Events

Sled Island Music & Arts Festival
Wed., June 22 – Sun., June 26
$214 – $385
Sled Island (various venues)

Among the 200-plus acts performing at the five-day music and arts festival are Built To Spill, Low, Grouper, Julie Doiron, Backxwash and Chad Vangaalen. Sled also includes comedy, film, art, special events and a conference. Most venues are reserved for pass-holders. One cool aspect of the fest is it offers payment plans.

Check out the Sled Island Schedule here

Red Lot Community Viewing Party
Stampede Park — Lot 3
(Corral Trail SE & 3rd St. SE)
Free (in advance)

For home playoff games, 5,000 fans can watch Battle of Alberta and, hopefully, Battle for the Stanley Cup, on giant screens in Lot 3 of Stampede Park, where they’ll be face-painting, food, drinks, contests and music. Tickets for the all-ages event are free but must be reserved in advance.

Trevor Noah
Fri., June 17, 8 pm
$81.25 – $105.75
Scotiabank Saddledome (555 Saddledome Rise SE)

The Daily Show host, who weaves insightful social commentary into his comedy, is hitting the road with his Back to Abnormal Canadian tour, as part of Just for Laughs. The South African transplant recently hosted the Grammy Awards for the second year in a row and the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

Calgary Stampede
Fri., July 8 – Sun., July 17
Park admission, 7 and under free, $25; other ticketed events
Stampede Park
calgarystampede.com

A city-defining event, Stampede is a Calgary treasure from daily rodeo thrills, munching your way through dastardly midway delights, first-class concerts, catching up with friends, showing off your newest look and pancakes, so many pancakes. There is literally something for everyone at Stampede.

Chop & Steele  — Found Footage Festival Double Bill
Fri., June 17, 7 pm
$25 and $23 for CUFF members, students, seniors
Globe Cinema (617 8 Ave. SW)

Found Footage Festival founders, professional comedians and childhood friends Nick Prueher and Joe Pickett, will be in Calgary for the international premiere of Chop & Steele, a full-length documentary all about them. The two will then present a new live show featuring footage from videos they found “at garage sales and thrift stores and in warehouses and dumpsters.” The double bill is presented by the Calgary Underground Film Festival (CUFF). The pair will then participate in a Q&A with the film’s directors, Ben Steinbauer and Berndt Mader.

The Great Outdoor Comedy Fest
Fri., June 24 – Sun., June 26
$49 (GA) – $199 (VIP tables + meet and greet)
Prince’s Island Park (698 Eau Claire Ave. SW)

David Spade kicks off the weekend laughs along with Whitney Cummings and Donnell Rawlings. The next night, SNL stars Chris Redd, Melissa Villasenor, Alex Moffat and James Austin Johnson do what they do best on a Saturday night. On Sunday, Bill Burr has a pair of shows.

An Evening with Jane Goodall
Wed., June 22, 7 pm
$67.70 – $276.80 (inc. signed book and tote bag).
Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium (1415 14 Ave. NW)

Legendary and beloved Dr. Jane Goodall — Dame Goodall, as a matter of fact — has been understanding, befriending and protecting gorillas since at least 1960. The 88-year-old is the foremost expert on the now-endangered species. She has received numerous honours and, in 2019, was named by Time magazine as one of the world’s 100 most influential people. If there’s a Q&A portion, be sure to ask her about Lego’s recent release of her as a minifig.

Candlelight Open Air: A Tribute to Queen and More at Muse
Wed., July 13, 7:30 pm
$50.
Meadow Muse (15985 Bow Bottom Trail SE)

Take in this classical outdoor concert by Listeso String Quartet, which will reinterpret the music of British rock legends Queen, from Bohemian Rhapsody to Fat Bottomed Girls, surrounded by candlelight — and the light of the moon. Drinks and snacks are available for purchase

Russel Peters
Tue., June 28, 8 pm
Scotiabank Saddledome (555 Saddledome Rise SE)
$63.75 – $223.86

Award-winning comedian Russell Peters is back on home soil with his Act Your Age world tour. Known for his only-he-can-get-away-with-it bits on race, the first comedian to have a standup special on Netflix has written a brand-new show that is apparently a “slight departure” from what we’ve heard from him in recent years.

“Weird Al” Yankovic
July 5 – 6, 8 pm
$62.50 – $419.45 (VIP package)
Jack Singer Concert Hall at Arts Commons

Still popular after all these decades, “Weird Al” Yankovic will draw from his 14 studio albums for these non-parody shows on his The Unfortunate Return of the Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour. No two shows are alike. Emo Philips opens.