The Works Art & Design Festival

The Works Art & Design Festival is back June 20–July 1, 2026, and it’s FREE for everyone! Start at Churchill Square, where 19 exhibits invite you to explore paintings, installations, and hands-on art experiences. Join artist-led workshops, discover new talent, enjoy some live music! Then head across downtown Edmonton to experience the rest of the festival, which brings together over 200 artists in 41 exhibits across 18 sites. In collaboration with galleries and cultural organizations throughout downtown, the festival also offers 115 FREE events, workshops, and activities, with something new to discover every day.

The main festival site at Churchill Square opens daily at 11:00 AM, with free workshops, guided tours, and interactive art experiences running from 12:00–9:15 PM.

The Works Street Stage runs daily from 12:00–9:15 PM, showcasing Edmonton’s top musical talent, including JUNO-nominated artists, community choirs, and emerging performers. Lineups change daily, with special programming for Indigenous Peoples Day (June 21), St-Jean-Baptiste Day (June 24), and Canada Day (July 1). The Street Stage is followed by a nightly soundscape from 9:20–10:00 PM.

For more information about The Works Art & Design Festival exhibits, visit theworks.ab.ca.
This year’s festival theme began with a simple but layered phrase that isn’t quite a question: Are You Here.

The artists in this year’s festival are working consciously with ideas of the space they carry with them, and the memories that people share of spaces that have been distanced through space or time. Many of them are Albertans from other countries speaking to the places they have lived. Some are interested in internal worlds, and others in specific local anchors.

Experienced Works visitors will recognize artists such as painter David Scholny, designer Jonathan Monfries, and audiovisual composers Instant Places. Their work is exhibited alongside emerging and experimental works that surround the theme of Place. What makes a space a place? How does distance impact relevance? What does it mean to share an experience? These are the kind of questions that lead to the work presented at this year’s festival.

Who is it for?

All ages

Free

Date & Time:

Saturday, June 20 to Wednesday, July 1, 2026 – Schedule

11:00 am – 9:15 pm every day

Venue & Address :

Sir Winston Churchill Square & other locations around town, Edmonton, Alberta

Paid Parking