Music, drag and comedy will take over Downtown Edmonton at this winter festival

Winterruption is one of Edmonton’s best winter festivals, and it’s back for another year!

This multi-venue music and arts festival takes over the downtown core, spreading out across the city, and features a number of free outdoor activities. It started in 2019, and it’s been spreading winter cheer in Edmonton since.

What to expect

This year, the festival will take place from Jan. 21 to 25.

The headliners for this year are Hiss Golden Messenger, Talib Kweli, and Fear. Winterruptions undercard has names like Miz Cracker, Faze, Thumpasaurus, Open Mike Eagle, and many more talented guests.

If you’re looking to get into the music a bit more before the festival, it has released a Spotify playlist for fans, which includes a number of the artists featured at the festival, as a way to prepare you for the jams.

As it spans across a multitude of venues, we’re here to help you out. Winterruption takes over The Starlite Room, Freemason’s Hall, Rocky Mountain Icehouse, McDougall United Church, Temple, The Cask & Barrel, 9910, Double Dragon, Downtown Edmonton Community League, River City Revival House, EVO, CKUA Radio, and The Dive Bar, as well as the southside’s Rec Room.

Tickets are available now online, with festival passes to purchase as well as individual tickets to performers. If you’re looking to see a whole bunch of artists do their thing, the festival pass is your best bet. Otherwise, individual tickets for any and every artist are up for grabs.

Another important thing to note: the festival has officially gone cash-free. All ticket sales, door sales, merch sales, and Winterruption-run venues will be card-only.

When: Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, to Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026
Time: Various times
Where: Various locations
Cost: $30+

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