Drenched in Sound: The Wild Beauty of Calgary Folk Festival 2025
There’s something almost cinematic about watching the Calgary skyline blur behind a curtain of summer rain while funk rhythms bounce across a soaked and smiling crowd. The 2025 Calgary Folk Festival, nestled in the heart of Prince’s Island Park, proved once again that music, community, and a few good snacks are all you need, even when the forecast forgets to cooperate.
Day One: Arrested Development and a Burst of Sun
Thursday, July 24 arrived with the kind of warmth that makes everything feel possible. The island park shimmered under clear skies. Ducks glided through the lagoon, dragonflies hovered like tiny messengers, and the excitement in the air was thick enough to taste. With the city skyline rising behind the stage and the crowd buzzing with anticipation, it felt like Calgary was showing off. Arrested Development kicked off the festival with a set so high-octane it practically melted the grass. Grammy-winning bars met effortless stage presence, and from the first beat, it was clear this festival wasn’t just well-organized—it was about to be unforgettable.
The Rain Came Through. So Did Cymande.
By Friday, the skies opened and did not close. What could have been a washout turned into something else entirely. The crowd transformed into a sea of rain jackets, umbrellas, and joy. Calgary’s folk faithful didn’t retreat—they danced harder. Cymande, the legendary British funk group whose name means "dove" in calypso, soared onto the stage like prophets of peace and groove. Their music was equal parts meditative and kinetic, a perfect fusion of soul, funk, and rhythm that turned wet grass into a dance floor. Their performance didn’t just cut through the rain, it baptized the crowd in something deeper.
Saturday Whimsy and Musical Alchemy
Saturday was a celebration of wonder. I brought along my curious little niece who instantly fell into the kaleidoscopic joy of the family zone. From bubble stations to music tents, there was no shortage of enchantment for kids and adults alike. The festival’s design truly captured the whimsy of shared experience—nobody felt out of place.
That afternoon, local self-taught saxophonist and improvisational force Jairus Sharif took the stage and reminded us what it sounds like when someone truly speaks through an instrument. Blending hazy hip-hop with free jazz, his music didn't ask for attention, it demanded presence. Five years into a journey that began with curiosity and courage, Sharif now plays like someone transmitting raw truth. His set felt like a spiritual excavation, intimate and enormous all at once.
Later, Medusa swept through with mythic force. The all-women classical collective blurred borders and time periods with their swirling blend of Celtic, Middle Eastern, Pakistani, and European influences. They carried instruments that seemed conjured from folklore and played with a power that was both scholarly and defiant. Medusa didn’t just perform music, they created a space for radical listening. As rain fell gently around the tent, their sound rose like a call to fearlessness and empathy. It was impossible to look away.
Sunday: Workshops and Cake (The Band, Not the Dessert)
The final day of the festival was a masterclass in collaboration. The iconic Folk Fest workshops showcased spontaneous pairings between musicians who had likely just met backstage, weaving together sounds that had no business working so well but somehow always did. There was magic in that messiness, the sort that only happens in places built on trust and shared curiosity.
Closing out the festival was the one and only Cake. The Sacramento alt-rock icons delivered a set that was wry, sharp, and impossibly cool. Their deadpan humour, biting lyrics, and genre-hopping grooves made for the perfect farewell. As the sun finally broke through the clouds, people danced like their shoes weren’t soaked through and sang like they had forgotten about the mud. Cake was the perfect punctuation to a weekend that never pretended to be polished, only alive. The icing on the cake ( hilarious, I know) was when they brought out key members of the festival and members from other bands like the iconic Los Lobos making for an emotionally charged yet delicious conclusion.
The 2025 Calgary Folk Festival was not just a triumph of logistics or talent—it was a masterclass in resilience, joy, and shared wonder. It celebrated not just the music but the people who show up for it, even in the rain. Especially in the rain. In a world that often feels out of tune, this festival reminded us how to listen again.