Edmonton 
Edmonton will welcome the new year with two fireworks shows – one for families with little children and one for those who want to stay late to see the calendar turning to 2023.
New Year’s Eve Celebrations will return to Sir Winston Churchill Square for the first time since 2016, and the city is planning a grand New Year’s Eve Festival.
The New Year’s Eve fireworks were relocated to the Alberta Legislature Grounds during LRT construction and refurbishments to Churchill Square. They were cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The New Year’s Eve Downtown Festival and Fireworks will feature two 12-minute shows – early fireworks show for families at 8:30 p.m. and a fireworks display at midnight – launched into the skies over the pyramids of City Hall.
There will be a countdown to the New Year’s Eve fireworks at 8:30 p.m., and with Mayor Amarjeet Sohi at midnight.
The evening will include free family-friendly entertainment, skating on the City Hall Plaza ice rink, and enchanting art installations, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
The festival, emceed by Sissy Thiessen Kootenayoo, will include the following:
- Skating the night away to music by DJ Funkasaurus Rex.
- A fantastic night full of exciting performances, including music by Melafrique, Anishinaabe Singers and Dancers, led by Steven O’Chiese, and Métis fiddler Colton Bear from the Bear Country Band.
- Captivating fire performances by FloWarrior
- Special figure skating performances from Ice Palace Figure Skating Club
- Roving stilt walkers, jugglers, acrobatics
- Festive songs from a quartet of Kokopelli singers.
Visitors can escape the cold by warming up around a firepit.
Warm meals or snacks will be available for purchase from on-site food trucks. The Hallway Café will also be open for warm drinks and sweet treats, accompanied by the musical talents of Sticks and Stone Percussion.
In addition, revellers can experience the immersive light installations by Vignettes, explore the enchanting art installations by Canadian artists Ken Hacke and Dylan Toymaker, and see the message on Happy Wall, a 17-metre-long interactive public art installation, by Copenhagen artist Thomas Dambo.
The festival will run until midnight.
This is not the only grand celebration happening in downtown Edmonton on New Year’s Eve. Brett Kissel will be headlining a free New Year’s Eve celebration in ICE District Plaza. Plan to head early downtown to find your way through the Snow Maze.
Trip Planning: 2023 Edmonton New Year’s Eve Festival & Fireworks
When: Saturday, December 31, 2022
Programming: 6:30pm-midnight
Fireworks: 8:30pm and midnight
Where: City Hall Plaza & Sir Winston Churchill Square, Edmonton
Parking:
- The City Hall Parkade will be closed at 5 p.m. on December 31. NO PUBLIC PARKING OR ACCESS will be available during the event, as the area falls within the fireworks safety zone.
- Parking will be available in the Canada Place Parkade via the 97 Street entrance, and in the Stanley A. Milner Library Parkade for $5/hr ($10 maximum from 5 p.m. – 2 a.m.).
- Both the Canada Place and the Stanley A. Milner Library Parkades have elevator access for accessibility.
Road Closures:
- Full closure of 103A Avenue, from 100 Street to 99 Street
- Full closure of 99 Street, from 102 Avenue to 103A Avenue (including bike lane)
- Full closure of 100 Street, from 102 Avenue to 103A Avenue
- Full closure of 103A Avenue, from 97 Street to 101 Street
Sidewalk Closures
- East and west sidewalks of 99 Street, between 103A Avenue and 103 Avenue
- East and west sidewalks of 100 Street, between 103A Avenue and 103 Avenue
- North and south sidewalks of 103A Avenue, between 97 Street and 101 Street
- CN bus loop (99 Street, between 99 Street and 100 Street)
- Pedestrians wishing to access the Stanley A. Milner Library Parkade during this time should use the underground pedway system, which is accessible via:
- Tix on the Square entrance (elevator available)
- The Churchill LRT Station staircase, located on the southwest corner of Churchill Square, and the west side of 99 Street by City Hall
- Access from the Stanley A. Milner Library Parkade to the pedway system is available on P2 (Parking Level 2)
Free New Year’s Eve Public Transit Service:
