Sled Island Arts Fellowship

Sled Island is an annual multi-venue music and arts festival set in Calgary. Over the course of five days, the festival fills the many venues of Calgary's downtown core with over 250 musical acts as well as a selection of visual art, film and comedy, with an emphasis on emerging local and regional talents. Thousands of attendees, from Alberta and beyond, come together to celebrate the Province’s artistic community and share unique experiences available only during Sled Island. The festival is strongly rooted in the community and receives significant support from over 400 volunteers annually. Beyond being crucial to the delivery of our event, our volunteer program allows us to engage with Calgarians from all walks of life and provide them with opportunities to connect with fellow community members, thus strengthening the social fabric of the city. The festival fosters creativity and inspire Calgarians by bringing world-class artistic programming to their door step, while also introducing them to their local music scene by putting many local and regional emerging artists in the spotlight. For these artists, it is a unique opportunity to get exposure and grow their audience while benefiting from sharing the stage with internationally renowned acts who would not come to Alberta if it wasn’t for Sled Island.
By using a large number and a wide variety of venues, including non-traditional art spaces, we encourage Calgarians and visitors alike to discover the city and to step into buildings they wouldn’t usually visit, such as the #1 Royal Canadian Legion and Central United Church.
In 2017, we launched a series of safer spaces and inclusion initiatives aimed at making the festival a welcoming place for all and encouraging participation from marginalized groups.