Winnipeg events this weekend & beyond

About Winnipeg

Winnipeg is a city with an outsized passion for live events, driven by devoted sports fans, a thriving arts community, and a festival culture that makes the most of Manitoba's dramatic seasons. Canada Life Centre downtown is the home of the Winnipeg Jets of the NHL, and the atmosphere inside on game nights ranks among the loudest and most intense in all of Canadian hockey. IG Field at the University of Manitoba hosts the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL, a franchise with a fiercely loyal following and multiple Grey Cup championships to its name. The Winnipeg Folk Festival, held every July in Birds Hill Provincial Park just north of the city, is one of North America's most respected folk music gatherings, drawing tens of thousands of campers and music lovers for a weekend of performances across multiple stages. The Exchange District, a National Historic Site filled with early twentieth-century warehouses, is the heart of Winnipeg's arts scene and home to the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, the Centennial Concert Hall, and numerous independent galleries and performance spaces. The Royal Winnipeg Ballet, one of the oldest ballet companies in North America, performs its acclaimed season at the Centennial Concert Hall alongside the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. Summer brings Festival du Voyageur celebrating Franco-Manitoban heritage, the Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival in the Exchange District, and Jazz Winnipeg. Despite winters that test even the hardiest residents, Winnipeggers embrace the cold with packed hockey arenas and winter festivals that keep the city's social calendar full from October through March.

Top things to do in Winnipeg

• Winnipeg Jets NHL hockey at Canada Life Centre with one of the loudest arenas in the league
• Winnipeg Blue Bombers CFL football at IG Field with a proud Grey Cup championship tradition
• Winnipeg Folk Festival every July at Birds Hill Provincial Park attracting top folk artists from around the world
• Exchange District arts scene featuring the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre and Centennial Concert Hall

Local tips for visiting Winnipeg

• Canada Life Centre is in the heart of downtown Winnipeg within walking distance of hotels and restaurants along Portage Avenue
• Bring layers and blankets for Blue Bombers games in October and November as temperatures drop quickly in the open stadium
• The Winnipeg Folk Festival is a camping event so book your campsite early or arrange day passes for individual sessions
• Winnipeg Transit offers express routes on Jets game days but parking is also readily available in downtown lots

Frequently asked questions