Calgary's Culture Days
Discover. Experience. Celebrate. Calgary Culture Days
Calgary Culture Days takes place every September 1 – 30 and is a celebration of local arts, culture and community spirit.
About Calgary Culture Days
Every September, Calgary Culture Days invites people across the city to experience arts and culture in new ways. From attending events to hosting your own, it’s a city‑wide opportunity to celebrate creativity, connection and community — while also making space for reflection and remembrance on Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Arts and culture play an important role in Calgary by bringing people together, supporting local talent and creating spaces where everyone belongs. This adds vibrancy to Calgary and contributes to our local economy.
Calgary Culture Days funding
The Calgary Culture Days Microgrant supports initiatives that activate Calgary’s greater downtown through arts and culture programming during Calgary Culture Days. With $100,000 available, the microgrant supports new small-scale initiatives or helps existing ones grow and add value, offering up to $5,000 per initiative.
Funding criteria
Initiatives must:
- Take place between Sept. 1 to Sept. 30, 2026.
- Be free or low-cost and open to the public.
- Take place in Calgary's greater downtown*.
- Increase access to and visibility of arts and cultural groups.
- Encourage creative exchange by bringing artists, communities and cultural groups together through new collaborations. For example:
- Cultural festival where a West African drumming group and a Scottish folk band create and perform a piece together
- Joint performance featuring a lion dance and an Indigenous powwow
- Visual artist working with a hip-hop collective to animate public spaces
- Workshop where artists combine different techniques to co-create and share skills with participants.
*The greater downtown is located on the south side of the Bow River and bordered to the east by the Elbow River, to the south by 17 Ave. S.W. and to the west by 14 St. S.W.
Initiative ideas
- Collaborations that lead to an extra day of programming or add value to your existing initiative/project
- Cultural festival
- Cultural workshop
- Cultural film screening
- Temporary interactive artwork or installation
- Pop-up performance or exhibition
- Art walk
- Backstage tour of creative space
Apply for a microgrant
2025 microgrant highlights
Stephania Romaniuk, Calgary OperaCalgary Opera aimed to make an existing event more engaging, collaborative, and accessible and to offer more artists the opportunity to connect with Calgarians. Thanks to the generous support of the Culture Days Microgrant, Calgary Opera hosted an open house and interactive opera adventure for all ages that did not require attendees to have any prior familiarity with opera or the arts. For most artists involved, this was the first time they had been part of this event series and for some the first time they’d performed with Calgary Opera. Additionally, several of these performers represented either other arts organizations or local cultural community groups, all working alongside Calgary Opera resident artists. As a result of Culture Days funding, this event provided Calgarians at no cost to the public a welcoming, fun, and unique opportunity to discover opera and the arts.
Frankline Agbor, African Society for Culture Economic Development and ArtsFeaturing performances, cultural dishes, visual arts, workshops and mentorship opportunities, the festival highlights underrepresented African, Caribbean and Francophone artists. With free, family-friendly access, it creates a platform for visibility, accessibility and collaboration. Beyond performances, the festival nurtures youth and newcomers through volunteer training and mentorship, equipping them with skills in event management and the arts. One participant, a fashion designer coordinator, shared how the experience helped her overcome shyness, gain confidence, manage social media and proudly meet the mayor — a testament to the festival’s power to inspire growth, build leadership and strengthen Calgary’s cultural landscape.
Daphne Dike-Hart, Black Pride YYCBlack Pride YYC hosted a creative workshop, followed by a public exhibition and performance showcase held during Culture Days 2025 in Calgary’s downtown core. The event celebrated the creativity, resilience and talent of Black 2SLGBTQI+ artists, featuring a range of performance and visual art pieces. Over the course of the program, participants explored artistic expression as a form of resistance, healing and community building. The exhibition attracted a diverse audience from across the city, fostering dialogue, connection and cultural appreciation.
Tara Vahab, LOUD Art SocietyThe Culture Days microgrant made it possible for LOUD Art Society to present our very first group exhibition in 10 years of operations [Unity in Diversity: A Decade of Art and Healing] — something that could not have occurred at this scale without their support. This funding allowed us to reach a larger audience, celebrate community through art and healing, and foster new partnerships and collaborations that will carry forward beyond the event.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply for more than one initiative?
Due to the limited funding pool, each organization may submit one application per intake. However, your initiative can involve multiple locations, partners, sessions or program components.
Am I eligible to apply if I have already received funding through The City’s Arts and Culture Division?
Yes, you can apply if:
- The direct costs associated with implementing the enhancements of the existing initiative or the proposed new initiative are not already covered by other funding sources, including the Festivals and Events Subsidy Program (FESP), Festival and Events Subsidy Program Innovation Microgrant (FESPIM), Festivals and Events Operations Assistance Fund (FESP-OAF), Arts and Culture Microgrant, Downtown in Motion Grant and the Chinatown Activation Grant.
- The initiative aligns with the Culture Days Microgrant program.
Can I apply if my project budget exceeds $5,000?
Yes, you can still apply for the Culture Days Microgrant. However, it only covers up to $5,000 for eligible expenses. If your project exceeds this amount, you’ll need to secure additional funding from other sources to cover the remaining budget.
For example, if your project budget is $10,000, the Culture Days Microgrant can fund up to half of it. Please include all expenses and funding sources (i.e., other grants, sponsorships, donations, entrance fees, etc.,) in your application. It will be seen favorably if this grant is not the only revenue source.
What makes an initiative "publicly accessible"? Does my event need to be free?
Events should be open to the general public and take place in visible, inclusive locations — ideally outdoors or in community-oriented indoor spaces.
Invite-only or members-only events are not eligible. We encourage free or low-barrier access.
If your event has a fee, you must clearly explain how it remains accessible to the public (e.g., sliding scale, low cost, pay-what-you-can, free for underrepresented groups).
How are applications evaluated?
Applications are reviewed by a committee, formed by internal City staff based on:
| Criteria | Weight |
|---|---|
| Alignment and impact | 40% |
| Feasibility | 20% |
| Accessibility, inclusion and equity | 15% |
| Collaboration and partnerships | 15% |
| Marketing | 10% |
| Total | 100% |
Are there other grants available for Culture Days initiative?
For additional funding opportunities that support arts and culture events, festivals and initiatives that enhance Calgary’s vibrancy, strengthen communities and enrich our city’s cultural landscape, please visit funding opportunities.
Can I apply for the Culture Days Microgrant if my project is initiated or already sponsored by The City of Calgary?
No. The Culture Days Microgrant is intended to support new or enhanced initiatives that are not already initiated, led or sponsored by The City of Calgary.
However, initiatives that pay for City services or receive other City support may still be eligible. If you’re unsure whether your project qualifies, please contact us before applying.
Other funding and resources
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Discover funding opportunities that support arts and culture events, festivals and initiatives.
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If you are looking to host a festival or event in Calgary, we can help.
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Find out how we are shaping a greater downtown.