Every year, festival goers, music lovers and art enthusiasts flood the streets as Calgary’s downtown core comes alive with the Sled Island Music & Arts Festival.
With over 200 bands and artists on its line-up, Sled Island is known for its exceptional live music that spans all genres, but they can also enjoy comedy shows, film screenings, art exhibits and special events — there’s no shortage of reasons to buy passes for this year’s festival.
Something for everyone
Because many of the live music shows that take place in Calgary happen at 18+ venues, Sled Island makes a point of offering a selection of events everyone can enjoy, regardless of age. Minors can purchase an all-ages pass for $40, which grants them access to all events open to people under the age of 18.
“We love seeing young people out at our shows, and I think it’s super important for a city to have this next generation be able to consume culture and develop their own tastes,” affirms Maud Salvi, executive director of Sled Island Music & Arts Festival.
Among its age-friendly special events is Sled Alley — a one-day free event where food trucks, DJs, art activities, a market and a mobile skateboard park will take over the alleyway behind the Palace Theatre.
2024 guest curator
Every year, Sled Island chooses a guest curator to help determine the festival’s programming. “It’s an opportunity for the audience to get a glimpse into an artist’s head — what they gravitate towards music-wise and what they’re excited about. It’s an interesting way to see different facets of a band or an artist,” explains Salvi.
This year, Sled Island chose New York-based experimental hardcore trio Show Me the Body as its guest curator because of the mix of music genres they represent, their community involvement in the New York City underground music scene and their interest in social justice.
“We could definitely see that they have a very eclectic taste. They selected eight artists to perform at the festival and I think they represent very well the wide breadth of music Show Me the Body is interested in. It was a perfect match for us,” explains Salvi.
Show Me the Body will perform June 22 at the #1 Royal Canadian Legion and their selected artists include bands like Philadelphia hardcore punk group Soul Glo.
Home-grown talent
Sled Island was created to give a platform to emerging artists in Calgary and Alberta, and even though the festival has grown tremendously, those roots remain intact. The festival averages 60 to 80 Calgary-based artists and about 100 Albertan bands and musici
Some of this year’s Alberta-based talent includes Kue Varo & The Only Hopes, a psych-infused indie group, post-punk group Brain Bent, Edmonton indie-punks Stem Champ, Tea Fannie & The Collective and retro-pop band Ginger Beef.
“We’re really proud of our local Calgary and Alberta-made artists. There’s a ton of talent here and we’re always so happy to be able to share that talent with everyone who attends,” says Salvi.
If you can’t wait for the festival in June, you can discover the artists that will take the stage with the Sled Island 2024 Spotify playlist. Plus, keep an eye out for upcoming pre-festival events and more lineup announcements.
To get your passes and tickets, and to see the current lineup, visit sledisland.com.
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