Explore Artsy Edmonton, AB

Vacation in the Canadian Cultural Capital of 2007

© Lori Henry

Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival, Ellis Brothers

Travel to downtown Edmonton, Alberta for the top theatre, art, dance, opera and music in western Canada.

The city of Edmonton, Alberta has been named the Canadian Cultural Capital of 2007. Follow the downtown crowd to the city's theatre, art, dance, opera and music scene for the latest installations and performances by top Canadian talent.

The City of Edmonton, AB

Located in western Canada and in the northern region of the province of Alberta, Edmonton is desired for its local arts and culture scene. This year's theme "Building Connections" will feature a yearlong poetry festival. As well, light displays and performances will be highlighted in Nightworks and visual and media arts will take the stage in Edmonton Explorations.

Theatre in Edmonton

Heading up the drama is The Citadel Theatre, Canada's largest regional and western Canada's only classical theatre. On a smaller scale, there are around 20 theatre companies and a few dozen acting co-ops to satisfy the taste of everyone. With eight companies based in the Old Strathcona district and dinner theatre an always-popular option, there never has to be a dull night out.

Art in Edmonton

With more than 60 galleries in the city, there is an abundance of talent to fill them with great pieces. The Art Gallery of Alberta tops the group with more than 5,000 works and is the longest running cultural institution in Alberta. During the fall and spring, visitors are treated to the Gallery Walk, an unguided walking tour that includes eight galleries in a nine-block radius.

Dance in Edmonton

Pull out the rhythm for dance downtown. Alberta Ballet is the third largest dance company in Canada and performs at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, while the Brian Webb Dance Company runs a complete season of contemporary dance each year.

Music in Edmonton

The Francis Winspear Centre for Music is home to the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. Its large, 1,900-seat concert hall has the largest concert organ in Canada. On another note, folk music is very much alive, with a connection to Folkways Records in New York. It provides documents, preserves history and is a reference for folk music study and research.

Yearly Arts Events

Edmonton brings live music during the summer with the Edmonton’s Blues Festival, Symphony Under The Sky, Yardbird Jazz Festival and the Edmonton Folk Music Festival. If theatre is more suitable, annual performances include the Edmonton International Fringe Festival, Festival of Dance, the Edmonton International Film Festival and the VisualEyez Festival of Performance Art.

Buy Tickets

Same-day tickets are available at a discounted rate from TIX on the Square, located in Churchill Square.


The copyright of the article Explore Artsy Edmonton, AB in Alberta Travel is owned by Lori Henry. Permission to republish Explore Artsy Edmonton, AB must be granted by the author in writing.


Edmonton Folk Music Festival, Ellis Brothers
Yardbird Jazz Festival, Laughing Dog Photography
Feats Dance Festival, Laughing Dog Photography
Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival, Ellis Brothers
Symphony Under the Sky, Festival City


Post this Article to facebook Add this Article to del.icio.us! Digg this Article furl this Article Add this Article to Reddit Add this Article to Technorati Add this Article to Newsvine Add this Article to Windows Live Add this Article to Yahoo Add this Article to StumbleUpon Add this Article to BlinkLists Add this Article to Spurl Add this Article to Google Add this Article to Ask Add this Article to Squidoo