Looking for fun, culture, and community vibes this summer? Edmonton has a jam-packed lineup of festivals, outdoor concerts, and family-friendly events. Here’s your guide to the must-attend happenings around the city.
🎨 The Works Art & Design Festival
📅 June 21 – July 1, 2025
Explore free art exhibits across 30+ venues downtown—churches, warehouses, parks. Expect installations, live performances, and creative workshops to celebrate Alberta’s artists en.wikipedia.org.
🎭 Freewill Shakespeare Festival
📅 Late June – Late July 2025
Catch two Shakespeare productions in rotating repertory under the stars. Venues include Hawrelak Park and other community spaces—bring a blanket and enjoy a “pay-what-you-will” outdoor theatre experience en.wikipedia.org.
🎤 Edmonton International Street Performers Festival (StreetFest)
📅 July 4–13, 2025 | Churchill Square
Experience buskers from around the globe—jugglers, fire-eaters, clowns, acrobats—in spontaneous street performances. Don’t miss the “Troupe de Jour” and “Late Night Madness” shows en.wikipedia.org.
🍔 Taste of Edmonton
📅 July 17–27, 2025 | Churchill Square
Sample Edmonton’s top eateries and food trucks, enjoy live music and artisan vendors. Grab presale ticket sheets (40 tickets) to save ~$10 before July 16 edmontonarts.ca+3tasteofedm.ca+3edmonton.events+3.
🎡 K‑Days & Great Outdoors Comedy Festival
📅 July 18–27, 2025 | EXPO Centre + Downtown
Edmonton’s iconic summer fair features carnival rides, nightly concerts, delicious eats, and comedy shows at the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival edmonton.events+1en.wikipedia.org+1.
🇨🇦 Edmonton Heritage Festival
📅 August 2–4, 2025 | EXPO Centre
One of the world’s largest multicultural festivals, featuring food, music, dance, and cultural exhibits from 70+ nationsedmontonsbesthotels.com.
🎶 Edmonton Folk Music Festival
📅 August 7–10, 2025 | Gallagher Park
A four-day celebration of folk, roots, and indie music in a scenic park setting. Bring a lawn chair, enjoy local vendors and nationwide acts tasteofedm.ca+4edmontonsbesthotels.com+4eventbrite.com+4.
🥁 Cariwest Caribbean Arts Festival
📅 August 8–10, 2025 | Churchill Square & Downtown
Celebrate Caribbean culture with vibrant costumes, live music, dance, street food, and the colorful parade .
🎟️ Rockin’ Thunder Music Festival
📅 July 11–12, 2025 | Exhibition Lands Racetrack
Edmonton’s premier rock fest returns with powerful guitar riffs, big-name bands, and a high-energy concert experience.
🎵 Major Concert Events
Two headline shows coming to Commonwealth Stadium this summer:
The Weeknd & Playboi Carti – July 19, 2025 trip.com
Plus other big-name tours—check Songkick for updates
✅ Insider Tips
Plan early: Most festivals are free or low-cost, but concerts may sell out fast.
Stay downtown: Many events cluster in Churchill Square, EXPO Centre, and near North Saskatchewan River.
Enjoy a weekend line-up: Combine foodie events and music festivals for back-to-back experiences.
📌 Summary Table
📞 Ready to Make Your Move?
These events are perfect for showcasing Edmonton’s vibrant community to prospective buyers and helping clients feel connected to their neighbourhood. Thinking about buying or selling this summer? Reach out and let’s chat about local lifestyle, homes near these hotspots, or tips for hosting open houses around big events!
Enjoy your summer in Edmonton—see you out there!