorable experience to share with your children? Join FlipSide Theatre for Little Mermaid, an original musical adaptation of the beloved fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen.
Filled with enchanting music, imaginative puppetry, dazzling costumes, and heartfelt storytelling, Little Mermaid celebrates courage, family, sacrifice, and discovering your true voice. Created by Calgary’s Filipino-Canadian theatre community, this production offers a meaningful and inspiring experience for audiences of all ages.
Come laugh, dream, and dive beneath the waves with us this summer!

Brad Semotiuk
2026-07-21 19:30 - 21:00, 2026-07-22 19:30 - 21:00 (America/Edmonton) | Comedy Cave, 1020 8 Ave SW, Calgary, Alberta, T2P 1J2
Brad started stand up at 17, since then he has recorded an album with just for laughs originals, been on CBC radio, headlined across canada, and bought a huge iced out cuban link chain. His mind is crazy, twisted, and insane (in a cool way). He flies around in a private jet telling jokes and stories, and when he’s not doing that he’s riding around on a yacht telling jokes and stories. He hopes you will like his jokes and stories.

Clue
2026-07-21 19:30 - 23:59, 2026-07-22 19:30 - 23:59 (America/Edmonton) | Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, 1415 14th Avenue NW, Calgary
A mansion. A murder. A mystery. Murder and blackmail are on the menu when six mysterious guests assemble at Boddy Manor for a night they’ll never forget! Was it Mrs. Peacock in the study with the knife? Or was it Colonel Mustard in the library with the wrench? Based on the fan-favorite 1985 Paramount Pictures movie and inspired by the classic Hasbro board game, Clue is the ultimate whodunit that will leave you dying of laughter and keep you guessing until the final twist.

Current // Process + Place
2026-07-22, 2026-07-23 | The New Gallery, 208 Centre St S, Calgary, T2G 2B6
Current is a new series of public art activations presented by The New Gallery (TNG), transforming the Bow River pathway into a flowing corridor of creativity. Connecting Calgary’s cultural landmarks and natural landscapes, these activations merge art, nature, and community through installation, performance, and interactive projects. It invites audiences to experience the city through the rhythm of the river and the energy of downtown life.
Presented by The New Gallery and supported by RISEUp Calgary, Current runs through July 6 – 30th, 2026.
Current brings together the works and creative processes of Calgary artists through installation, performance and socially engaged practice. At times ecological, social and deeply rooted in process, Current invites artists to slow down and work directly within the liminal space of the river’s edge, the histories it holds, its riparian habitat, transition to the urban environment, and the material relations both carried and deposited.
Artist participation is site-specific, and interventions are simultaneously temporary, time-based and socially engaged. Current merges an outdoor exhibition program with musical and movement-based performance, installation, sound, participatory workshops and facilitated interdisciplinary tours.

Get Ready for the Ultimate Summer Challenge!
2026-07-22, 2026-07-23 | Calgary Public Library – Central, 800 3 St Se, Calgary, T2G 2E7
The Challenge is simple — read every day this summer.
Everyone can be part of the Ultimate Summer Challenge. This shared reading adventure is a great way to connect, discover, and keep learning through the summer months.
From July 1 to August 31, read, attend programs, explore new stories, and have fun at the Library as part of the Ultimate Summer Challenge.
Registration opens June 15.

Mush Love
2026-07-22, 2026-07-23 | NVRLND. Arts Foundation, 1048 21 Avenue Southeast, Calgary, Alberta, T2G 1N2
Mush Love Art Exhibition & Market Event on July 18 to 26!
Special Events:

Friday July 17 – Private Opening Event: 7 p.m. to Midnight
Sunday July 19 – Mush Market Event: Noon to 5 p.m.
Friday July 24 – Psychedelic Sound Sessions: 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Saturday July 25 – Artist-Run Workshops & Activations: Noon till 5 p.m.

Mush Love is back for our 4th annual event focused on bringing people together to celebrate the fabulous world of fungi and the magic of mushroom culture! This artist-run initiative is a creative platform that combines an inclusive, group art exhibition with a mushroom-inspired market featuring local creators, artisans, musicians, performers, growers and educators.

John Rutherford, Blues Guitarist
2026-07-22 | Cathedral Church of the Redeemer, 218-7 Ave Se, Calgary, Ab
Growing up in Toronto in the 1960’s and 70’s John Rutherford first laid hands on a guitar at age 10, and at 16 told his guitar teacher he wanted to play some of the popular rock songs of the day. Rutherford was told “if you want to play rock ’n’ roll you’ll have to learn the blues”.
Lessons were spent digging into classic blues guitar recordings, studying the rhythm, feel and form of the music. Rutherford took his homework seriously swinging by Sam the Record Man on Yonge Street each week after his lesson to purchase whatever blues album they’d been working with. This process spawned both a passion for the blues and a sprawling record collection. Rutherford’s blues library and his earliest influences began with works by John Mayall, Buddy Guy, Taj Mahal, Johnny Winter, Hubert Sumlin, T-Bone Walker, Otis Rush, Freddie, Albert and BB King. Rutherford never learned the rock songs of the day, he stuck with the blues.
A few years later, early 80’s, Rutherford moved west to Calgary where he began to test run his guitar chops on a local scene ripe with great players and a thriving music community. He also put his record collection to use starting a weekly blues music broadcast on the airwaves of the University of Calgary radio station CJSW.
At that same time an old east-side hotel dubbed “The Eddy” was about to embark on a reign as a real deal blues venue on the international circuit presenting many of the greatest names in blues history between 1982 and 2004. Rutherford was there for it all becoming a regular in the early days often spending his evenings immersed in the artists performances, the culture and vibe that permeated the smokey bar room. He quickly began conducting radio interviews with many of the Eddy’s featured performers. The Eddy’s legendary Saturday afternoon jam sessions beckoned Rutherford to the stage where he met, played with and further established connections with the local scene. It also frequently offered up opportunities to be schooled by many of the visiting artists. Rutherford would often be invited to join featured artists on evening shows where he’d find himself performing with and learning at the feet of blues greats like Clarence ‘Gatemouth’ Brown, Buddy Guy, Billy Branch, Eddie Shaw, Philip Walker and Jr. Wells. Rutherford could never have imagined engaging in conversation with many of the same blues hero’s who’s records he’d collected and studied just a few years earlier, let alone be on stage playing guitar with them!
Adding to a long list of projects, accomplishments and career milestones Rutherford released an EP of new music in 2023 entitled Midnight Microphone. Produced by legendary guitarist Tim Williams, and joined by Thom Moon on drums and Bill Price on bass the new songs express Rutherford’s will to push the blues form beyond traditions or expectations in a search of his own honest connection to the feel and power of the music. The four song collection climbed the Roots Music Report charts for more than 20 weeks showing up on the International Blues Album Chart, the Contemporary Blues Album Chart and reached #1 on the Top 50 Canada Album Chart. The recording was nominated for a YYC Music Award in 2024.

Introducing: Philip Kanwischer & Tayler Schenkeveld
2026-07-22 10:00 - 17:00, 2026-07-23 10:00 - 17:00 (America/Edmonton) | Christine Klassen Gallery, Suite #200, Calgary, Ab
INTRODUCING is Christine Klassen Gallery’s ongoing exhibition series dedicated to presenting artists newly joining the gallery roster.
This year’s edition welcomes two additional Calgary creatives, photographer Philip Kanwischer and Métis artist Tayler Schenkeveld, two distinct voices whose practices explore our relationship with place, identity, and the natural world. While their approaches differ, both artists invite thoughtful reflection through work that is quietly powerful, deeply personal, and rooted in observation.
Presented alongside CHROMA, INTRODUCING offers collectors and visitors the opportunity to discover artists at the beginning of their relationship with the gallery, while experiencing their work in conversation with the broader summer exhibition.

Little Mermaid
2026-07-22 14:00 - 23:59 (America/Edmonton) | One Yellow Rabbit Performance Theatre (Big Secret Theatre), 225 8 Ave Se, Calgary, T2G 0K9
FlipSide Theatre, in association with Philippine Festival Council of Alberta (PFCA) and Forte Musical Theatre, presents Little Mermaid.
Little Mermaid is a bold new musical adaptation of the beloved Hans Christian Andersen tale. Featuring a book by acclaimed playwrights Jaime del Mundo and Luna Griño-Inocian, with music by Broadway performer Lito Villareal, this reimagined production plunges audiences into a world of wonder, magic, and sacrifice beneath the sea.
At the heart of the story is Jewel, a fierce and spirited young mermaid who longs for a life beyond the ocean’s depths. On her sixteenth birthday, she encounters Christian, a human prince from a distant land, and becomes captivated by the world he represents. But when the cunning sea witch Crustacea learns of Jewel’s forbidden dream, she strikes a dangerous bargain: Jewel’s voice in exchange for human legs. With only three days to make Christian fall in love with her, Jewel must risk everything—or lose her voice forever and be banished from the sea she once called home.
Brought to life through dazzling costumes, inventive puppetry, soaring music, and performances by some of the most exciting emerging Filipino musical theatre artists today, Little Mermaid promises a theatrical experience filled with heart, spectacle, and unforgettable magic.

Summer Sun Embroidery Workshop
2026-07-22 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Edmonton) | Lougheed House National & Provincial Historic Site, 707 13 Avenue Southwest, Calgary, T2R 0K8
Always wanted to try your hand at embroidery? This summer embroidery workshop is for you! Our experienced crafting facilitator will take you through the basics of embroidery, in the historic Conservatory at Lougheed House where House residents of the past once did their own handicrafts. Choose from 3 designs inspired by vintage embroidery patterns and spend the afternoon crafting in good company! All supplies are included for this workshop. Recommended as a beginner-level adult workshop. Choose which embroidery design to make when purchasing a ticket.
Museum admission is included in your ticket, so feel free to explore the house before the workshop!

Globe Cinema Presents: Night Nurse (2026)
2026-07-22 19:00 - 23:59 (America/Denver) | Globe Cinema, 617 8 Ave Sw, Calgary, T2P 0W9
Globe Cinema Presents: Night Nurse (2026)
At the start of her new job in a luxury retirement community, Eleni (Cemre Paksoy) is drawn into a series of scam calls targeting the elderly residents, a pull she can’t quite name or resist.
As the community’s strange rhythms close around her, she grows increasingly intimate with her elusive patient, Douglas (Bruce McKenzie), until the line blurs between care and desire, devotion and delusion.
Writer-director Georgia Bernstein’s debut feature examines caregiving as both vocation and compulsion, and the fine, dangerous line between them.
Genre: Thriller, Erotic Director: Georgia Bernstein Stars: Cemre Paksoy, Bruce McKenzie, Eleonore Hendricks Running time: 1 hr 35 minRating: 14A (Not Recommended for Children)
Debit, credit, and tap only for payment. No cash accepted.

Reading: Vivian Hansen with Students
2026-07-22 19:00 - 23:59 (America/Edmonton) | Shelf Life Books, 1302 4 St Sw, Calgary, T2R 0X8
Join Vivian Hansen and her class of creative writing students at the University of Calgary for readings and camaraderie!

Ryan Davidson
2026-07-22 19:30 - 23:59 (America/Edmonton) | King Eddy, 438 9 Avenue Se, Calgary, Ab, T2G 0R9
Canadian country-rock guitarist Ryan Davidson hits the legendary King Eddy stage on July 22.
About Ryan Davidson:
Ryan Davidson is a Canadian freelance guitarist who has performed and recorded professionally for 31 years. He holds a Master of Music in Jazz Studies Performance from the University of North Texas. In 2010, Ryan recorded “LAB 09” with the One O’clock Lab Band for which the group received two Grammy nominations.
With the One O’clock, he shared the stage with jazz legends Dave Brubeck, James Carter, and Eddie Gomez.
In the country/rock music world, he has performed and/or recorded with Gord Bamford, Dallas Smith, Brett Kissel, Dean Brody, Chad Brownlee, Lindsay Ell, Meghan Patrick and many more. He has been nominated 12 times for CCMA Guitarist of the Year and has won the award twice. This year was his first nomination for the CMAB Roots Artist of the Year.
In addition, he could be heard on two Juno-nominated country records for both Gord Bamford and Brett Kissel.

The Boneshaker feat. DJ BONESHAKER, Cian Cocteau & JΔKΟB
2026-07-22 21:00 UTC | The Palomino Smokehouse and Social Club, 109 7th AVE SW, Calgary, Alberta, T2P 0W5
Where: Palomino Smokehouse and Social Club
When: Wednesday July 22, 2026
Doors: 9:00 p.m.
Admission: $10.00

NO JERK POLICY ALWAYS IN EFFECT!
JΔKΟB has a passion for blending evocative sounds and avante-garde releases; all with a distinctly dark, moody, yet alluring atmosphere. Taking inspiration from the radical and rebellious origins of punk and electronic music and the dark music genres their union spawned, he gravitates towards tracks with disco heavy rhythms, reverb drenched snares, sequence driven synths, and brooding, introspective lyrics. With a preference for all things analog, he often chooses selections from his diverse collection of vinyl that spans the sub-genres of the gothic music canon. JΔKΟB’s eclectic sets can simultaneously evoke a nostalgic yearning for the past, while igniting a burning desire for the future.

Boneshaker
All vinyl classic DJ night of darkwave, Goth, Industrial old school favorites like: Идоли, A Split Second, A-ha, Academy of Unrest, Al Comet, The Alarm, Alien Sex Fiend, All About Eve, And Also the Trees, Anne Clark, Armageddon Dildos, The Art Of Noise, The Assembly, Au Pairs, The B-52’s, and more.

Calgary Folk Music Festival
2026-07-23 | Prince’s Island Park, 698 Eau Claire Avenue Southwest, Calgary, T2P 5N4
Join the fun on Prince’s Island Park for the 47th annual Calgary Folk Music Festival!
The festival returns, featuring performances by Valerie June, Goldie Boutilier, Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives, Killer Mike, Bia Ferreira, The Free Label, Mary Gauthier, YAGODY, and many more to be announced.
The Calgary Folk Music Festival is one of Canada’s flagship, trailblazing music festivals. It’s been held annually since 1980 at the beautiful Prince’s Island Park in Calgary, Alberta.
Our broad, cutting-edge programming boasts 65+ artists from near and far playing on eight stages in concerts and collaborative sessions featuring everything from folk to funk to global sounds and fresh hip hop.
The Calgary Folk Music Festival returns July 23–26. 2026, powered by ATB.

Terminus Festival 2026: Resonance
2026-07-23 | Dickens, 1000 9th & 9th Avenue Sw, Calgary, Alberta
Terminus is an annual darkwave/ EBM/ industrial/ synth/ post punk festival featuring 30+ acts from all over North America and Europe.

Historic Stephen Avenue Guided Walking Tours
2026-07-23 10:00 - 15:30 (America/Boise) | Stephen Avenue Walk, 340 8 Avenue Southwest, Calgary, T2P 1C1
Discover the architectural gems, historic landmarks, and stories that have shaped this dynamic city on a guided walking tour that explores Stephen Avenue, Calgary’s National Historic District.
These tours are approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes and include part of the surrounding area of Stephen Avenue.For a private tour or group larger than 20 people, please contact us at info@heritagecalgary.ca.
Tours are held twice a day at 10 am and 2 pm during July and August.

Beyond the History Books: Exploring Stories of the Land
2026-07-23 11:00 - 12:45 (America/Edmonton) | The Confluence Historic Site & Parkland, 750 9 Avenue Southeast, Calgary, Ab, T2G 5E1
Explore stories carried by the rivers, rooted in the plants, and uncovered through archaeology. Learn how Indigenous Peoples, the original stewards of the land, lived and prospered at this important gathering place, and how the arrival of the North-West Mounted Police in 1875 changed everything.
Through a guided storytelling tour, teachings with an Indigenous Knowledge Keeper and an exclusive tour of The Confluence archaeological collection, you’ll discover the complex and many histories of the site that became known to many as Fort Calgary. You’ll also gain insight into Indigenous ways of knowing and how The Confluence is working to tell a more complete story of the past, present, and future of the land.

River Hall YYC
2026-07-23 11:00 - 22:00 (America/Edmonton) | 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.
