EdmontonArtsCouncil
What's on in Edmonton this weekend? Step into Shanghai Nights to celebrate the glamour of Old Shanghai and welcome the Lunar New Year, join The Invisible Practice for VIBRO-PLAYGROUND — a unique fundraising celebration that combines community connection with interactive installations at Latitude 53, attend an album release concert featuring mother-daughter duo Wendy Gregson and Renee Mclachlan, enjoy an evening of vocal jazz with the River City Big Band, and so much more!
What's on in Edmonton this weekend? Attend the artist talk and opening reception of Being and Becoming by Garfield Morgan and Tere Cuellar at Gallery@501, partake in an intimate and immersive exploration of art through the sense of smell at Sensory Constellations, grab some popcorn and enjoy a double-feature of BIG SHARK and THE ROOM at Metro Cinema, catch a performance of Death of a Salesman at the Citadel Theatre, join the University of Alberta Department of Music for the 2026 Kilburn Memorial Concert featuring Maya Kilburn (violin) and Pablo Esquivel (piano), and so much more!
What's on in Edmonton this weekend? Pop by the Mitchell Art Gallery to check out the exhibition from where the grain itself can speak, enjoy a fresh line-up of International, National and Regional bluegrass bands at the RiverCity Bluegrass Festival, join New Music Edmonton for Drawing and Sound Gathering with artist Asal Andarzipour and sound artist Michael Reinhart, step into the heart of Edmonton’s Alberta Avenue District for a magical celebration of winter at the Deep Freeze Festival, attend Light + Vibrotactile: An Interactive Installation at Latitude 53 for a technical exploration informed by Deaf-Blind sensory experiences, join the Edmonton Recital Society as they celebrate their 20th Anniversary Season with a presentation of Benjamin Butterfield and Leanne Regehr, and so much more!
What's on in Edmonton this weekend? Experience a late night spectacle at the
PepperMUNT Cabaret featuring acts by Scott Shpeley, Jacquelin Walters, Big Al, Elyse Roszell, Ainsley Hillyard, Homofonik, and more, catch a screening of two new documentaries made by Albertan filmmakers presented by the Broad View International Film Festival, attend the January Script Salon for a presentation by the Workshop West Indigenous Playwrights Circle led by Josh Languedoc, and so much more!
What's on in Edmonton this weekend? Celebrate the Winter Solstice with an evening of experimental music featuring Echoradia, Soft Ions ft. Mustafa Rafiq, Jared Epp and and a poetry reading by Caitlin Sian Richards, take in an annual holiday tradition at Canada’s Ukrainian Nutcracker ,enjoy a poignant and powerful musical rendition of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic tale, The Little Match Girl, and so much more!
What's on in Edmonton this weekend? Take part in a Filipino Parol (Star Lantern) workshop at the Collins Studio Gallery, celebrate the season and the opening of the City Hall skating rink with live music, performances and family-friendly activities at Bright Light Skate Night, treat yourself to a wide variety of music that spans cultures and time at A Very Cosmopolitan Christmas Concert: Around the World, join EPL’s Featured Artist Leila Zolfalipour for Mosaic of Being, an engaging artist talk and hands-on workshop, enjoy a matinee performance of swing era favourites and unique arrangements of modern pop tunes at The Jivin’ Belles Christmas, and so much more!
message from the ceo
To our valued community,
I’m grateful for the opportunity to connect with you and share an update on where we are today, and how we plan to continue serving you in future.
2025 has been a busy and rewarding year for the Edmonton Arts Council (EAC) and our vibrant arts community. Among the highlights of our 30th anniversary year was the installation of the 300th artwork in the City of Edmonton Public Art Collection: Piney’s Playground by AJA Louden. We also celebrated national and local recognition for UGOand A Mischief of Could Be(s) by Red Knot Studio, and we proudly welcomed our new Poet Laureate, the remarkable Medgine Mathurin. I want to take a moment to thank all of the staff at EAC who managed these projects, and many more programs, grant processes, events and relationships in 2025.
This year also brought significant achievements for many Edmonton-based organizations. Ukrainian Shumka Dancers and the Brian Webb Dance Company were inducted into the Dance Collection Danse Hall of Fame—a well-deserved national honour. Local choir Belle Canto earned the highest mark ever awarded at the International Choir Festival in Provence, France, and went on to win the 2025 Grand Prix (catch them at one of our ETS pop-ups at Churchill Station from 5–7 pm this Saturday, December 6!).
While there is much to celebrate, there is also important work ahead to ensure the long-term stability of our artists and organizations. Despite increasing demand, EAC funding has remained static in recent years. As a result, we have been unable to increase support for individuals or organizations, and our success rates have declined. You may have noticed changes to the application process for organizations this year, including requests for additional data. This information will help us make a stronger, evidence-based case for increased arts funding in the next City budget cycle. Our Economic Impact report released this summer is already helping demonstrate the strong return on investment that the arts provide. In 2026, the EAC’s board will be a crucial part of this work, and I thank them for their expertise and volunteer time in 2025. We appreciate your patience and partnership as we continue this critical advocacy.
To all of our local artists, arts and culture organizations, arts professionals, and arts supporters: we appreciate you. Our relationship with you is our top priority, and we look forward to continuing to work on your behalf in 2026.
As always, please feel free to reach out to our staff with any questions or concerns. Thank you for your contributions to Edmonton’s arts and culture landscape in 2025.
— Renée Williams
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What's on in Edmonton this weekend? Browse a selection of art from local artisans at the Alberta Council for the Ukrainian Arts’ Christmas Night Market, join the Accord Ensemble for a cozy night of music at Silver and Shadow - Winter choral concert, enjoy and evening of original Christmas songs and hidden-gem indie-folk covers at Christmas in the Gingerbread Pines, experience the eclectic lineup of performers at the Collins Studio Gallery 5th Annual benefit for Edmonton’s Food Bank, and so much more!
What's on in Edmonton this weekend? Attend a screening of award-winning film Meadowlarks at Metro Cinema, catch the return of Rapid Fire’s fan-favourite Christmas tradition at The Blank Who Stole Christmas, step into a dreamy late-night art party at SNAP’s Print Affair: The Dream Parlour, embark on a dance and digital art journey at
MOSAÏCO, enjoy an interactive family-friendly twist on the holiday classic at A Kidsmas Carol, spend a magical afternoon at the Festival Singers’ holiday concert Songs of the Season, join Vocal Alchemy for a program inspired by Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”, and so much more!
What's on in Edmonton this weekend? Experience a gripping gothic melodrama at The Castle Spectre, join artist Michelle Campos Castillo for a piñata-making workshop at Latitude 53, catch a free screening of three episodes of Telus StoryHive funded docuseries The Only Girl In The Gym, transport yourself to the mid-1950s in David van Belle’s adaptation of A Christmas Carol at the Citadel, support immediate relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Melissa at the Rise for Jamaica – Benefit Concert, join the WindRose Trio for their concert So Happy I Could Dance at the Highlands United Church, and so much more!
What's on in Edmonton this weekend?Embark on a shopping adventure at the Carrot Christmas Arts Bazaar, A Very Indigenous Holiday Market, or the Fall Métis Market,
join Concrete Theatre for their kid-friendly public performances of Celestial Being, attend a special artist talk and reception at Gallery@501 for Dan Xu’s Ink Horizons: East to West, catch a screening of The Edmonton Storyteller - The Life and Times of Tony Cashman at the Broad View International Film Festival, kick off the season with a night of winter celebration at All Is Bright 2025, join Wild Skies Press for the Edmonton launch of Kim Mannix’s debut poetry collection, Confirm Humanity, and so much more!
What's on in Edmonton this weekend?Join the Cadmium Art Collective for a cozy day of creativity at their Winter Art Market at Orange Hall, attend the world première of a holiday musical for the whole family based on Stuart McLean’s beloved Vinyl Café stories at the Citadel, stop by Alberta Craft to see Deanne Underwood’s exhibition A Softer Gaze that celebrates the evocative terrain of Western Canada, join author Erin McDougall at Audreys for the Edmonton launch of the Christmas series Can We Fly Tonight?, attend the reading of EDEN by Fran Kimmel and directed by Mieko Ouchi at November’s Script Salon, and so much more!
What's on in Edmonton this weekend?Celebrate the launch of Cruising the Downtown: Celebrating Edmontons Queer History at EVO on Jasper Ave, experience the heart and soul of Mexico at Eternal Love: A Mariachi Tribute to Día de los Muertos, join the Mill Creek Colliery Band for their first concert of the 2025 – 2026 Season with an evening of all Canadian music, step into a world where the eerie meets the irresistible at Fruit Loop’s Spooky Spectacular, enjoy the timeless tale of Peter and the Wolf at Symphony for Kids featuring the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, and so much more!
