Canada has a long tradition of hosting festivals and events throughout the year. The industry adds over $33 billion to the country's tourism economy and provides jobs for more than 229,000 people in areas like business events, trade fairs, festivals, and meetings. Popular festivals include the summer's Toronto Caribbean Carnival, Canadian National Exhibition, Montreal Jazz Festival, Pride Toronto, Calgary Stampede, Winterlude in Ottawa-Gatineau during the winter, and nationwide celebrations for Canada Day. Other notable festivals include the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Vancouver Pride Parade, Just For Laughs comedy festival in Montreal, and Pacific National Exhibition in Vancouver.
The following list includes festivals of diverse types, among them regional festivals, commerce festivals, fairs, food festivals, arts festivals, and recurring festivals on holidays.
Sublists by locale
Province or territory
List of festivals in Alberta (Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge) List of festivals in British Columbia (Vancouver) List of festivals in Manitoba (Winnipeg) List of festivals in Ontario (Ottawa, Toronto) List of festivals in Prince Edward Island List of festivals in Quebec (Montreal) List of festivals in Saskatchewan
Atlantic Canada
FestivalLocationProvinceNoteAnimation Festival of Halifax HalifaxNSJordan Parker, "Animation Festival hits cinemas in Halifax". Halifax Today, May 10, 2018.Atlantic Book Awards & FestivalvariesAllAtlantic Jewish Film FestivalHalifaxNS"Wide range of stories at online edition of Atlantic Jewish Film Fest, Nov. 19 to 22". Halifax Chronicle-Herald, November 10, 2020.Atlantic Theatre FestivalWolfvilleNSBonavista Film FestivalBonavistaNLPatrick Butler, "Bonavista accueille des cinéphiles au 1er festival du film terre-neuvien en région rurale". Ici Radio-Canada Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador, July 5, 2019.Boxwood Festival & WorkshopLunenburgNSCape Breton International Drum FestivalCape BretonNSCavendish Beach Music FestivalCavendishPEICeltic ColoursCape Breton IslandNSCharlottetown FestivalCharlottetownPEImusical theatre festivalCharlottetown Film FestivalCharlottetownPEIDave Stewart, "Movies hitting the big screen this weekend at the Charlottetown Film Festival". The Guardian, October 22, 2020.Corner Brook Pride Film FestivalCorner BrookNLLGBT film festivalDon Bradshaw, "Grenfell professor planning province's first ever pride film festival". CJON-DT, January 22, 2020.Devour! The Food Film FestWolfvilleNS"Netflix star Rosenthal to join hybrid version of Wolfville's Devour! film fest in October". Halifax Chronicle-Herald, July 15, 2020.Dutch Mason Blues FestivalTruroNSin AugustEmerging Lens Film FestivalHalifaxNS"Emerging Lens Cultural Film Festival celebrates 10th anniversary online". Halifax Chronicle-Herald, June 4, 2020.Evolve FestivalJailletvilleNBoriginally taking place near Antigonish, NSFestival Antigonish Summer TheatreAntigonishNSFIN Atlantic Film FestivalHalifaxNSJordan Parker, "FIN Stream presents a different film festival medium, with same selection pedigree". Halifax Today, August 19, 2020.Great Outdoors Comedy FestivalVariesOutdoor comedy festival produced by Trixstar LIVEHalifax Black Film FestivalHalifaxNS"Fourth annual Halifax Black Film Festival wraps up African Heritage Month". Halifax Chronicle-Herald, January 30, 2020.Halifax Busker FestivalHalifaxNSHalifax Comedy FestivalHalifaxNSHalifax Fringe FestivalHalifaxNSHalifax Independent Filmmakers FestivalHalifaxNSHalifax Jazz FestivalHalifaxNSHalifax Pop ExplosionHalifaxNSHalifax PrideHalifaxNSHangashore Folk FestivalCorner BrookNLHellifax Horror Film FestivalHalifaxNS"Keeping Up With Katie Kelly: Hellifax Horror Fest". CTV News, October 11, 2020.Island Fringe FestivalCharlottetownPEILunenburg Doc FestLunenburgNS"Lunenburg Doc Fest launches expanded online program for 2020". Halifax Chronicle-Herald, September 10, 2020.Nova Scotia Gaelic ModCape Breton IslandNSOUTeast Film FestivalHalifaxNS"Strength and authenticity at OUTeast". The Coast, June 14, 2018.Stan Rogers Folk FestivalCansoNSStoked for the HolidaysSydneyNSVirgin FestivalHalifaxNSHalifaxNSExploits Valley Salmon FestivalGrand Falls-WindsorNLFestival 500St. John'sNLMarch HareCorner BrookNLMusicNLNLNickel Film FestivalNLWendy Rose, "The 2020 Nickel Film Festival brings virtual screenings to your living room". The Telegram, July 20, 2020.Shakespeare by the Sea, HalifaxHalifaxNSShakespeare by the Sea, NewfoundlandSt. John'sNLSheelah's DayNLSt. John's International Women's Film FestivalSt. John'sNLTuckamore FestivalSt. John'sNLWreckhouse International Jazz & Blues FestivalSt. John'sNLearly JulyYC NewfoundlandNLAcadian World CongressvariesBlues d'la BaiePetit-RocherNBFestival international du cinéma francophone en AcadieMonctonNB"Le Festival international du cinéma francophone en Acadie couronne ses lauréats". Ici Radio-Canada, November 21, 2019.Foire BrayonneEdmundstonNBFrye FestivalMonctonNBHarvest Jazz & Blues FestivalFrederictonNBHubCap Comedy FestivalMonctonNBIndigenous Film FestivalFrederictonNBJordan Gill, "New film festival in Fredericton to highlight Indigenous filmmakers". CBC News New Brunswick, December 22, 2019.BouctoucheNBNew Brunswick Summer Music FestivalFrederictonNBMiramichi Folksong FestivalMiramichiNBSaint John Jewish Film FestivalSaint JohnNBElizabeth MacLeod, "Jewish Film Festival Offers Virtual Screenings". CHSJ-FM, October 15, 2020.SappyFestSackvilleNBSilver Wave Film FestivalFrederictonNBLauren Bird, "Female filmmakers get spotlight at Silver Wave Film Festival". CBC News New Brunswick, October 20, 2018.
Territories
FestivalLocationTerritoryNoteDead North Film FestivalYellowknifeNTBrendan Burke, "Dead North: 'Mind-melting' made-in-the-North film festival kicks off tonight". Northern News Services, February 27, 2020.Folk on the RocksYellowknifeNTGreat Northern Arts FestivalNTRockin the RocksNTYellowknife International Film FestivalYellowknifeNTEmelie Peacock, "Films with NWT links dominate Yellowknife Film Festival line-up". Cabin Radio, October 15, 2019.Nunavut International Film FestivalIqaluitNUBeth Brown, "Don't forget—there's an Inuktut children's film fest in Iqaluit today". Nunatsiaq News, February 24, 2018.QuviasukvikNUAdäka Cultural FestivalWhitehorseYTAvailable Light Film FestivalWhitehorseYT"Available Light festival to shine next week". Whitehorse Star, February 25, 2005.Out North Queer Film FestivalWhitehorseYT"Movies will explore diverse gender identities". Whitehorse Star, March 22, 2016.Yukon International Storytelling FestivalYTYukon Sourdough RendezvousYT
City
List of festivals in Calgary List of festivals in Edmonton List of festivals in Lethbridge List of entertainment events in Greater Moncton List of festivals and parades in Montreal List of festivals in Ottawa List of festivals in Toronto List of festivals in Vancouver List of festivals in Winnipeg
Sublists by type
List of film festivals in Canada List of music festivals in Canada List of jazz festivals#Canada List of Canadian blues festivals and venues
Festivals by size Attendance
Pride Toronto, 2.99 million L'International des Feux Loto-Québec (Montréal), 2.96 million Caribana Toronto Caribbean Carnival, 2.4 million Montréal International Jazz Festival, 2 million Canadian National Exhibition (Toronto) 1.6 million Winterlude (Ottawa), 1.5 million Celebration of Light (Vancouver), 1.4 million Just for Laughs (Montreal), 1.4 million Calgary Stampede, 1.4 million Nuit Blanche (Toronto), 1.4 million Festival d'été de Québec (Quebec City), 1.375 million Montréal En Lumière, 0.9 million Pacific National Exhibition (Vancouver), 0.9 million K-Days (Edmonton), 0.8 million Toronto International Film Festival, 0.5 million Quebec Winter Carnival (Quebec City), 0.5 million Folklorama (Winnipeg), 0.4 million Carassauga (Mississauga), 0.3 million Ottawa Bluesfest, 0.285 million Osheaga Festival (Montreal), 0.142 million
Economic impact
Toronto Caribbean Carnival, $527 million Calgary Stampede, $172.4 million Winterlude (Ottawa-Gatineau), $151 million Pacific National Exhibition (Vancouver), $140 million Pride Toronto, $140 million Toronto International Film Festival, $135 million Just For Laughs (Montreal), $80 million Canadian National Exhibition (Toronto), $60 million Celebration of Light (Vancouver), $37 million Quebec Winter Carnival, $34 million
Festivals by type
Arts festivals
Children's festivals
Carrousel international du film de Rimouski Northern Saskatchewan International Children's Festival Ottawa International Children's Festival Winnipeg International Children's Festival
Comedy festivals
HubCap Comedy Festival Halifax Comedy Festival Just For Laughs, Montreal Comedia (film) Zoofest, Montreal Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival Winnipeg Comedy Festival We're Funny That Way!
Cultural festivals
Dance festivals
Canada Dance Festival Canadian Ballet Festival Festival TransAmériques Mondial des Cultures Thrill the World Vancouver International Dance Festival
Fairs and exhibitions
Film festivals
Food festivals
Annapolis Valley Apple Blossom Festival, Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia Brighton Applefest, Brighton, Ontario Canada's Largest Ribfest, Burlington, Ontario Eat! Vancouver, Vancouver, British Columbia Exploits Valley Salmon Festival, Exploits Valley, Newfoundland and Labrador Sun and Salsa Festival, Calgary, Alberta Taste of the Danforth, Toronto, Ontario A Taste of Edmonton, Edmonton, Alberta
Fringe festivals
Atlantic Fringe Festival Calgary Fringe Festival Edmonton International Fringe Festival Island Fringe Festival Ottawa Fringe Festival Saskatoon Fringe Theatre Festival St-Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival Vancouver Fringe Festival Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival
Literary festivals
Banff Mountain Book Festival Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival Eden Mills Writers' Festival, Eden Mills, Ontario The Frye Festival, Moncton, New Brunswick Vancouver Writers Fest Winnipeg International Writers Festival The Word on the Street
Music festivals
See also
Culture of Canada Tourism in Canada Public holidays in Canada
References
External links