![The 10 Best Fish and Chips in Toronto [2025]](https://torontoblogs.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/284595060_4905560259566814_3633117342671290438_n-1.jpg "The 10 Best Fish and Chips in Toronto [2025]")
![The Best 6 Tacos in Toronto [2025]](https://torontoblogs.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/428969854_1934102437015434_3865060847615353060_n.png "The Best 6 Tacos in Toronto [2025]")
There are a number of winter music festivals in Calgary, but nothing quite like Bob-Sled. The mini-me winter edition of Sled Island consistently boasts some of the top artists in the country, and this year is no exception.
“Bob-Sled is a four-day, mini Sled Island that we put on in conjunction with the Palomino,” said Tyra Sanderson, Sled Island’s festival manager. “It’s going to be 16 bands over the course of four days, from Wednesday to Saturday. Each night kind of has its own little musical vibe, so similar to Sled, you get a pretty good taste of all sorts of music, depending on what night you go.”
Amongst that taste-test of some of the best in Canada’s independent music scene: Ribbon Skirt, whose breakout record, Bite Down, received global critical acclaim in 2025, and was named one of the top Canadian albums of the year; New Brunswick punk rock trio Motherhood; delightfully “loudish” singer-songwriter Cassia Hardy; and Canadian indie rock cosmopolitans Nap Eyes.
It’s a seriously stacked lineup, and if you’re in the know on Canadian independent music, it speaks to the dizzying array of talent that’s emerging across the country. With recent shoutouts from the one-and-only Anthony Fantano, Sled Island is gaining global momentum that is amplifying local Canadian music beyond our nation’s small venues and dive bars.
“I think that the press that Sled has been getting recently is just indicative of the value and importance that live music is having right now,” said Sanderson. “It’s not surprising, but also really encouraging that we’re on the right track and doing the thing that Calgary needs right now.”
The music festival that Calgary needs
Battling with extreme weather amidst our bitter -30 °C winters leaves little energy left for arts and culture, but Bob-Sled is addressing those pain points in all the right ways.
“It’s nice to be able to have this smaller version of the festival in the winter, when everybody’s kind of tired, and everything’s cold,” said Sanderson. “It gets people out of the house, doing things, seeing people and discovering new music, which are all very important highlights of Sled Island normally.”
Last year, Sled Island saw a combined audience of 508,180 people, offering comedy, film, art, special events and conference programming across 159 unique Calgary venues. A 2025 study also showed that Sled Island generated $3.2 million in economic activity for Alberta in 2025.
Combine that with movement on an upcoming Culture + Entertainment District, and it’s clear that Calgary’s arts scene is having a main character moment.
“The general diversity of what kind of music you can hear — and what kind of experience you can have from night to night — is something that sets us apart from other music festivals,” added Sanderson.
A beloved local venue
The Palomino is one of Calgary’s most beloved local music venues, regularly offering shows from Wednesday to Sunday each week, as well as opportunities for local artists to play live.
It’s a critical event space and local music venue in the city, one that’s seen many talented Canadian musicians come and go.
“I think the great thing about Bobsled is just it’s a very intimate kind of experience,” said Sanderson. “The Palomino is a pretty small venue, but it’s one that packs a pretty major punch. There’s lots of energy at every show at the Palomino, and the folks there just know how to put on a really good show.”
Each nightly bill will have a unique “theme,” with opportunities to hear performances by artists from a wide swath of genres.
“Wednesday night is a more chill, indie rock sort of vibe, and then Thursday is straight up rock and roll,” said Sanderson. “Friday night is a hardcore and metal sort of night, and then Saturday is kind of a big headliner night with Ribbon Skirt and some more post-punk vibes. There’s a diversity of sounds.”
More than just a music festival, though, Bob-Sled and Sled Island as a whole play a critical role in cultivating community.
“It is a really great community event,” said Sanderson. “Lots of people from the Calgary arts scene come out for Bob-Sled. It’s a great way to meet new people, engage and bond over a shared love of music.”
Festival passes and nightly tickets
Bob-Sled is making it easy to take in the music you love without breaking the bank. Attendees can choose to pay for individual show tickets, or a festival wristband if they want to experience everything.
“I think with how isolated a lot of people feel these days, and particularly with how people are interacting with music online, the value of going out to a show and interacting with other people and discovering new music in person is becoming more and more important,” said Sanderson. “I think that Sled Island is only going to build momentum from that. More and more people are craving these kinds of in-person experiences.”
This is going to be an unbeatable week of live music in Calgary. We can’t wait!
When: Wednesday, Jan. 21 to Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026
Time: 7 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Where: Palomino Smokehouse — 109 7th Ave. SW, Calgary
Tickets: $88 for festival wristband; $26 per show
Recent Posts:
This recording bursary in Calgary is a game-changer for Indigenous musicians
A$AP Rocky will play the Calgary Stampede and the news is sending us
Em Medland-Marchen
Em is a Staff Writer for Curiocity Calgary. They are passionate about live music, rose gardens, iced coffee, and walks along the Bow River.
Read articles
