This winter festival is bringing the Ice Climbing World Cup to Edmonton

There’s a winter festival coming up soon where you can watch and participate in ice climbing right in Edmonton.

This year, the YEG Ice Fest in February will have ice climbers from across the world competing in the Ice Climbing World Cup. Not only is the Ice Climbing World Cup taking place during Ice Fest, but this festival has many more experiences to offer, like a local expo as well as opportunities to try out ice climbing for yourself.

If you’re interested, mark your calendars for this free festival soon — it’s going to be a good one.

What to expect

One key thing about this festival: there is FREE access to watch and cheer on some of the best Ice Climbers in the world. From Speed Ice Climbing to Lead Ice Climbing, you can check out the full schedule of events on Climb YEG’s website.

There’s also free access to the expo, giving you free roam of the local shopping, great food and beverages.

Looking to try something new, or are you really interested in climbing yourself? This is your lucky day, because this weekend will have a packed schedule of activities and workshops from industry professionals. The team recommends pre-registering for these events, and keep in mind, these events will include a registration fee.

As for pricing for activities, it’s $10 to try dry tool climbing, $10 for ice climbing, between $15 and $50 to compete in the community competitions, and $50 for VIP tickets. As for the specific workshops, the price varies.

If you want to keep the party going, the Official YEG Ice Fest After-party will be hosted at Fu’s Repair Shop in partnership with Red Bull Canada. Have some drinks and food, play games, and party with the pros at this 18-and-above extravaganza.

Over these four days, 90 world athletes will get to compete with you cheering them on from the sidelines. Are you ready to make some noise? Or, more importantly, are you ready to try yourself?

When: Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, to Sunday, Mar. 1, 2026
Time: Various times
Where: Louise McKinney Riverfront Park — 9999 Grierson Hill NW, Edmonton, Alta.
Cost: Free

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