SPILL FESTIVAL REVIEW: CALGARY FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL 2026 – DAY 1 @ PRINCE’S ISLAND PARK, CALGARY (AB)

CALGARY FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL 2026 – DAY 1

@ PRINCE’S ISLAND PARK, CALGARY (AB)

JULY 23, 2026

The 47th Calgary Folk Music Festival is officially underway. Running over the course of July 23 – 26, the annual family-friendly festival features over 65 artists this year playing across multiple stages at Prince’s Island Park. Along with music, the festival has many exciting collaborative workshop sessions, an arts market featuring tons of cool and unique textiles, jewelry, visual art, and much more, and many food vendors offering a diverse selection of savoury food and drinks. The first day of the Calgary Folk Music Festival at the ATB Main Stage was a wonderful time with some truly talented artists who had a wide range of musical stylings.

Kicking things off at the ATB Main Stage was Canadian singer-songwriter Julian Taylor with a terrific set of songs that blended folk, roots, blues, soul, and rock. Taylor’s tremendously heartfelt and vivid lyrics full of honesty, wisdom, and emotion and his powerful yet tender and soft-spoken vocals grabbed the attention of every audience member. Each song Taylor performed felt very intimate, almost as if Taylor was singing them around a campfire. Additionally, Taylor and his band sounded excellent live, with all of them displaying top-level musicianship and having impeccable chemistry with one another. Highlights from Taylor’s set include “Ballad Of A Young Troubadour,” “Seeds,” and “Zero To Eleven.”

Up next was folk musician L.T. Leif, who is originally from Calgary but now lives in Scotland (Leif also has lived in Iceland and Finland). Although Leif’s set was short, it was magnificent and left a lasting impression on the audience. “Gentle Moon” was the standout song from Leif’s set, especially their mesmerizing voice, the enchanting instrumentation, and candid songwriting.

After Leif was Tiken Jah Fakoly, a reggae musician from Côte d’Ivoire. I only caught a bit of Fakoly’s set, but from what I saw it was great. Fakoly’s set consisted of catchy, toe-tapping reggae-grooved rallying cries that carried important social and political messages. With tons of passion, an exuberant energy, a powerfully booming voice, and a towering presence, Fakoly’s stage presence was incredibly commanding. Fakoly’s band played tremendously with plenty of hypnotic beats and driving rhythms that blended perfectly with his amazing voice. “Le Peuple a le Pouvoir” and “Africa” were two standout songs from Fakoly’s set.

Next, Winnipeg-based folk/Canadiana band Leaf Rapids had a quick but truly tremendous set before Valerie June went on stage. “Starling To A Starling” was the biggest highlight of their set, most notably for its beautiful vocal harmonies, majestic, ethereal soundscape, and gentle guitar lines that will stick with you forever.

Following Leaf Rapid’s set, American singer-songwriter Valerie June took to the stage. June’s set was joyful, uplifting, and full of positivity. Her genre-defying sound draws from blues, folk, psychedelic, bluegrass, gospel, soul, country, and indie rock among others, resulting in her music feeling timeless. June’s voice is truly one-of-a-kind (I really love the twang that she has in her voice). She was exceptional on all the various instruments she played; however, her banjo playing in particular really stood out. She absolutely crushed it on the banjo as she provided some truly memorable and exciting (and occasionally exhilarating) moments while playing the banjo. “Joy, Joy!” “Call Me A Fool,” “Workin’ Woman Blues,” “All I Really Wanna Do,” and a spectacular cover of the blues standard song “Rollin’ And Tumblin’,” were some notable highlights from June’s set.

After June’s set was finished, Canadian folk singer-songwriter Catherine MacLellan had a great brief set. “Old Tin Can” was the highlight from MacLellan’s set, especially the jaunty guitar rhythm and MacLellan’s soaring voice.

Closing the night was the Icelandic indie folk/rock band Of Monsters And Men, who put on an outstanding show. Everywhere you looked, you could see people connecting deeply to the songs Of Monsters And Men was playing. Their set was dynamite, shifting from electrifyingly explosive indie folk/rock songs from their early days to their newer material, which is very cinematic and sweeping. They had everyone on their feet with their highly euphoric and dream-like sound, stellar instrumentation, anthemic choruses, very imaginative and poetic lyrics, and stunning vocal harmonies. “Television Love,” Little Talks,” “Dirty Paws,” “King And Lionheart,” “Styrofoam Cathedral,” and “Alligator” were some standout songs from their set.

Overall, day one was a fantastic start to the 2026 Calgary Folk Music Festival.

Festival Links