From June 1
It’s Pride Month and that means we’re celebrating love and diversity the only way Edmonton knows how — with style and festivals. Join the Fruit Loop Society and Grindstone Theatre for a swath of free, all-ages 2SLGBTQIA+ programming all month long. From live performances to drag shows, to food trucks, beer gardens and dance parties, this is sure to be one Pride Month not easily forgotten.
June 1
Contrary to what butt-rock bands like Nickelback, Creed and Five Finger Death Punch might have you believe, rock-n-roll is anything but heteronormative. From the iconic Freddie Mercury to the king of the leather daddies, Rob Halford, queerness has been loud and proud on stage and on wax. And given it’s Pride Month, what better way to celebrate than with the Rock and Roll Hall of Slay? Featuring drag impersonations of some of rock’s most iconic queer artists, this club night at the Roxy Theatre runs 8 p.m to late.
June 1 to 30
The experience of a good beer is just as much about the setting as it is the beer and what’s a better way to enjoy a glass of craft suds than while riding the iconic High level Bridge streetcar? Normally, you can’t bring beer on public transit, but with the Street Car Cask Series you can finally experience the bliss of the most Edmonton patio imaginable.
Until June 2
Summer’s here and that means festival season is upon us. Kick off the best time of year to be an Edmontonian by catching the season’s first festival, Downtown Spark. With inflatable art installations from across the globe, a downtown block party, ’80s and ’90s video dance parties and more, you’ll be kicking yourself all summer if you miss this one.
From June 2
Edmonton’s a hockey town, no doubt about it. But we’ve got plenty more than the Oilers to cheer for. On June 2, watch the Edmonton Stingers — our Canadian Elite Basketball team — put the pain on the Saskatchewan Rattlers in the season home opener. Tickets are just $20!
Until June 2
Would it really be Pride Month without a proper drag show? Thankfully the Edmonton Drag Festival has you covered with its Drag Fest Extravaganza on June 1 and Drag Bunch June 2.
June 2
When was the last time you admired simple the beauty of a painting? Not just in passing, but really took it in? You can get back in touch with your artistic side at the Art gallery of Alberta’s Creating Beauty watercolour exhibit on until June 2.
From June 7
We may not be able to go see a Toronto Blue Jays Game whenever we like, but given the price of a plane ticket (and a hotdog at Toronto’s Rogers Centre), we’ll take watching the Edmonton Riverhawks any day. This year’s home opener against Nanaimo is on June 7, but you’ll have plenty of chances all month to watch them hit a homer.
June 7 t0 8
Does going to the opera have you conjuring up images of people in starched collars and coattails smugly peering through a pair of $100 opera glasses? Does the whole thing feel a little dated? Well, it doesn’t have to. NUOVA Vocal Arts presents a contemporary opera — As One — at the Al & Trish Huehn Theatre in Concordia University.
Until June 9
From musicians to visual artists and everything in between, NextFest curates and showcases young and emerging Edmontonian talent across all mediums. See them now before they really blow up!
June 14
Your network is your net worth — isn’t that how the saying goes? Well, here’s an opportunity to bolster that network and rub elbows with some of Edmonton’s best and brightest businesswomen at the Edmonton Elks’ Women in Business networking event at Commonwealth Stadium. With guest speakers, food, drinks and a post-conference Elks game, this event is sure to bring out your entrepreneurial side.
June 14 and 15
Here’s your chance to be a part of Flashback — Edmonton’s iconic 1970s gay bar — history with the inaugural screening of the new Telus Original’s documentary Flashback. Learn the history, impact and legacy of one of Edmonton, and Alberta’s, most seminal nightclubs.
June 14 – 16
It’s time to “git gud,” folks. And now you can learn from the best in e-sports and gaming with Game Con Canada. Coming to the Edmonton EXPO Centre with heaps of RPGs, FPS, RTS and more, this three-day gaming extravaganza will have your thumbs bruised and your attention span overclocked.
June 16
And we’re going with Mayor Sohi! Yes, it’s time for the 19th annual Fyrefly Mayor’s Pride Brunch. Join Mayor Amarjeet Sohi, Dr. Lana Whiskeyjack and others as you enjoy brunch, entertainment and celebrate the unwavering advocacy of the Fyrefly Institute.
June 20 to 22
It may have been born on the Emerald Isle, but we can’t think of a better place to experience Riverdance than the river city. Celebrating 30 years since Riverdance first took the world by storm, this performance of traditional Irish song and dance is at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium this month.
June 20 to 23
Stand up’s nice, but nothing can beat the hilarity of over-the-top improv comedy. If you’re feeling funny, Edmonton’s got you covered this month with the international improv and sketch comedy festival, Improvaganza. Join quick witted comedians at Rapid Fire Theatre as they present some of the most brilliantly timed and perfectly performed comedy North America has to offer.
June 20 to July 14
In Edmonton, we’re mostly sheltered from hurricanes, but there is one storm we’ll gladly dance in the rain for — Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Lucky for us (and you) the Freewill Shakespeare Festival is bringing The Bard’s famous performance to Edmonton all summer. Catch it in Crestwood from June 20 to 23, Kenilworth from June 25 to 30, Lessard from July 2 to 7 and Sherbrooke from July 9 to 14.
June 20 to 30
The International Federation of American Football youth world championships will spike the ball into the end-zone this month as eight national teams battle it out on the gridiron. It might not be the CFL, but based on how the Edmonton Elks have played lately, we’re sure these up and comers can give them some tips on improving their games.
June 20 t0 23
Join the flexibly-gifted folks at Firefly Theatre and Circus for the Alberta Circus Arts Festival. Treat yourself to a world-class performance of contemporary circus arts. From aerial silks, to acrobatic hooping, to juggling — they’ve got it all.
June 21
You don’t have to travel far to find good tunes in the capital region — just to beautiful Beaumont for the Beaumont Music Festival. Located just 10 minutes south of the city, the Beaumont Music Festival is Canada’s longest running 100 per cent all-Canadian music festival. With free parking, camping and a lineup including Toronto’s the Beaches, you really can’t go wrong in Beaumont.
June 21
June 21 is National Indigenous People’s Day and this year you can celebrate and learn about the rich cultural tapestry, important contributions and vivid history of Canada’s First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples at the Telus World of Science. With an Indigenous Vendors Market, Tipi raising ceremony and more, nearly 2,000 people gathered last year for the occasion, so save your spot now. And if you yourself are Indigenous, admission is free.
June 22
If you’ve been living under a rock you might not know that Edmonton is home to a world-class DJ and electronic music scene. That’s why this city is the perfect place for BOMFEST, the arts, culture and EDM festival returning to FanPark in Edmonton’s Ice District this month.
June 22
Redbull gives you… the opportunity to build your own soapbox racer and careen down Queen Elizabeth Park Road in pursuit of fame, glory and hopes of not breaking anything along the way? That’s the general idea behind the Red Bull Soapbox Race coming to Edmonton this month. Even if you’re not the race car driving type yourself, entry is free and no tickets are required, so there’s really no reason not to witness these acts of daredevilry.
June 25 to 30
The TD Edmonton Jazz Festival is back and it’s bringing some serious musical heat this year with performances by Italy’s Pasquale Grasso, Montreal’s Bellbird, the Grammy Award-winning Cory Henry and virtuoso songstress Veronica Swift to name just a few.
June 27 to July 1
Tired of festivals full of daisy-chain crowns, thundering drum-and-bass sets and sleepless nights? Well, here’s a festival on offer with that more mature audience in mind: The Works Art & Design Festival. Happening in downtown Edmonton, this celebration is North America’s largest free outdoor art event, featuring breathtaking art and design installations, performances, and workshops all in Churchill Square.
