HONENS FESTIVAL
September 10 to 13 | Multiple locations | honens.com
The Honens International Piano Competition, one of Canada’s biggest piano festivals, takes place every three years. In between these competitions, we get the Honens Festival, three days filled with events ranging from classic concerts to innovative presentations. The theme of this year’s festival is “Echoes and Transformations.” One of the fascinating events to check out is the Neurorecital, which debuted at the 2025 Honens competition. In the performance, 2018 Honens Prize Laureate Nicolas Namoradze performs live while his brain activity is translated into stunning 3D animated visuals.
MONSTER JAM
September 11 to 13 | GMC Stadium | monsterjam.com
Calgary’s arts scene is amazing, with fantastic plays, stunning galleries and beautiful music concerts throughout the year — but sometimes, you just want to watch some really big trucks do some cool stunts. Do exactly that this September at Monster Jam, where some of the world’s most popular monster trucks like Grave Digger, El Toro Loco and Sparkle Smash stand on two wheels and fly through the air over two thrilling hours. Embrace your inner child with tickets starting at $37.50.
CINEMA ON 17TH
September 11 to 13 | Tomkins Park | 17thave.ca
Enjoy a weekend of free movies over at Tomkins Park with Cinema on 17th. Each day features a variety of films, so there’s something for everyone, whether you want to bring the kids along or turn it into a date. On Saturday morning, Cinema on 17th partners with the Calgary Underground Film Festival (CUFF) for Saturday morning cartoons, featuring three hours of handpicked shorts and animated favourites guaranteed to make you feel nostalgic. Some picks you won’t want to miss include Little Shop of Horrors (which gets a stage adaptation at Theatre Calgary this year) on Friday, Moulin Rouge on Saturday and The Princess Bride on Sunday.
CALGARY CAT FESTIVAL & MARKET
September 12 and 13 | Contemporary Calgary | calgarycatfest.com
The purrfect festival for cat lovers returns to Contemporary Calgary this year, offering an event where you can connect with fellow feline enthusiasts, support local rescues and charities and shop a market full of goodies for you and your cat. There’s a variety of workshops and talks where you’ll learn more about cats and cat care, and the annual Ravensburger puzzle tournament. Recruit a friend and compete to be the fastest to solve a 500 piece puzzle. Win or lose, you get to take the puzzle home with you!
TASTE OF ITALY
September 13 | Bridgeland-Riverside Community Association | italianfestival.ca
This year marks the fifth annual Taste of Italy festival, the perfect place to sample all of the authentic Italian cuisine Calgary has to offer. Sample local favourites like Lina’s Italian Market, Marietta’s Gelato Bar, Teso Focaccia and more at the vendor booths, or try your hand at making your own Italian food with the pizza-making and grape-stomping workshops. If you have a bottomless stomach when it comes to Italian food, then enter yourself into the pasta-eating contest. Throughout the festival there’s live music and entertainment, from a wandering accordion player to opera singers.
& JULIET
September 15 to 20 | Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium | calgary.broadway.com
Packed with iconic pop anthems from certified hit-maker Max Martin and created by David West Reed, Emmy Award-winning writer for Schitt’s Creek, & Juliet ponders what would happen if Juliet didn’t end her life at the end of Shakespeare’s iconic play. The play flips between the reimagined events of Romeo & Juliet and scenes between Shakespeare and his wife, Anne Hathaway, who wants him to change the ending. It’s a funny, high-energy jukebox musical, perfect for an evening of good vibes.
ALBERTA BIODIVERSITY FESTIVAL
September 19 | Bow Habitat Station | bowhabitat.alberta.ca
There are so many exciting critters and creepy crawlies living in Alberta. Get the chance to celebrate them this month at the Alberta Biodiversity Festival, a collaboration between the Bow Habitat Station and the Calgary Zoo’s Wilder Institute. Meet Vinny, a peregrine falcon, AKA the world’s fastest animal. Look through a microscope at the parasites and plant life that make up the foundation of an ecosystem, and feel real skulls, pelts and tracks of local wildlife to learn more about their place in the ecosystem. See up-close some of the creatures that live in our rivers at the Bow Habitat stations’ freshwater aquariums or take part in a feeding frenzy for thousands of rainbow trout. It’s a lot of fun for all ages, and tickets are just $5.25.
YYC MUSIC AWARDS GALA
September 20 | Grey Eagle Event Centre | yycmusicawards.com
The nominations are in, and this month we’ll find out the winners of the 2026 YYC Music Awards. Since the YYC Music Awards began in 2016, the organization has been celebrating local musical artists, both new and established. In between awards, the gala will feature live music performances from four to five of this year’s nominees. Tickets to the gala are $51.45, available on Ticketmaster — grab yours before they’re gone!
NIGHT LIGHT
September 24 to 26 | Victoria Park | nightlightvicpark.ca
Prepare to be enchanted when you attend Night Light. Over the course of three days, artists show off their innovative light-based art works, turning Victoria Park into a glowing spectacle unlike any other art show. Artists are empowered by grants and access to technologies to create interactive installations, projection-mapped architecture and live performances. Night Light is free to attend, so bring along your family and friends.
WORDFEST PRESENTS COLIN JAMES
September 25 | DJD Dance Centre | wordfest.com
With 21 studio albums, eight Juno Awards, 31 Maple Blues Awards and thousands of album sales to his name, Colin James is a powerhouse in Canadian blues music. His new memoir, Playing The Changes: A Musician’s Memoir, tells the tale of his long and illustrious career and how he got there. James himself is here in Calgary to discuss it with Calgary Herald art writer Eric Volmers. Tickets are $30 and are bound to go fast, so grab them while you can.
HORROR CON
October 3 and 4 | Genesis Centre | horror-con.ca
Kick off spooky season right at Horror Con, Canada’s first and largest convention dedicated to horror. Over the course of the weekend, sit in on screenings of full-length and short horror films from around the world, and check out panels covering topics ranging from SFX makeup demos, talks from stars of iconic horror films and even spirit channeling. Meet stars from cult classic horror films like Brad Loree, who played Michael Myers in Halloween: Resurrection, and Jordan Ladd and Cerina Vincent from Cabin Fever. Tickets start at $35 for a single day or pay $50 for the whole weekend.
