May 1
The Edmonton Music and Speech Arts Festival — formerly the Edmonton Kiwanis Music Festival — wraps up its 116th season on May 1 with the last day of its Solo Festival. It features free performances by some of our city’s best up-and-coming music students.
May 2 to 4
The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra is once again the place to be for high culture classical music as the flagship orchestra brings Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony to the Winspear Centre with violin by Robert Uchida and conducting by Shiyeon Sung. The kicker? A special prelude presentation featuring musicologist D.T. Baker before both performances.
May 3 to 5
No need to butter anyone up to get that person to attend this spring market. The Butterdome Spring Craft Sale brings Canadian artisans, artists, makers and designers from across the country to the University of Alberta. Elevating creatives since 1990, now you can be part of this Edmonton tradition.
May 3 to 4
Ballet Edmonton closes out its 2023-2024 season with Unir at the Triffio Theatre. This movingly beautiful performance features the dance of Wen Wei Wang — the founder of Wen Wei Dance whose performances across Canada, Italy, China and South America have earned him numerous awards including the Clifford E. Lee Choreography Award. Wen Wei is joined by JUNO Award nominated composer John Estacio and the High Level Trio for a night of tremendous movement and dance.
May 4
You don’t need to be a Toronto Raptors fan — or even in Toronto — to take in some top-tier basketball this month, now that the WNBA is bringing the Los Angeles Sparks and Seattle Storm to town for a preseason match up at Rogers Place.
May 4
Our world is full of dangers — not least of which are concerns about natural disasters in the wake of climate change. These days, it pays to be prepared. That’s the idea behind the City of Edmonton’s Get Ready in the Park event. Come together with community to learn about emergency preparedness with this free, informative and interactive event at Northlands
May 4
What better way to celebrate ‘May the 4th’ than with a space-themed concert? Sound like fun? Well, you’re in luck, since the Mill Creek Colliery Band is presenting Across the Stars at the Robertson-Wesley United Church. Enjoy the iconic sounds of the brass band as it propels you into the cosmos.
May 5 and 25
Two of Edmonton’s most lauded musicians — vocalist Cara McLeod and pianist Emilio De Mercato — will come together for a series of intimate and engaging concerts celebrating the 100th anniversary of the death of famed Italian composer Giacomo Puccini. With each event featuring a different and unique audience experience, you can choose how you want to experience this memorable and moving performance.
May 9 to 12
Did you like the movie Pitch Perfect? Well, this isn’t that. But it’s in the same wheelhouse. Mission: Possible — an a cappella musical competition that we can only imagine will have us all channelling our inner Andy Bernard — is coming to the Edmonton Convention Centre.
May 10 to 12
The Royal Bison Art & Craft Fair may be no more (RIP), but the crafty among us aren’t taking its passing lying down. Born from a desire to “keep the good times rollin'” the OddBird Art & Craft Fair is taking up the mantle of all things “weird, wonderful and delightfully Edmonton” with their inaugural spring fair at the Old Strathcona Performing Arts Centre.
May 10
Edmonton has a disproportionate amount of professional (and amateur) wrestling fans. Even the city’s resident documentarian Omar Mouallem’s got into the fandom. So it makes sense that former WWE superstar Mustafa Ali would take his world tour to our city.
The current TNA X-Division champion brings a night of bodyslams, pile-drivers and leg-locks to the Midway Music Hall on May 10.
May 10 to 11
Alberta Ballet brings Igor Stravinsky’s The Rites of Spring alongside an adult-themed, distorted telling of Little Red Riding Hood dubbed Der Wolf in a double-bill to close out the 2023-2024 season. Audiences beware, this ambitiously daring performance deals with mature themes, so best leave the little ones at home.
May 11
Unless you’re a parent, you probably don’t know about Basically Babies — the Alberta charity that provides baby clothing for families in need — but now that you do, you can support this worthwhile endeavour by attending the Basically Babies Mother’s Day Brunch & Silent Auction, which raises funds for the organization so it can keep helping families in need.
May 11
The symphony is not just for adults, as Sarah T. Murdoch learns in the wildly entertaining M Is For Music debuting at the Winspear Centre this month. Murdoch, a curious eight-year-old girl, isn’t looking forward to her trip to the symphony, bemoaning a serious lack of dinosaurs, jellyfish and all things exciting. Yet, as she explores the wonder of music, she learns that the symphony can be its own adventure.
May 11
He may long be dead, but you can still catch a glimpse of the King of Rock-n-Roll himself — or at least a guy that kind of, sort of looks like him — at the Century Casino’s Long Live the KING Elvis Presley tribute show.
May 11
What’s better than travelling back to the Mesozoic Era at the Telus World of Science? Doing it with a cocktail in hand. Now you can do just that with Dinos & Drinks, an adults-only experience of Dinosaurs: The Exhibition.
May 12
Why settle for a bouquet of real-life flowers this Mother’s Day when you can give the most important woman in your life the gift of art and taste with the Mother’s Day brunch at the Alberta Art Gallery?
May 12
Mom not a brunch fan? Well, you can still treat her to a wonderful Mother’s Day celebration with the Stars on Ice tour. Experience the finest figure skating in the world with live performances from some of Figure Skating’s biggest names at Rogers Place.
May 18
Edmonton’s premier 2SLGBTQIA+ dance club, Evolution Wonderlounge, celebrates the 50th anniversary of the club that paved the way here in Edmonton — Flashback. This May long weekend you can experience the groundbreaking music, signature drinks, iconic performances and, most importantly, the memories of Flashback.
May 23 to June 2
There’s really no better time of year in Edmonton than summer: warm weather, sunny skies and, of course, festivals. And there’s no better way to kick off the festival season than with the 10-day Downtown Spark arts festival. Enjoy art installations from around the world and get funky with dance parties, concerns and some family-friendly events, as well.
May 23
There will be no sounds of silence at this tribute show recreating the magic and musicality of legendary duo Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. Hosted at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, The Simon & Garfunkel Story explores the history of the award-winning folk-rock du from humble beginnings to one of the best selling groups of the era.
May 24 to 25
With one of the largest Ukrainian diasporas in Canada, it makes sense that Western Canada’s largest multi-day Ukrainian festival, UFest Edmonton Ukrainian Festival, would be right here in Alberta. Experience the wealth of culture, food and music this unique culture brings to our city, province and country, or reconnect to your heritage if you’re Ukrainian-Canadian. Slava Ukraini.
May 30 to June 2
The Edmonton area is known for its festivals, but most of them are 18-plus events. Now you can get your party on regardless of age with the Northern Alberta International Children’s Festival of the Arts (huge win for the festival-going-turned-parent crowd).
Setting up shop in downtown St. Albert, kids will be transported to make-believe worlds that ignite creativity through song, dance and storytelling. Experience roving artists, listen to compelling stories and get involved in low-cost (and no-cost) activities at this family-friendly festival.
May 30 to June 9
Festivals aren’t just about sick drops, phat wubz and ground-scores. In Edmonton, we’ve got a festival for every medium and proclivity and nowhere is that better exemplified than NextFest. From musicians to visual artists and everything in between, NextFest curates young and emerging Edmontonian artists across a swath of disciplines. Come and see them before they’re too big to book.
May 31
Disco dance the day (and night) away with the third instalment of Disco in the Park. Presented by The Grindstone Theatre Society and SWEAT DJ collective, this year’s rendition features art installations, dancers, performers, craft beer, food trucks and, of course, some serious boogies to get you moving on that dance floor.
