Calgary’s About To Get Much Hotter: Chinook Blast Unveils Full Three-Weekend Lineup To Calgary’s Winter Festival

Chinook Blast returns to downtown Calgary with an electrifying celebration from January 30 to February 16, transforming our coldest months into the hottest winter experience of the year. Across three action-packed weekends, Chinook Blast will fuse music, performance, sport, art, and community into a bold, FREE, all-ages winter festival at the newly renovated Eau Claire Plaza (101 Barclay Parade SW).

This year, guest curators, Paul Magnuson, Victoria Bucholtz (aka Karla Marx), and Kayla Bigras (aka Smokey Waters/B.Sassidy) bring their creativity and experience to the festival hub, filling it with new installations, dynamic entertainment, and the kind of winter magic you can only find at Chinook Blast.
From larger-than-life light installations, a drag show on ice and electronic music showcases to artist markets and live performances, Chinook Blast proves that winter in Calgary is meant to be embraced.

“Chinook Blast is an event that has been building from strength to strength over the past six years, providing amazing experiences for visitors from far and wide,” says Alisha Reynolds, President and CEO of Tourism Calgary. “We are very lucky to be living in one of Canada’s fastest-growing major cities, and in many ways, our winter season is just as vibrant as our summer. Chinook Blast kicks off a busy year with a sport or cultural event almost every week in the first few months of 2026, so we encourage everyone to get out and have a “cool-cation” in Calgary!”

Alisha Reynolds, President & CEO, Tourism Calgary 
(Part of Chinook Blast’s Executive Committee) 

 WEEKEND 1 – Electrifying performances ignite Eau Claire Plaza

● Friday, January 30 - High Performance Rodeo kicks off Chinook Blast at the RISE UP Outdoor Community Stage with the dynamic duo Cedric Lightning and Kris Demeanor. Calgary Folk Music Festival’s Block Heater returns with performances from L’omelette and Tribe Artist Society.

● Saturday, January 31 - Drag on Ice 4 returns with a full-on Frozen Disco Extravaganza featuring, for the first time, a queen from RuPaul’s Drag Race U.S. Joey Jay of season 13 takes to the ice with Calgary’s own comedian and drag queen Karla Marx at Prince’s Island Lagoon. Joey Jay will also be doing a meet-and-greet with fans before the show! Then Dos Leches, DJ Molly Fi and DJ Cybervvitch take over the outdoor stage with unforgettable dance music.

Between the live performances and 14 larger-than-life art installations (open to the public daily Jan. 30–Feb. 16), you’ll find glowing, engaging roving performances from Three Left Feet, Le Cirque de la Nuit and Puppet Stuff Canada, and the opportunity to try drytooling, Canada’s next Olympic Sport, with the Alpine Club of Canada. Then just next door, Seconds Collective Market (Jan. 30–Feb. 1) takes over the Chinese Cultural Centre (197 1 St SW) with the best vintage finds from local vendors.

Plus skate on Prince’s Island Lagoon! Don’t have your own pair? No problem, the Skate Hut has rentals with Alberta Blue Cross offering the first 50 rentals free on selected days.


WEEKEND 2 – High-energy beats meet immersive cultural experiences

● Friday, February 6 - Eau Claire Plaza will be packed with live performances from Prairie Sparks: Local Lights presented by The Werklund Centre as well as local artists Dempsey Bolton and the Cruz Brothers (DJ Fatrok & DJ C-SIK). Join the National Music Centre at The Dome (sponsored by Calgary Foundation) for the Canadian Song Circle, an outdoor sing-along featuring songs by iconic Canadian artists, try snow tie-dyeing with Mohar Gupta. DJ Molly Fi is back, this time spinning the beats at the Lagoon for those who want to skate their hearts out.

● Saturday, February 7 - PK Sound & Friends present - MOVE - an open-air electronic music showcase is sure to heat up the season with deep beats (using PK T8 sound system) and standout local and regional talent including, The Librarian, Esette B2B Jon Delerious, Cary Chang, Safi, DJ Hannah and Dan Solo. In collaboration with Le Cirque de la Nuit, Versions, I Love Techno YYC (ILTYYC), and B!G ART, this vibrant night blends music, art and fire spectacle where friends and family can gather and dance! Discover Cirque in the Snow! (SnowGlow Circus) with the Little Red Ball Company. 

All weekend discover roving performances from Three Left Feet, skate the lagoon or visit the Authentically Indigenous for the Winter Frost: Indigenous Market (Feb. 6–8) at the Chinese Cultural Centre.

WEEKEND 3 – Fest finale packed with family fun

● Friday, February 13 - Calgary Opera will present Serious Family Fun: Little Red Riding Hood, the classic tale brought to life through a delightful and charming children’s opera at The Dome. Asian Heritage Foundation will be taking over the outdoor stage with the ImaginAsian Showcase, featuring over a dozen artists, who will explore diverse genres of music and performances, including a dragon dance, Korean drumming, and martial arts demonstrations. 

● To celebrate Lunar New Year and Chinook Blast, the Chinatown BIA presents a live ice sculpture activation (Feb. 6–13), with live carving taking place at Eau Claire Plaza on February 12 and 13. Master ice sculptors from Harbin, China, the world’s largest ice and snow festival, will transform large blocks of ice into striking works of art, with additional sculptures on display throughout Chinatown. This free, family-friendly experience invites visitors to experience the artistry and cultural tradition of ice sculpting as part of Calgary’s winter festival season.

● Saturday, February 14 - On Valentine’s Day, Blue Jay Sessions: Amped Up! will bring Calgary’s favourite singer-songwriters, including Tea Fannie and Alex Hughes, to perform collaborative high-energy sets of love songs and heartbreak anthems.

● Sunday, February 15 - YYC Music Awards, in partnership with JazzYYC, will present a vibrant showcase including Métis/Colombian singer-songwriter Damase Elis, Indigenous techno/electronic artist Sean Beaver, folk-pop phenom Maclayne, and multi-award-winning hip-hop king K-Riz & The Family. Or take a beat and watch live freeform sculpting with wood carving from Michael Penny and ice carving by Marie-Line Gagne. Plus, The GOOD Games will present a high-energy freestyle soccer showcase, led by five-time world champion Andrew Henderson. This dynamic performance blends athleticism, creativity, and modern street-soccer culture as part of the festival’s sport programming.

●  Monday, February 16 - Festival of Animated Objects takes over the Plaza with winter-themed roving puppets and masked characters. Ethnik Festivals returns with performances from Skinny Blaiz and Ray Val. Then Bollywood Jam with Dhanak, a high-energy fusion music experience, takes to the stage, followed by DJ Jadé, who will wrap up Chinook Blast with her genre-bending dance music.

In addition to this back-to-back entertainment, Family Day long weekend at Chinook Blast will also feature engaging all-ages entertainment fit for the whole family including, Bravo Circus (Feb. 13–14) and YYC Princesses (Feb. 15–16).

With Lunar New Year around the corner, the Chinese Cultural Centre will be home to a Chinese Market and Celebration (Feb. 14–16) which will include dragon and lion dances, multicultural performances, local food vendors, a marketplace, and other festive activities celebrating culture and community.

A New Spot to Sip and Warm Up

Chinook Blast is expanding the festival experience with a new beer garden from Eighty-Eight Brewing Co., who will serve their signature craft beers along with mulled wine, Baileys, and other seasonal favourites to help you warm up and enjoy the winter fun.

Chinook Blast brings people downtown during a traditionally quieter season, supporting local artists, performers, makers, businesses, and restaurants while activating Calgary’s winter core. As a free, community-driven festival, it encourages winter participation and connection, and in past years has generated up to $15 million in economic impact. Chinook Blast continues to strengthen Calgary’s reputation as a vibrant, creative, and welcoming city.
 

“Calgary’s creative economy isn’t just about art, music or performance—it’s about innovation, vibrancy and bright minds seeing the world with a unique lens. Events like Chinook Blast show the world that Calgary is a city where creativity fuels economic growth and builds a strong sense of community. People want to live in an inclusive city where they can work hard, play hard and feel connected, and this winter festival is proof of the creative pulse that makes Calgary that place, all year round.”

Brad Parry, President and CEO, Calgary Economic Development 
(Part of The Chinook Blast Executive Committee)

As Calgary’s signature winter festival, Chinook Blast continues to anchor and energize the city’s cold-season calendar. The festival is proud to see the momentum it has helped build, inspiring other major winter experiences, including The GOOD Games Winter Edition at the BMO Centre, February 13–15, Sport Calgary All Sport One City February 7–16, East End Cold Spell, and other local events, adding even more vibrancy to the season for Calgarians and visitors alike.

See the full lineup, explore other winter events in Calgary, and discover food and hospitality specials at ChinookBlast.ca.

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About Chinook Blast

Chinook Blast is Calgary's signature winter celebration that unites partners from arts, nonprofit, neighbourhood, tourism, and sports communities to showcase the best of the city during the winter season. Our vision is to create a uniquely Calgary winter experience that attracts visitors globally. Learn more at www.chinookblast.ca.

Chinook Blast Executive Committee is comprised of the following organizations:

About The City of Calgary 
Chinook Blast is The City of Calgary’s Winter City Strategy in action, bringing people together to celebrate the season through art, culture and community. By winterizing public spaces, supporting local businesses and creating experiences that celebrate the season, Calgary is a city where winter is something to embrace. Learn more about how to love winter at Calgary.ca/LoveWinter. For media inquiries, contact media.relations@calgary.ca or 403-828-2954.

About Calgary Arts Development

As the city’s designated arts development authority, Calgary Arts Development supports and strengthens the arts to benefit all Calgarians. We invest and allocate municipal funding for the arts provided by the City of Calgary and leverage these funds to provide additional resources to the arts sector. Our programs support hundreds of arts organizations, individual artists, artist collectives, and ad hoc groups in Calgary. For more information, visit: calgaryartsdevelopment.com.

About Calgary Economic Development
Calgary Economic Development is an opportunity-maker, helping to spark and fuel Calgary’s growth. Our job is to connect people with resources that can help them grow their careers or businesses, thrive in new locations or markets and feel at home in our community. We steward the economic strategy, Uplook: An Action Plan for Our Economy with the mandate to position Calgary for long-term economic success by supporting the expansion, retention and acquisition of companies, capital and talent. We offer a wealth of information to help everyone succeed and we tirelessly promote Calgary, in Canada and around the world. For more information, visit www.calgaryeconomicdevelopment.com and follow us on LinkedIn.  For media inquiries, contact media@calgaryeconomicdevelopment.com or 403-880-7040.

About Tourism Calgary

Tourism Calgary is the destination management organization that, for over 60 years, has enthusiastically told the story of the warm hospitality and adventurous spirit our city is known for. From conventions to leisure travel, major sports events to music and arts, Tourism Calgary promotes our unique experiences to the over 8 million people who visit Calgary every year. We market Calgary in new and exciting ways, driving over $3B in visitor spend for the local economy and advocating for Calgary’s growing tourism industry to host visitors, offer shareable experiences, and activate experiences in ways that attract, connect, and inspire. For more information, visit: visitcalgary.com.