GlobalFest Calgary: Your Ultimate Guide to GlobalFest [2025]

Calgary's GlobalFest is a spectacular event that brings the world to Alberta with its vibrant cultural displays and stunning fireworks. This annual festival, one of the top things to do in Calgary every year, showcases international cultures through performances, food, and art. Visitors can enjoy multicultural pavilions, live music, and dance, all celebrating diversity.

The highlight of GlobalFest is the breathtaking fireworks competition, where countries compete to light up the night sky with dazzling displays, but that's just one aspect of this massive 5-day festival that takes place in mid-August. This guide will detail what makes GlobalFest a must-see event, including key attractions, activities, and tips for making the most of your visit. Discover why GlobalFest is a highlight of Calgary's cultural calendar.

GlobalFest: Quick Overview

• 2025 Dates: August 14, 16, 19, 21, and 23
• Ticket Prices: $25 for one-night admission, $100 for five-day pass, children under 5 free
• Times: Park gates open at 6 p.m. - Fireworks start between 9:30 and 10 p.m.
• Location: Elliston Park (no on-site parking; transit options listed below)
• Countries doing fireworks this year: USA, Malaysia, Philippines, China, Canada

What is GlobalFest?

The two main parts of GlobalFest are the OneWorld Festival and the International Fireworks Festival. The OneWorld Festival celebrates Calgary's many diverse cultures. The gates open at 6 p.m. each night, and the fun continues until roughly 11 p.m. at the end of each night's fireworks show.

The OneWorld Festival encompasses everything that happens before the fireworks. Two dozen pavilions are set up in Elliston Park in East Calgary, where festival-goers can learn about the various cultures that make up Calgary. The pavilions have workshops, children's programming, games, food, and other activities.

Two stages present back-to-back music, dance, and other cultural performances from 6:30 to 9:15. On the 19th, the Air Canada Stage takes a break for the first few performance slots to host a very special Canadian citizenship ceremony in partnership with Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Dozens of food trucks and international food booths allow visitors to try cuisine from many different countries. The park is licensed for the festival, so guests who are 18 and up can enjoy alcoholic beverages.

The five-night festival doesn’t take place on consecutive days.

How to Get GlobalFest Tickets

GlobalFest tickets can be purchased online all year round, but there is a discount for buying before mid-July. Regular full prices are charged from July 14 until tickets are sold out.

Tickets can also be purchased at the box office at the Co-op Corner Gate and Southland Shuttle Gate from 5–9 p.m. on event nights, or the Calgary Co-op Customer Service and Marlborough Mall Information Desk from mid-May through the end of the event, then mid-November through December for next year’s GlobalFest.

If a fireworks display is cancelled for any reason (usually weather), it will be rescheduled for a subsequent night, and all tickets will be honoured.

How Can I Get to GlobalFest?

There is no on-site parking at GlobalFest, and the festival is extremely popular. Parking on nearby neighbourhood streets isn’t advised—not only is it not appreciated by residents, it can get your vehicle ticketed, towed, or blocked in by road closures.

Here’s what to do instead:

Biking & Walking

The bike racks at Elliston Park are free and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Bikes, scooters, skateboards, and similar vehicles aren’t permitted within the festival itself, though mobility devices, strollers, and small pull wagons are.

Road closures on 17 Avenue and 23 Avenue NE make it easier for attendees to reach the festival on foot or by bike.

Paid Parking

International Avenue has limited paid parking available for pre-purchase through the International Avenue Arts and Cultural Community Society.

Shuttle Service

Shuttle service is provided from the Sunridge Mall parking lot in Northeast Calgary, less than 10 kilometres from the park. The first bus starts at 5:30 p.m., and the last bus goes to the park at 9 p.m. After the fireworks, return buses run until 11 p.m. or until the park is empty.

This round-trip service is run by Southland Transportation and costs $7 per person per night (free for children 5 and under). Cash is not accepted. Tickets can be purchased online after August 2 or on-site the day of.

VIP tickets have shuttle service included, as well as vehicle tags including the reserved VIP parking lot location.

As the shuttles are not accessible, GlobalFest recommends Access Calgary for attendees with mobility restrictions. There’s also a free accessible parking lot for those with a valid placard on a first-come, first-served basis. Golf carts are available to assist between the lot and the viewing areas.

Public Transit

Calgary's public transit system is a great way to get to the festival. To reach Elliston Park, ride Calgary Transit bus lines 68, 87, 307, or 440.

Portions of 17 Avenue and 23 Avenue are blocked off to through traffic on festival evenings, so the shuttles and Calgary Transit buses are the primary ways to ride to the festival.

Be aware that after the fireworks displays, all vehicle traffic, including shuttles, is held until it’s deemed safe to move them. Budget some extra time and be prepared to be patient.

International Fireworks Festival

Starting around 9:30 p.m. each night, the International Fireworks Festival caps off each night of one of the best festivals in Calgary. Different countries put on fireworks each night for the first four nights. On the last night of the festival, the Grand Finale fireworks show by Canada's Archangel Fireworks takes place.

The dazzling fireworks are set off over the waters of Elliston Lake, making a stunning show. There aren't many tall buildings on the east side like in Downtown Calgary, so the fireworks can be viewed from several kilometres away in some directions. However, the best views are from the park because the fireworks are reflected off Elliston Lake.

Each participating country sets its fireworks performance to music. The five fireworks shows are adjudicated based on the quality of the display, artistic originality, brilliance of colours, and synchronization of music, effects and fireworks. Since the five countries are vying for bragging rights each year, the fireworks displays tend to be huge events.

OneWorld Festival

Each of OneWorld's cultural pavilions highlights a different nation or people who now call Calgary their home. There are pavilions for Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Thailand, Hungary, Pakistan, Mexico, Romania, Scotland, and many more. Pavilions each offer cultural programming, from dress and dance to food and crafts.

Dozens of food trucks and booths celebrate international flavours and local favourites alike.

The two main performance stages at GlobalFest are the TD Main Stage and the Air Canada Stage. Both stages feature live cultural performances, primarily dance troupes and traditional music from each country.

During one night of the festival, Citizenship and Immigration Canada holds a citizenship ceremony at the park, where a group of newcomers officially become naturalized Canadians.

The OneWorld Festival is one of the top things to do with kids in Calgary! Many pavilions have kid-oriented activities, from arts and crafts to storytimes.

Enjoy GlobalFest in Calgary Every Year

GlobalFest has grown from a small local festival to one of the things Calgary is most known for. GlobalFest plans to expand its cultural offerings, so it keeps getting bigger and better each year.

Whether you're a Calgary resident or visitor, GlobalFest is a can't-miss annual event.

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