Banff Centre Summer Arts Festival launches with over 100 concerts, workshops, readings, exhibitions, performances, and screenings running from May to September 2026

Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity announces the 2026 festival lineup, featuring the international glamour of Pink Martini, the return of IN A LANDSCAPE: Classical Music in the Wild™, Canadian classical music icon James Ehnes, acclaimed American dance company A.I.M by Kyle Abraham, the 50th anniversary celebration of Walter Phillips Gallery, and new programming in CLVB ’33 every summer weekend. Tickets to over 100 free and paid events are on sale now.

BANFF, AB, April 21, 2026 – Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity is excited to bring together world-renowned musicians, artists, and writers, as well as passionate audiences for the 2026 Banff Centre Summer Arts Festival (BCSAF). Running throughout May to September, the 2026 festival invites audiences to experience a season of artistic discovery of over 100 free and ticketed events. Tickets are now available for the 2026 Banff Centre Summer Arts Festival at banffcentre.ca/summer-arts-fest.

This summer features a diversity of events for every interest: music, visual arts, literary arts, opera, and more. Ticket packages for Banff Centre’s on-campus hotels are available to make the most of your festival experience. Add a campus tour occurring every other Saturday morning to your itinerary and go behind-the-scenes to areas of campus not typically open to the public. 

See the full lineup of the 2026 Banff Centre Summer Arts Festival here.
 

2026 festival highlights include: 

Music

Art of Piano

World-renowned performers and emerging musical talents perform in a series of concerts during BCSAF. Pianists swap performances at Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center for intimate concerts throughout campus and downtown Banff. Join participants and faculty as they unite for unforgettable evenings of piano.

• Timo Andres, Éric Le Sage & Art of Piano Musicians
  Friday, June 5 | 7:30 p.m.
  Rolston Recital Hall
   
• Joanna MacGregor, David Kaplan & Art of Piano Musicians
  Saturday, June 6 | 7:30 p.m.
  Rolston Recital Hall
   
• Tema Blackstone, Éric Le Sage & Art of Piano Musicians
  Thursday, June 11 | 7:30 p.m.
  St. George’s Anglican Church, Town of Banff
   
• Hung-Kuan Chen, Tema Blackstone & Art of Piano Musicians
  Friday, June 12 | 7:30 p.m.
  Rolston Recital Hall
   
• Michelle Cann & Art of Piano Musicians
  Saturday, June 13 | 7:30 p.m.
  Rolston Recital Hall

Pink Martini

Thomas Lauderdale’s globe-trotting Pink Martini arrives at Banff Centre with its famous blend of classic pop, big-band sound, and Hollywood glamour. Pink Martini has sold over 3 million albums worldwide, performed sold-out shows from Carnegie Hall to Paris’s L'Olympia theatre, and was inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame. 

• Pink Martini All-Stars
  Saturday, June 27 | 8 p.m.
  Jenny Belzberg Theatre

IN A LANDSCAPE: Classical Music in the Wild™

The venue of Sacred Buffalo Guardian Mountain replaces a traditional concert hall during IN A LANDSCAPE: Classical Music in the Wild™. Since 2016, classical pianist Hunter Noack has travelled with a 1912 Steinway Model D concert grand piano on a custom-built flatbed trailer to the world’s most stunning landscapes. While listening to the music through wireless headphones, audiences are encouraged to explore their surrounding environment. IN A LANDSCAPE returns by popular demand after its 2024 debut in Banff Centre’s Shaw Amphitheatre. 

• IN A LANDSCAPE: Classical Music in the Wild™
  Sunday, June 28 | 4 p.m.
  Shaw Amphitheatre

Jazz & Sonic Arts

Our electric Jazz & Sonic Arts faculty perform a series of improvisation-filled concerts—often joined by participants from this summer’s residency. Experience virtuosity, curiosity, and experimentation across five nights, each followed by a Jazz Jam Session in the intimate CLVB ’33.

• Saturday, August 8 | 7:30 p.m. 
  Margaret Greenham Theatre
   
• Thursday, August 13 | 7:30 p.m.  
  Rolston Recital Hall
   
• Saturday, August 15 | 7:30 p.m. 
  Margaret Greenham Theatre
   
• Wednesday, August 19 | 7:30 p.m.
  Rolston Recital Hall
   
• Saturday, August 22 | 7:30 p.m. 
  Margaret Greenham Theatre

James Ehnesʼ 50th Canada Birthday Tour

One of the planet’s most renowned violinists celebrates his 50th birthday with a not-to-be-missed tour across Canada. Ehnes has won two Grammy Awards, three Gramophone Awards, and 12 JUNO Awards, the most of any classical musician. Joined by celebrated pianist Andrew Armstrong, the repertoire includes Brahms’s “Sonata No. 3,” Bartók’s “Rhapsody No 1,” and the world premiere of Carmen Braden’s “Imaginal,” co-commissioned by Banff Centre.

• James Ehnesʼ 50th Canada Birthday Tour
  Saturday, September 12 | 7:30 p.m.
  Rolston Recital Hall

Visual Arts

Nomadisms

Nomadism is a mode of existence determined by movement, alternative cartographies, and attention to the earth. Through music, video installation, sculpture, and other media, artists consider how this shapes aesthetics and art-making. This summer, explore Nomadisms artist lectures, open studios, and a dance party featuring films, performances, and DJ sets.

• Nomadisms Dance Party
  Saturday, June 13 | 9 p.m.
  CLVB ‘33
  FREE
   
• Nomadisms Open Studios
  Wednesday, June 24 | 4-7 p.m.
  Glyde Hall
  FREE 

Diane Borsato: A Clean Place to Swim

In A Clean Place to Swim, Diane Borsato presents new and past works that explore the liberating, intimate, and communal possibilities of being in water. This Walter Phillips Gallery exhibition brings together acts of teaching, learning, and encounters across backgrounds while exploring our shared right to clean, wild environments.

• Diane Borsato: A Clean Place to Swim
  July 18 - December 13 | Wednesday - Sunday | 12:30 - 5 p.m.
  Walter Philips Gallery
  FREE
   
• Opening Reception
  Friday, July 17 | 4-7 p.m.
   
• Exhibition Tour
  Wednesday, August 19 | 5:30 p.m.

One arc in colour, another in time

In recognition of its 50th anniversary, Walter Phillips Gallery will send postcards, featuring Misty Bow River, 2022 by Steven Beckly, to as many past exhibiting artists as possible, with the request of returning them along with a memory of their time. As responses arrive and are displayed throughout the remainder of the year, visitors will encounter a growing archive of firsthand recollections and renewed connections.

• July 6, 2026 – January 3, 2027
  Jeanne and Peter Lougheed Building, Main Floor
  FREE

Opera

Join us for two opera workshops this summer, featuring some of the biggest names in contemporary opera in Canada and Europe.

R.U.R. A Torrent of Light is an award-winning contemporary opera by Toronto’s Tapestry Opera that weaves the risks and ethics of A.I. with an electronic-infused score. Inspired by Karel Čapek’s 1920’s science-fiction play Rossum’s Universal Robots, R.U.R. A Torrent of Light offers a look into the near future, where humanoid bots start to prioritize their own learning over their creators’ instructions. 

• R.U.R. A Torrent of Light
  Friday, July 10 | 7:30 p.m.
  Margaret Greenham Theatre

Miroir de nos peines (Mirror of our Sorrows) brings Banff’s audience to interwar France and the madness of the Phoney War. The opera follows Louise, Désiré, Raoul, and Gabriel. Each has experienced the panic and chaos of conflict differently, only to learn that their pasts are unexpectedly linked. This free, work-in-progress showing by composer Hèctor Parra isn’t to be missed.

• Miroir de nos peines (Mirror of our Sorrows)
  Saturday, July 25 | 7:30 p.m. 
  Jenny Belzberg Theatre

Literary Arts

Literary Cabarets

Literary Cabarets bring together original works by resident writers working across fiction, non-fiction, prose, hybrid forms, and experimental approaches to language. This summer, writers from the long-established Literary Journalism residency share long-form journalism, narrative nonfiction, and reported essays. In August, authors from the Crime Writing program will explore subjects through fiction, mystery, and noir.

• Literary Journalism Literary Cabarets
  June 4, 9, 11
  CLVB ’33
  FREE
   
• Crime Writing Literary Cabarets
  August 20, 25, 27
  CLVB ’33
  FREE

Dance

White Space (Avant Premiere) 

Questioning form and expectations and jostling between theatrical and somatic ideals of confrontation and conversation, White Space is a new evening-length work for 11 captivating dancers. Created by A.I.M by Kyle Abraham, this performance uses the celebrated choreographer’s signature blend of classical and contemporary dance with a hip-hop underbelly.

• White Space (Avant Premiere) 
  Thursday, June 4 | 7:30 p.m.
  Jenny Belzberg Theatre

Festivals and Series

Banff International String Quartet Festival

The Banff International String Quartet Festival (BISQFest) returns with an exceptional lineup of performers, including Calgary-born pianist and Banff Centre alumnus Jan Lisiecki, performing with the Banff Festival Orchestra, and Grammy Award-winning cellist Steven Isserlis. Canadian dancer and choreographer Neshama Nashman also brings new works to life on the Jenny Belzberg stage, followed by a performance of Copland’s Appalachian Spring for chamber ensemble. They’re joined by Banff International String Quartet Competition (BISQC) laureates Afiara Quartet (2016) and Opus13 (2022), as well as the Dalí Quartet, champions of Latin chamber music. See the full festival lineup here.

• Jan Lisiecki with Banff Festival Orchestra
  Friday, September 4 | 8 p.m.
  Jenny Belzberg Theatre

NEW Optional concert add-on: Join BISQFest director Barry Shiffman, Jan Lisiecki, and fellow artists for a one-night-only intimate gathering in support of BISQFest, featuring a brief Q&A, drinks, and hors d’oeuvres.

• Copland’s Appalachian Spring & New Dance Works by Neshama Nashman
  Saturday, September 5 | 2:30 p.m. 
  Jenny Belzberg Theatre

CLVB ’33

After the successful debut of CLVB ’33 in 2025, Banff Centre is bringing back the venue as a space to make the most of summer weekends. Head to CLVB ’33 for a night of karaoke, dancing, DJ sets, and live comedy. After each concert, follow the Jazz & Sonic Arts artists to CLVB ’33 for a refreshing cocktail and join in the Nomadisms Dance Party alongside other festival goers. Stay tuned for more programming announcements in the coming weeks.

AMP Sessions

For two weekends, the Shaw Amphitheatre becomes a stage for musicians from Banff, Alberta, and beyond. Live music, food, drinks, and a 360° view of Banff's gorgeous surroundings come together to create an unbeatable festival atmosphere. Bring a picnic or grab something to eat at our on-campus BBQ and soak in the music. Stay tuned for lineup announcements in the coming weeks. 

• AMP Sessions
  July 17-19 & 23-26
  Shaw Amphitheatre
  FREE

And that’s just a taste of what’s coming up this summer! Visit banffcentre.ca for the full lineup of events and contact the Banff Centre Box Office for tickets at 1.403.762.6301.

– 30 –

See Banff Centre’s Media Room here.
For photos, information, or interview requests, please contact:

Carly Maga                             
Director, Communications                         
Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity             
tel: +1.403.763.6210
cell: +1.403.431.3423
carly_maga@banffcentre.ca                                    

About Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity: Founded in 1933, Banff Centre is a post-secondary institution built upon an extraordinary legacy of excellence in artistic and leadership development. What started as a single course in drama has grown to become a global organization leading in arts, culture, and creative decision-making across dozens of disciplines, from the fine arts to Indigenous Wise Practices. From our home in the stunning Canadian Rocky Mountains, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity aims to move everyone who attends our campus - artists, leaders, thinkers, and audiences - to unleash their creative potential and realize their unique contribution to build an innovative, inspiring future through education, performances, convenings, and public outreach. banffcentre.ca