You’re downtown on a bright, sunny Saturday afternoon and you can hear music booming through speakers, a wave of applause, a general buzz of excitement. As you turn the corner into Churchill Square you’re suddenly in it: acrobats, stilt-walkers towering above crowds of spectators, roving performers everywhere and even art-themed port-a-potties. It’s the Edmonton International Street Performers Festival — one of the city’s quirkiest and most beloved events.
Celebrating its 41st anniversary in 2025, the festival returns with new shows, returning favourites and a full lineup of special events.
The festival traces its roots back to Summerfest, an initiative launched in 1981 that also led to the creation of other Edmonton staples like The Works Art and Design Festival and Taste of Edmonton. The Street Performers Festival was born in 1984, and in 1987, it moved to its permanent home in Churchill Square — growing from just 20 performers to over 40 acts today, featuring both local and international talent.
“I remember going to this festival when I was a kid and seeing a magician for the first time,” says Liz Hobbs, programming and communications director of the festival. “It certainly exposed me to the arts when I was a kid and made me want to go into the arts, for sure.”
Some of this year’s debut acts include Back To Life duepuntozero, by Italian fire duo Pyròvaghi in its first-ever North American appearance. You’ll also see Edmonton’s Amanda Panda with her Hula Hoop Circus, daring stunts from the U.K.’s Natasha McGhie in The Felicity Footloose Show and a range of roving performers and magicians constantly moving throughout the square.
One of the quirkiest and unexpected acts this year is also one of the most practical and interactive. The Privy People take the not-so-pleasant experience of using port-a-potties, and turn it into a spectacle. These are decorated port-a-potties turned into mini art installations, each staffed by tuxedoed artists doubling as bathroom attendants. There’s nothing worse than using a festival bathroom that’s been baking in the sun all day. However, these ones definitely don’t stink, and you might even catch a short movie playing inside while you go.
The festival kicks off early this year with a 5 p.m. opening show that gives audiences a sneak peek at some of the performers. Each day will also feature events that bvary day-to-day, like workshops or other special programming.
“So if you’re done work, just hop on over and check it out, or come down for the afternoon and end your day with an event — or start off your evening with one.”
Also new this year are weekend variety shows, evening circus workshops for adults (a complement to the daytime workshops typically aimed at kids) and parades featuring live music.
Hobbs says what makes the festival such a unique draw is that it’s free to attend. The “pass-the-hat” model lets people pay what they can, creating an open, inclusive environment that welcomes everyone.
“It’s kind of like a Cirque du Soleil show without the $200 ticket price — it’s completely accessible, financially, to anyone.”
The Edmonton International Street Performers Festival runs July 4 to 13 at Sir Winston Churchill Square.
