Calgary Bluesfest
It’s the 20th anniversary of Calgary Bluesfest, and this year’s lineup is a celebration. Juno-winners Monkeyjunk are here from Ottawa, while Sonny Gullage & The Blues Groovers bring a taste of New Orleans jazz to the newly christened Cowboys Park.
August 1 to 4 at Cowboys Park (formerly Shaw Millenium Park), 1220 9 Ave. S.W., calgarybluesfest.com
The Darkbulb Shows
This is your chance to catch a series of electrifying performances at Loophole from independent artists spanning various genres, including EDM, lo-fi, noise rock, and punk.
August 3, 7 p.m. at Loophole Coffee Bar, 1040 8 Ave. S.W., loophole-coffee-bar.com
Chasing Summer
EDM heads have been eating good this summer. Keep the dance-y vibes going with Chasing Summer, a wild two-day outdoor party that features a headlining performance from Deadmau5.
August 3 and 4 at Max Bell Centre Festival Grounds, 1001 Barlow Trail S.E., chasingsummerfestival.com
Music in the Plaza
Heritage Plaza offers the perfect ambience to enjoy eclectic free music programming every Wednesday, like Esteban Herrera’s Latin piano melodies and Klezmerovitz’s Eastern European celebration.
August 7, 14, 21, and 28, 6 p.m. at Heritage Park, 1900 Heritage Dr. S.W., heritagepark.ca
Biff Naked w/ BETABOYS
You’ll shout “I love myself today” when CanCon legend Biff Naked brings her punky attitude and alt-rock bangers to the Dickens stage, supported by local new-wave sweetehearts BETABOYS.
August 9, 7 p.m. at Dickens, 1000 9 Ave. S.W., dickensyyc.com
Circle Jerks w/ The Adolescents and No Brainer
Past and present collide when local punk rockers No Brainer open for the legendary ‘80s hardcore punk band Circle Jerks. Bring earplugs and get ready to slam dance.
August 9, 7 p.m. at the Palace Theatre, 219 8 Ave. S.W., thepalacetheatre.ca
Major Funk
Hailing from Whitehorse, Major Funk layers soaring vocals over bass-heavy grooves supported by a tight horn section. The North might be cold, but this band is red hot.
August 10, 8 p.m. at The Attic, 1413 9 Ave. S.E., theatticyyc.ca
Marda Gras Street Festival
One of Calgary’s longest-running street festivals includes three stages of live music and entertainment, with The Syndicate of Soul and Seth Anderson among the performers this year.
August 11, 10 a.m. on 33 Ave. S.W. between 19 and 22 Street, visitmardaloop.com
Steve Earle w/ Olivia Wolf
One of Nashville’s finest is bringing his “Alone Again” tour to Calgary, and you can’t miss the chance to hear his folky Americana anthems echoing off the walls of Arts Commons.
August 15, 7:30 p.m. at the Jack Singer Concert Hall, 205 8 Ave. S.E., artscommons.ca
Jubefest Concerts
This summer, the Jubefest Concerts invite you backstage. Audiences sit right on the gorgeous Jubilee stage and enjoy performances from Wakefield Brewster, Caity Gyorgy, and more while facing the auditorium seats. Only 200 seats are available onstage per night, so don’t wait to get tickets.
August 16, 17, 23 and 24 at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, 1415 14 Ave. N.W., jubileeauditorium.com
Expo Latino
This three-day Latin celebration is a staple of Calgary summers, and a stable of performers such as DJ Marqui and Neri Villanueva will keep you dancing all weekend long.
August 16 to 18 at Prince’s Island Park, 1 Ave. and 4 Street S.W., expolatino.com
Country Thunder
Dallas Smith, Elle King, Dusty Golden, and Mariya Stokes are some of the country acts rocking The Confluence (formerly Fort Calgary) this summer.
August 16 to 18 at The Confluence, 750 9 Ave. S.E., countrythunder.com
Cheer w/ Big Evil Rat and Solid Brown
Local psych-rock wunderkinds Cheer celebrate the release of their latest album Pure Mass Detection with a noisy, rollicking night of riffs at Calgary’s barbecue palace.
August 17, 8 p.m. at The Palomino, 109 7 Ave. S.W., thepalomino.ca
Hozier w/ Allison Russell
Touring in support of his third studio album, Unreal Unearth, Hozier’s haunting folk melodies and Irish vocals will fill the walls of the Saddledome this summer.
August 23, 8 p.m. at the Scotiabank Saddledome, 555 Saddledome Rise S.E., scotiabanksaddledome.com
Tyson Ray Borsboom
This Lethbridge singer-songwriter infuses his indie songwriting with vividly descriptive lyrics and a charming onstage persona.
August 30, 8 p.m. at Ranchmans, 9615 Macleod Trail S.E., ranchmans.ca
LAVERN
Laurens Elshof — aka LAVERN — is a producer from the Netherlands whose dance-y EDM tracks have gained considerable traction on Instagram and TikTok. This is his first time performing in Calgary!
August 31, 10 p.m. at Sub Rosa, 200 8 Ave. S.W., subrosayyc.com
KALEO w/ Chance Peña
Grammy-nominated blues rockers KALEO bring their “Payback” tour to Calgary, with “The Voice” alum Chance Peña set to open.
September 2, 6:30 p.m. at the Grey Eagle Event Centre, 3775 Grey Eagle Dr., greyeagleresortandcasino.ca