The Calgary Folk Music Festival returns July 23–26, 2026, bringing its 47th year to Prince’s Island Park. But calling it a festival doesn’t fully capture it. This is where Calgary gathers.
Where genres blur. Where discovery happens in real time. Where you come for one artist and leave with ten more.
This year’s lineup reflects that same spirit.
From global icons to local voices, the festival moves across sound and geography with ease. Iceland’s Of Monsters and Men set the tone early, alongside the genre-defying Valerie June and Ivorian reggae legend Tiken Jah Fakoly. Friday brings the unmistakable energy of Thundercat, while Saturday leans into tradition and reinvention with Marty Stuart and Jazz Is Dead.
By Sunday, the atmosphere settles into something reflective, with The Psychedelic Furs, Corb Lund, and Adrian Quesada closing out the weekend. But the real story isn’t just the headliners.
It’s the range.
Tiken Jah Fakoly
Across stages, you’ll find Indigenous storytellers, African and Afro-diasporic voices, Latin fusion, experimental indie, hip hop, soul, and roots music in all its forms. Artists like Bia Ferreira, Ahmed Moneka, Kazdoura, Ruby Singh and the Future Ancestors, and The Neighborhood Kids bring global and cultural depth to the programming.
Alberta artists remain at the core, grounding the festival in the place it calls home.
Beyond the music, the experience expands.
In-the-round sessions.
An artisan market.
Food and drink that keep the energy going.
A family zone that welcomes the next generation into the moment.
It’s not just a lineup.
It’s an ecosystem.
A place where sound, culture, and community meet without hierarchy.
Tickets are now available, but the real value of Folk Fest isn’t just in who’s performing.
It’s in what happens when you’re there. Because every year, without fail, you leave with something you didn’t expect.