The Calgary Journal’s list of most anticipated festivals happening in Calgary.
Badlands Music Festival
Dates: July 4-6
Venue: Canada Olympic Park
Prices: $99 – $199 plus service charge
Want to get up close and personal with some of the biggest DJs in electronic dance music? Well Calgary, you’re in luck as the Badlands Music Festival is back with a bang for its second year at Canada Olympic Park. Badlands is a three-day electronic music festival that happens during the first weekend of the Calgary Stampede. It features 25 unique and talented DJs showcasing their skills and music outdoors. Some of the major DJs that will be taking over Canada Olympic Park include: Dada Life, Ummet Ozcan, The Chainsmokers, Borgore and more. The festival happens rain or shine, so be prepared for anything that might come Calgary’s way during this three-day extravaganza. For more information about the Badlands Music Festival, and how to get tickets, visit badlandsmusicfest.com
Fiestaval
Dates: July 19-20
Venue: Olympic Plaza
Free Admission
If you are up for an experience that allows you to learn about Latin American culture look no 
A performer dressed up in a traditional Latin headdress at Olympic Plaza for Fiestaval.
Photo courtesy of Fiestaval further than Fiestaval. This festival will be celebrating its eighth anniversary in Calgary. It invites Calgarians to come out and support the diverse and thriving Latin community in Calgary. The festival is a two-day event that promotes Latin American arts, rhythms and flavours by showcasing a variety of different Latin American heritages and customs. Fiestaval features a wide assortment of dancing, delicious food, live music performances and attractions for the whole family. So add some spice to your life and become a Latin lover by indulging in all things Latin. For more information about Fiestaval visit fiestaval.ca
Kensington Sun and Salsa Festival
Date: July 20
Venue: Kensington
Free Admission
Calgary, get ready for some major fun in the sun. The community of Kensington is inviting Calgarians to take part in their annual Sun and Salsa Festival, which draws up to 100,000 people into the neighbourhood of Sunnyside. The festival features a salsa tasting competition, where Calgarians get to judge and help raise money for local charities. As well, there are a vast number of activities for the whole family such as live entertainment, shopping at some of Kensington’s trendiest shops, food and drinks available at 11 different extended patios and a kid’s zone for the little ones. So unite with your fellow Calgarians and head over to Kensington to try something unique and different. For more information about the Kensington Sun and Salsa Festival visit visitkensington.com/sun-and-salsa
World Party performing on stage at Calgary’s Folk Music Festival at Prince’s Island Park in 2013.
Photo courtesy of the Calgary Folk Fest website. Calgary Folk Music Festival
Dates: July 24-27
Venue: Prince’s Island Park
Price: $25 – $215
The Calgary Folk Music Festival returns to Prince’s Island Park for its 35th anniversary celebration with a stellar line up that Calgarians wouldn’t want to miss. Folk Fest is a four-day musical jamboree geared toward families and showcases culture as well as 70 artists from around the globe and our vibrant city. Well known artists that will be performing at this year’s Folk Fest include: Rufus Wainwright, Bruce Cockburn, Amos Lee and more. The festival also features a talk tent for spoken performances, a boot camp where singer-songwriters teach students how to write songs and play guitar, a song contest and a festival hall for live performances. For more information on the Calgary Folk Music Festival and how to get tickets visit calgaryfolkfest.com
Franco Festival Calgary
Dates: July 26-27
Venue: Shaw Millennium Park
Free Admission
Bienvenue Calgary! Franco Festival Calgary returns for its fourth installment at Shaw Millennium Park with aims to celebrate the diverse Francophone cultures located in the city from other parts of the world. The festival features the very best each Francophone country has to offer through music, crafts, food, dance. As well, the festival will feature Casa De Naz, a Caribbean art collective, along with French visual artists Jean Kabwika Mutombo and Jane Poole. For more information on Franco Festival Calgary visit francofestcalgary.com
Calgary International Blues Festival
Dates: July 28-Aug. 3
Venue: Shaw Millennium Park
Price: $30 – $129 plus GST
Rhythm and blues are in the air as Calgary International Blues Festival jams at Shaw Millennium
Billy Branch is one of the artists that will be performing at this year’s International Blues Festival in Calgary.
Photo courtesy of Calgary International Blues Festival. Park for its 10th anniversary. This four-day family-oriented event features a full week of blues activities ranging from continuous main stage performances, a beer tent and nightly dance parties that are sure to get you moving. Festival organizers have pulled out all the stops to invite well-known blues artists including: Joe Louis Walker, Sugar Ray Norcia, Ana Popovic and more. For more information on the Calgary International Blue Festival, and details on how to get tickets, visit calgarybluesfest.com