The Scene
A snapshot of the cultural life of Alberta
Theatre
EDMONTON
Thursday Night Improv
Grindstone Improv Ensemble,
Grindstone Theatre,
Thursdays until Aug 6
Golden Girls Vegas Vacation
Jubilations Dinner Theatre,
until Aug 23
Something Rotten!
By Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell,
Freewill Shakespeare Festival,
Heritage Amphitheatre,
Jul 1–12
Once
By Enda Walsh,
directed by Bethany Hughes,
Walterdale Theatre,
Jul 8–18
EDMONTON FRINGE FESTIVAL
Fringe Theatre,
various venues,
Aug 13–23
CALGARY
Shrek: The Musical
StoryBook Theatre,
Beddington Theatre Arts Centre,
until Jun 21
Come From Away
By Irene Sankoff and David Hein,
directed by Jesse Robb,
Theatre Calgary,
Max Bell Theatre,
until Jun 27
Back to the ’80s: The Magic Mix Tape
Jubilations Dinner Theatre,
until Aug 8
Rock Around the Clock with Elvis and Friends
Jubilations Dinner Theatre,
Aug 15–Oct 17
CALGARY FRINGE FESTIVAL
Various venues,
Jul 31–Aug 8
CANMORE
Jul 8–19
DRUMHELLER
Badlands Passion Play
The Badlands Amphitheatre,
Jul 3–19
ROSEBUD
Anne of Green Gables
By Nancy Ford and Gretchen Cryer,
Rosebud Theatre,
Opera House,
until Sep 5
Oh Mother!
By Rebbekah Ogden,
directed by Joel Braun,
Rosebud Theatre,
Studio Stage,
Jul 3–Aug 29
Music
EDMONTON FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL
Gallagher Park,
Aug 6–9
EDMONTON OPERA
Opera al Fresco
University of Alberta Botanic Garden,
Aug 26
NUOVA VOCAL ARTS
Brigadoon
The Orange Hub Theatre,
Jun 24–28
YARDBIRD SUITE
MA:Q
Jun 19
Charley Rose Trio
Jun 20
Djabe
Jun 21
The Jacob Do Octet
Jun 22
Ron Di Lauro Sextet
Jun 23
The Ostara Project
Jun 24
Jean-Michel Pilc Trio
Jun 25
François Bourassa Quartet
Jun 27
Atlantic Jazz Collective featuring Norma Winstone
Jun 28
CALGARY
CALGARY BLUESFEST
The Confluence,
Jul 30–Aug 2
CALGARY FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL
Prince’s Island Park,
Jun 23–26
CALGARY JAZZ ORCHESTRA
Oscar Peterson’s Canadiana Suite and Breaking News: We’ve Got the Blues
Bella Concert Hall,
Jun 14
CALGARY REGGAEFEST
St. Patrick’s Island,
Aug 28, 29
HONENS
Piano Project YYC: Amanda Tosoff Quartet
Brookfield Place,
Jun 23
Piano Project YYC: Timothonius
Tomkins Park,
Jul 17
Piano Project YYC: Élisabeth Pion and Antoine St-Onge
RiverWalk Plaza,
Aug 8
JAZZYYC SUMMER FESTIVAL
Various venues,
Jun 22–28
KING EDDY
Fraser Wayne with Carter Felker
Aug 6
SLED ISLAND MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL
Various venues,
Jun 17–21
ESPLANADE
Waylon Wyatt
Jun 30
JAZZFEST
Esplanade and other venues,
Jun 16–21
CANMORE
CANMORE FOLK FESTIVAL
Centennial Park,
Aug 1–3
BANFF
BANFF CENTRE
Pink Martini All-Stars
Jenny Belzberg Theatre,
Jun 27
In a Landscape: Classical Music in the Wild
Shaw Amphitheatre,
Jun 28
Chamber Music Concert
Various venues,
Jul 16–24
Jazz and Sonic Arts Concert
Margaret Greenham Theatre,
Aug 8–22
BEAUMONT
BEAUMONT MUSIC FESTIVAL
Jun 20, 21
FORT MACLEOD
SOUTH COUNTRY FAIR
Jun 17–19
DRIFTPILE
NORTH COUNTRY FAIR
Jun 19–21
Dance
BANFF
BANFF CENTRE
Waihona Kino (Body Archive)
Margaret Greenham Theatre,
Jun 19
ON SECOND THOUGHT
Jenny Belzberg Theatre,
Jun 20
Film
CALGARY
CALGARY BLACK FILM FESTIVAL
Globe Cinema,
May 22–26
FAIRY TALES QUEER ART AND FILM FESTIVAL
Contemporary Calgary,
until May 17
BANFF
WORLD MEDIA FESTIVAL
An event for media professionals.
Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel,
Jun 14–17
OKOTOKS
OKOTOKS FILM FESTIVAL
The 10th anniversary year.
Okotoks Cinemas,
Jun 4–13
Literary
CALGARY
OWL’S NEST BOOKS
Owls Book Club
Run for the Hills,
by Kevin Wilson,
Jun 4
QUEEReads YYC
100 Boyfriends,
by Brontez Purnell,
Jun 8
Misha Solomon
My Great-Grandfather Danced Ballet
book launch,
Jun 18
Stefano Jun
Grande Prairie with an E
book launch,
Jun 25
SHELF LIFE BOOKS
Kyle Flemmer
The Wiki of Babel
book launch,
Jun 25
Visual Arts
EDMONTON
ART GALLERY OF ALBERTA
John Will Born in the U.F.O.
Until Aug 9
Wallflower
Until Aug 30
Plans and Prototypes
Until Apr 11, 2027
Nahanni McKay Spirit
Until May 2, 2027
Zoe Ann Cardinal Cire Funny Bone, Wish Bone, Back Bone
Jun 20–Oct 13
BOREALIS GALLERY
Your Alberta Legislature: The Story of a Place
Until Apr 2027
FAB GALLERY
Aynaz Raoufian; Mona Sahi
Until Jun 30
HARCOURT HOUSE
Abstraction Now: Harcourt’s Practitioners of Abstract Art et al.
Timothy Grieco Not Solid
Both until Jun 20
LATITUDE 53
Artist Civil Service
Until Jun 27
SNAP GALLERY
Salem Smith we are each other’s;
Moozham Ahmadzadegan and the sleeper shall see what he has dreamed
Both May 23–Jun 20
Victoria Day In Hindsight;
Nadia Zamora Hernandez You know where your house is
Both Jul 4–Aug 1
CALGARY
AFA ART HOUSE
Montageries
Works by Katie Ohe, Chris Cran and others.
Curated by Ash Slemming.
The Edison,
until Sep 30
ALBERTA CRAFT COUNCIL
Reimagined: Future Stories from Past Treasures
Until Jun 22
CONTEMPORARY CALGARY
Erdem Taşdelen Wounded in Three Acts;
Richard Ibghy and Marilou Lemmens Stacking Crates to Reach a Banana
Haig Aivazian You May Own the Lanterns, but We Have the Light
All until Aug 16
Adelita Husni Bey Agency
Until Nov 8
ESKER FOUNDATION
Shirley Moorhouse ᐃᔨ – Eyes;
Zadie Xa with Benito Mayor Vallejo Moonlit Confessions Across Deep Sea Echoes
Both May 23–Aug 23
FOUNDERS GALLERY
David Garneau
Dark Chapters, curated by Arin Fay,
and Reading the Ruins, curated by Dick Averns,
until Aug 30
NICKLE GALLERIES
Her Own Way: A Selection of Women Artists in the Nickle Collection
Until Aug 21
Napoleon: Art, Money and War
Until Sep 19
ST. ALBERT
ART GALLERY OF ST. ALBERT
SpeplÓl Tanya Zilinski Transcendence
Until Jul 18
Jess Lincoln Peony Room
Jul 24–Aug 29
LETHBRIDGE
SAAG
Hali Heavy Shield: This One’s for the Girls,
Lethbridge Trade and Convention Centre,
until Nov 8
BANFF
WHYTE MUSEUM
Thick as Thieves
On tour from MacKenzie Art Gallery, curator Crystal Mowry;
When our eyes touch
Portraiture by Peter Whyte and Catharine Robb Whyte from the Whyte’s collection.
Both until Nov 8
Must-See Exhibition
The Tree Planters
Rita Leistner
Red Deer Museum, until Aug 22
These large photographs celebrate the work of professional tree planters in BC. Rita Leistner embedded herself in remote camps between 2016 and 2019, capturing the daily planting of thousands of trees with dramatic compositions that document human endurance and environmental stewardship. “Tree planting is a combination of high intensity sport and industrial labour,” Leistner writes. To produce her work, Leistner too worked off the grid for months outdoors. All pigment prints on Hahnemühle Photo Silk Baryta paper flush-mounted to aluminum composite panel.
