Set your soul on fire — Block Heater, powered by ATB, is back!

The Calgary Folk Music Festival’s reimagined 11th winter celebration is around the corner. It launches February 5 at Festival Hall and then moves to The Confluence February 6–7 for an all-encompassing family-oriented winter wonderland multi-staged festival filled with music, great vibes, food vendors, outdoor activities, including a skating rink.

Find your community at the ATB mainstage inside a large heated tent and three indoor stages at The Confluence with tunes to melt the frost off your toque. From marquee artists to local, national and international gems in concert and our magical collaborative sessions, Block Heater is our frosty answer to the summer Calgary Folk Music Festival — where you can plug in, chill out and dance off those winter blues as you hop from stage to stage.

Headliners include Goldie Boutilier with her glamourous modern day pop; Hill Country bluesman Cedric Burnside’s off-kilter, tight grooves; Jeremie Albino’s vintage R&B, blues and soul;  iconic, Juno-Award winning power-pop troubadour the Joel Plaskett Emergency; the compelling, deep cutting, lyrics of Fruit Bats (solo) and The War and Treaty’s soul and blues-based heart-on-sleeve revival.

Original Indie and roots songcrafters fill your ears: Astral Swans’ shoegaze melancholia; Field Guide’s beautiful, uncluttered songs; the slide guitar-driven harmonics of Burnstick; plain-spoken outlaw country music raconteur Carter Felker; fresh, rebellious classic country courtesy of D’orjay and the Lovely Luvies Fam, the dry, understated roots creations of Emily Triggs; harmony-laden, rich melodic riffs from Jed and the Valentine and Inn Echo’s trad-centred fiddle, cello and guitar love in.

Funk, blues and worldly sounds will move your feet. Joce Reyome mixes southern blues and classic R&B; PiQSIQ reclaims katajjaq throat-singing into an ethereal texture. Dance to Kobo Town’s transnational rhythm, poetry and clever journalism. The Point. is a globe-trotting, rhythmic adventure. Sargeant X Comrade masterfully alchemize jazzy hip-hop and DJ sean beaver melds pow wow sounds, percussion and vocal chants.

Block Heater kicks off at our own Festival Hall February 5 with MOONRIIVR’s lightly trippy, wholly inviting sonic world plus Lindi Ortega’s entrancing, label-defying ditties. 

On January 30, we’re excited to partner with Chinook Blast to present a dance party with Tribe Artists’ infectious old school, hard hitting raps and rhymes and L’omelette’s heady jazz, soul and French pop mix.

Free all-ages activities abound on The Confluence grounds. Inside at the Burns West Theatre, family programming includes music, puppetry and theatre by Dan the One Man Band, Grey Guardians by CAOS, Rattle & Strum feat. BottleRocket Theatre plus Blockbuster, a curated selection of cool, entertaining short films.

Get tickets now! Our flexible ticket model includes weekend passes, individual day tickets for Friday night, Saturday all day, afternoon or evening. Folkies 12 and under are admitted for free. Youth, student and senior discounts are available. Call 403-233-0904 or visit calgaryfolkfest.com for the full line-up, info and tickets.