Calgary summer music festivals return for 2022

It will soon be showtime on Calgary stages. After a quiet few years, summer music festivals are back in full swing.

“This is our first big comeback with a regular festival, which is very exciting,” said Maud Salvi, executive director of the Sled Island Music Festival.

This summer, stages will be lit up across Calgary. As the weather turns warmer, music lovers across the city come out of hibernation to enjoy some of the best live performances Calgary has to offer.

One of the premier summer events since 1980, the Calgary Folk Festival will once again be held on Prince’s Island Park this July. Artistic director of the Calgary Folk Music Festival, Kerry Clarke says you can expect to hear more than just folk music at the festival.

“So many people that come for the first time say I had no idea because they hear the word folk, and they think it’s a certain thing. Folk to us isn’t about the music, it’s about storytelling. That can be hip hop or afrobeat or funk,” said Clarke.

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After a scaled-back version of the festival last summer, the 2022 edition of the Calgary Folk Fest promises all the bells and whistles folkies are used to. With five different stages, a variety of food trucks, an art market, and musical acts from around the world, some from our very backyard.

“At least half of our lineup is Canadian. We usually have 70 artists, so that’s about 35 artists. Of those 35, at least 12 are from Alberta,” said Clarke.

She says Folk Fest gives local artists the opportunity to share the stage with other big names in the music industry. She hopes this year will be better than ever.

“It will be one of the best things that we’ve had in a while and I think it will be a welcomed break for people and a welcomed return,” said Clarke.

Another local staple for music lovers is the Sled Island Music Festival, which is set to return after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.

“The reception has been incredible, we’re always one of the first festivals of the summer anyway. But I think this summer, being the first one with some kind of normalcy in like three years. We are incredibly excited and so is our community,” said Salvi.

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Sled Island is a six-day event that features different events from music to art to comedy at different venues across the city.

Just like Calgary Folk Fest, Sled Island pays it forward by providing an opportunity for local artists to gain exposure to larger audiences.

“With the festival, we’re able to give them opportunities to play on larger stages but also alongside very established international artists that they wouldn’t necessarily get to meet otherwise,” said Salvi.

As the summer festival season gears up, one thing is clear.

“This summer might actually be at least the best one we’ve had in quite a while,” said Salvi.