Calgary's Chinook Blast Festival returns for fifth year2025 festival lineup

Calgary's Chinook Blast  Festival returns for fifth  year
2025 festival lineup  includes new  venue at The  Confluence.

Chinook Blast
Calgarians have enjoyed  the lights in downtown during  previous Chinook Blast celebrations.
Chinook Blast, Calgary's winter festival, will celebrate its fifth  anniversary when it returns  later this month.
From January 31 to  February 17, the festival aims to provide a platform for  emerging artists in downtown Calgary, boosting the city's  economy.
The Chinook Blast 2025 lineup,  unveiled Thursday, features a mix of new and returning  performers, including music, dance, film, puppetry and live  light shows. The latest addition to the festival is a new  center for its  daily activities and sports programs  in The  Confluence.
From January 31 to  February 17, Chinook Blast will  create two main hubs, with Stephen Ave from First Street  S.E to Third Street  S.W. Explosion Chinook
Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek poses for a photo with Chinook Blast performers and Calgary Surge mascot Surgio. 
The festival features more than 190 artists in 28 productions and 10 free events this year, half a decade after it  launched during the COVID-19  pandemic.
"Since then,  we've continued to grow, adapt and listen to feedback so we can create a festival that truly connects with  Calgarians and  attracts visitors from around the  world," said festival  director Luke  Azevedo.
The city  is also  hosting 70 partners  who will host more than 120 events this year, including eight new art installations and three new  markets.
Calgary's Chinook Blast  Festival returns with parades, sports  tournaments and live entertainment
"Chinook Blast plays a vital role  in our downtown strategy, which  aims to stimulate our economy,  create jobs and  contribute to a vibrant future for the heart of our city,"  said Calgary Mayor Jyoti  Gondek. Last year, the festival attracted more than 433,000 people and generated $15.7 million in economic  impact.
Festival Highlights
Chinook Blast's 2025 lineup includes  acts as diverse  as Bollywood's Dhanak, psychedelic funk duo Sargeant x Comrade, and neo-soul  group Zenon+.
The festival also  features markets like  the Seconds Vintage Market, performances  by groups like the  aGoGo dance  troupe, screenings of films like Eddie the Eagle and Ice Age, and an outdoor basketball court activation with  the local Canadian Basketball League team the Calgary Surge.