Downtown Calgary’s Chinook Blast lineup includes live music, outdoor sports, art – and winter

The fifth edition of Chinook Blast, downtown Calgary's (Photo: X@AHLWranglers)

Calgary’s winter outdoor festival Chinook Blast turns five in 2025, and organizers hope to turn some of the longest nights of the year into some of the most memorable.

“Winter is a season that begs participation, and we answer the call with gusto. Now in its fifth year, Chinook Blast is gaining national and international recognition as a must-attend winter festival. Starting Jan. 31st, bundle up and take part in this year’s incredible lineup of outdoor sports, performances, and art installations,” said Mayor Jyoti Gondek in a Thursday media release.

And while the official launch date is Jan. 31, the catch with Chinook Blast is that - just like a Calgary winter - it’s kind of hard to pin down an opening night because in fact, the action is already underway.

The 39th High Performance Rodeo – the original winter cultural festival in the city – kicked off this week and ramps up heading into this weekend with a number of indoor shows opening, including Hot Dyke Party, and Decidedly Jazz Danceworks' new show Call and Response, both opening Thursday.

On Friday, Ghost River Theatre opens with Echoes of the Land, and Saturday, there’s a free ‘preview performance’ of a new show called Ribstone, featuring award-winning Calgary actor Christopher Hunt.

This weekend The Chinese Lunar New Year Festival 2025 will also take place Saturday and Sunday at the Calgary Chinese Cultural Centre.

The outdoor festival portion of Chinook Blast, which will take place both on Stephen Avenue and at The Confluence, kicks off Jan. 31 and continues through Feb. 17. It features live music on Stephen Avenue, including an opening night performance by Bollywood specialists Dhanak and Sargent X Comrade, who blend psychedelic funk, soul and hip hop.

There will also be a number of markets, including Seconds Vintage and Secondhand Market and the Under $200 Art Show Mini-Showcase.

At the Confluence, there’s a cross-country ski Nordic Loop and starting Jan. 25 on St. Patrick’s Island, there will be a pop-up synthetic curling rink.

It will be the fest’s first year at The Confluence, which is taking over the outdoor sports portion of the festival’s programming due to construction taking place at Olympic Plaza.

“The Confluence is the perfect place for community to gather and celebrate winter on this amazing land,” said Confluence president Jennifer Thompson.

“We are thrilled to partner with Chinook Blast this year and contribute to all the vitality and fun of this big winter festival that gets people out to enjoy our city and the beautiful winter season,” Thompson added. “Chinook Blast gets better and better each year, and we are so proud to host the daytime programming on the site.”

The Calgary Folk Festival’s Block Heater returns Feb. 14-15, featuring a wide array of artists and different genres, including Basia Bulat, Begonia, 2024 Polaris Prize winner Jeremy Dutcher, Hubby Jenkins, Kaia Kater, Calgary blues singer Kate Stevens, Kathleen Edwards and more.

According to figures provided by the city, more than 433,000 people attended the 2024 festival, generating around $15.7 million in economic impact that featured more than 1,700 creatives, businesses and partners.

For more information about Chinook Blast, go here.

For more information about the High Performance Rodeo, go here.

For more information about Block Heater, go here.