Sled Island

Sled Island’s film programming focuses on independent shorts, narrative features and documentaries screened in nontraditional venues. We are interested in films that have a strong relationship to music, but this is not a requirement. For 2015, we are accepting submissions of shorts and feature-length films from the following genres: animation, comedy, documentary.

To submit a film for consideration in the 2015 festival, please fill out a submission form by February 5, 2015 at 11:59pm MST.

Don’t forget - band submissions are open, too! Apply today!

'Tis the season to get excited for...summer!?! YES. It brings us oh so much joy to announce that...Sled Island 2015 festival PASSES ARE NOW ON SALE! Just early enough for holiday shopping, but just late enough to not cause Black Friday-esque riots, we've put them up at special early bird rates (20% off!). These early bird passes are available in limited quantities - buy yours (or your friend's) now!

Discovery Pass - $159 (limited quantity available)
All-Access Festival Pass
Grants access to all Sled Island events including 250+ bands, comedy shows, film screenings, art exhibitions and installations and special events!

Discovery Plus Pass - $279 (limited quantity available)
All-Access Festival Pass (everything you get from the Discovery Pass)
Plus Priority Access (skip to the front of any line-ups!), score a sweet silk-screened Sled Island tote bag filled with special delegate inserts and more!

All-Ages Pass - $40 (limited quantity available)
Created specifically with our "under 18" buddies in mind, an All-Ages Pass offers full access to the all-ages venues, including Olympic Plaza, Tubby Dog and many more.
Please note that the All-Ages Pass is for festival attendees that are still under 18 years by June 24, 2015 - valid ID is required at pickup.

We've started programming the 2015 festival and...spoiler alert: it's going to be a really, really good one!

The fine folks at Scion Sessions put together a killer, very limited edition double 7" chock full of Calgary talent: Fist City, Lab Coast, Mark Mills and Dominic Pierce...complete with incredible artwork by illustrator Jarett Sitter. Guess what? It's being released into the wild...this week...for FREE. Yup, FREE DOUBLE 7"!!

Each day we'll be announcing new pick-up spots across Calgary on our Facebook page and through Twitter. We're going to kick things off with the following locations in our hood!

Local 510 - 510 17 Ave SW
Phil & Sebastian - 2207 4 St SW
Shelf Life Books - 1302 4 St SW
Sled Island Offices - 2206-A 4 St SW
Sloth Records - 7368 17 Ave SW

To celebrate the release of the 7" and continue in their drive to get to know Calgary artists, Scion had local filmmakers Ramble direct a brand-new video for one of the songs: Dominic Pierce's "Vertical Feel." Check it out now!

With news of Sled Island's return (June 24-28, 2015), why not take a stroll down memory lane through the eyes of a monster from the sea?

The fine folks at Ramble put together a frantic, near all-encompassing look at what Sled Island is made up of!

One of our favourite festivals, The Calgary International Film Festival, is just around the corner and we couldn't be happier to be co-presenting two documentary screenings with them: Time Is Illmatic and Heaven Adores You. What can we say? We're suckers for music docs! The proverbial cherry on top? We've got coupon codes for you! Simply enter Sleddin14 at checkout so that you've got a little more money to spend on snacks!

Time Is Illmatic offers a unique and energetic look into the creative processes of Nas in the making of his landmark debut hip hop album. Heaven Adores You, on the other hand, offers a visually and sonically striking portrait of Elliott Smith, an artist who struggled profoundly with fame and depression.

CIFF runs September 18-28 and features myriad choices for film buffs including new films by Alejandro Jodorowsky, David Cronenberg and Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Passes and individual tickets are on sale now!

There is probably no other festival on the planet that we here at Sled Island feel as close of creative kinship with as Pop Montreal (it's totally curated, dudes!). Some of us are headed out that way to take in all of the musical madness and thought we should share our personal picks...

SLED ISLAND SHOWCASE

First up, we're extremely proud to be presenting a showcase at the festival with some Sled Island alumni, including one of the best Calgary live bands going!
09-19: Sled Island Presents: Kurvi Tasch, Krill, Brazilian Money, 36? and Loc-Nar @ Casa Del Popolo.

SLED ISLAND PICKS!

09-18 Ought + Carla Bozulich @ Piccolo Rialto
The new art-rock sensation Ought that we can't wait to see live and the inimitable Carla Bozulich (currently on the road with Swans). What's not to like?

09-18 Beat Cops @ Divan Orange
Beat Cops is the new project from Mikey Heppner (UBT, Priestess) and though there's only a few songs floatin' around out there, they've ALL been stuck in our heads for weeks.

09-18 Turquoise Jeep feat. Flynt Fossy, Watchyamacallit, Yung Huma @ Club Lambi
​This show is what POP Montreal is all about. Watch this video and go see Turquoise Jeep!

09-20 JJ Fad @ Late Night Little Burgundy
Their name may not ring a bell but you sure know this song.
​Don't miss ​these pioneers of female hip hop. They will also give an artist talk at the POP Quarters earlier in the afternoon.

09-20 Dot Wiggin Band, Freelove Fenner, Fakes , Brave Radar @ Sala Rossa
Some of our favourite Montreal bands opening for a founding member of The Shaggs.

09-20 Deafheaven @ Bar "Le Ritz" P.D.B. (ex-Il Motore)
We wanted these folks at Sled Island 2014, so it's about time for us to finally have our ears and minds melted by 'em, no?

CALGARY BANDS AT POP MONTREAL

09-20 Catholic Girls @ L'Escogriffe
09-18 Hag Face @ L'Escogriffe (and 09-19 @ Brasserie Beaubien)
09-18 Samantha Savage Smith @ Barfly
09-20 Telstar Drugs @ Brasserie Beaubien
09-19 Windigo @ L'Escogriffe

POP MONTREAL SYMPOSIUM

@ POP Quarters (unless noted) - throughout the festival
Don't forget to experience one of the most interesting part of POP Montreal, the Symposium, that offers artist talks, workshops and panel discussions, each one more interesting than the others. A few favourites:
09-18 Steve Albini in conversation with Howard Billerman @ Hotel2Tango
09-19 'Can Anyone Be A Rock Star? The Gendered Landscape Of Music Scenes and Rock
09-20 Cash Music Montreal
09-20 Dance Workshop with the Brontez Purnell Dance Company
09-20 Play The Keyboard, Just Like Hailu Mergia
09-20 This week on Psi Factor and The Cougar: Ty Segall, Mikey Heppner and Songs (best. podcast. ever.)
09-21 Multi-Voice Oscillator Building Workshops

MONTREAL EATS

...and what would a trip to Montreal be without a little gluttony? A couple of us Sled Island staffers are ex-Montrealers and miss the following like whoa:

- 1/2 chicken, spiced at Romados. It's like one really big meal or two pretty big meals for $8 or so. That spice...
- Wilensky's special, an all-beef salami/balogna sandwich with mustard on a grilled roll.
- twiced-cook pork from Cuisine Szechuan. And some veggie dishes too.
- Chicken roti w/ pumpkin at Jardin Du Cari. Make sure to douse it in that special lime-hot sauce.
- Boustan chicken shawarma (post 2am only). Sure, Mr. Boustan might've retired, but it's seriously still the greatest. Far better than Calgary shawarma!
- that's a lot of meat options, so why not a coconut bacon-featuring BLT from Aux Vivres?
- sure, they're touristy things to do, but Fairmount Bagel/St-Viateur Bagel and Schwartz smoked meat really are that good. Trust us. We miss them.
- and if you've got more time on your hands (and cash?) than these quickies, anything from the Joe Beef/Liverpool House/Vin Papillon folks or Au Pied De Cochon is going to make you a very, very happy festival-goer (with a food coma that is unlikely to allow you to actually take in music).

SLED ISLAND ALUMNI

...really, there's not enough space for all of the recommendations. If ever there was any doubt how much POP Montreal respects music as much as we do, the proof is just in the number of bands playing this year who have played Sled in the past. A small sample includes: The Backhomes, Black Atlass, Dan Deacon, Dories, Eamon McGrath, Economics, Freak Heat Waves, Girl Arm, Heaven For Real, Homeshake, Indian Handcrafts, Johnny De Courcy, Jom Comyn, MaicaMia, Monomyth, The Nymphets, Old + Weird, PS I Love You, Le Revelateur, Slow Down Molasses, Solids, Soupcans, Strange Attractor, Technical Kidman, Timber Timbre, and UN!

It's going to be a blast, y'all!

Sled Island's Green Team worked closely with vendors and our partners to responsibly manage the waste and recycling at 6 different locations during the festival. At our main outdoor venues, Olympic Plaza and East Village we were able to divert 88% of the waste from the landfill. A big thank you to all of the food truck vendors for supporting our waste reduction efforts by using 100% compostable packaging and food ware. The best part of Sled Island's environmental initiatives was the reduction of waste in general. This year we generated only 77.33 kg of garbage at our main outdoor sites compared to 425 kg in 2012! Our collection efforts at our other venues including the Golden Age Club, Poster Show, Pass Pick Up, and Artist Lounge helped to divert 300 kg of material from the landfill as well. Thank you to everyone for helping us host an amazing and environmentally responsible festival in 2014! 

Check out the full report here.

First of all, huge thanks to all of the bands, artists, filmmakers, comedians, partners, supporters, venues, media, volunteers, technicians, staff, board members and attendees for creating such an amazing festival. Everyone contributes in some way and none of this would be possible without that overwhelming amount of support, dedication and passion so strongly on display during the festival.

Sled Island 2014 was full of awesome moments starting from the sweet poster show and rad kick-off party on Tuesday. Wednesday began with a stunning performance from Rhye in a packed church and lead into an insanely awesome set from Power Trip, William Tyler delivering swift beauty in guitar-form and Jerusalem In My Heart’s awe-inspiring show to complete their residency at National Music Centre. Thursday kicked things up a notch with Mission of Burma being the best dudes and killing it, Chelsea Wolfe’s moody and moving set, Oneohtrix Point Never transforming Central United into a spaceship, Killer Mike taking us all to church and let’s not forget the mega-turnout for the East Village Block Party. The festival found its wings on Friday with Dan Deacon turning the legion into a fun house, Screaming Females obliterated the 510 parking lot, Helms Alee blowing away the crowd and our festival hero, Joel Plaskett Emergency saving the day with two shows at Olympic Plaza and Flames Central. Saturday kept the momentum alive with Touche Amore’s all-ages afternoon show, the always awesome Weird Canada showcase, Obits owning the Legion, a wild n’ rowdy crowd for Bass Drum of Death, St. Vincent tapping into an other worldly energy, The Spits ripping it up, Rocket From The Crypt bringing the big sound and Spiritualized taking us all away plus the fireworks to cap it off! For anyone able to rise on Sunday, they were treated to a delicious feast and gathering at the wrap-up pig roast party. 

It was certainly a festival to remember. What were your favourite memories? Favourite discovery of the festival? How are your dealing with the post-fest blues? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and use the #sledisland, #sled2014 and for those extra special moments #nobodyrainsonourparade hashtags to stay connected. Relive the memories of Sled Island on the festival’s extensive Flickr photostream up now. Keep your eyes peeled for a Sled Island 2014 recap video featuring this guy to come out later this summer!

Stay tuned for upcoming show announcements and our post-fest survey. We’ll have plenty of exciting stuff to come in the next while. Also, if you haven’t already now is the perfect time to order one of our limited-edition silkscreen posters or 2014 merchandise made by Jack Bride. Thanks again for all of your wonderful support and we look forward to hosting the next edition of Sled Island in 2015 with you!

With all our hearts,
Sled Island

Good morning to all our Sled Island warriors! After 4 days of sledding, you're surely exhausted. Last night in particular was a monster! Spiritualized was life-affirming on the Olympic Plaza stage, Obits stepped in at Guest Curator Kathleen Hanna's showcase and ripped it up, legendary punk icon Bob Mould delivered at Republik with the help of scuzzy Solids, The Spits spat their bratty jams, AraabMuzik and Tommy Kruise had Hifi turnt up, Earthless crushed the stoner jams at Dickens, Bass Drum of Death played another fuzz-pop party and St. Vincent took us to another universe with her alien pop!  

It's hard to believe things are coming to an end, but alas it's the last official day of Sled Island 2014 and we're going to celebrate this awesome ride! Join us for our annual Panache Pig Roast Wrap-Up Party featuring performances from ethereal songstress Julianna Barwick, experimental soul-pop of U.S. Girls, left-field psych-rockers Outer Minds, surf-garage tunes of La Luz and the always (even on Sunday night) energetic, The Blind Shake plus free pig roast sandwiches n' slaw while quantities last. It's a great chance to catch these bands for the first, second or third time this week and chill with friends on a laid-back Sunday afternoon. And if you're out to conquer this year's festival in glorious style, there's no better place than on stage at Broken City's Wrap-Up Karaoke running from 9pm until late! Other cool stuff happening today includes a double feature of The Selected Works of Emily Kai Bock & Evan Prosofsky and The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T at the Globe Cinema this afternoon, ParkSALE at Haultain Park and free collection tours at National Music Centre every hour on the half hour! Don't miss out on your last day of offical Sled Island fun, and remember to keep on keepin' on.

Check the online schedule for any last-minute changes. Don't forget to use our Mobile Version for access on the go.

Show us you're still alive by using the hashtags #SledIsland, #Sled2014, #GetYourSledOn or for those moments of triumph, #NobodyRainsOnOurParade!

We do welcome walk-ups at shows but as always, it is subject to capacity. Remember, none of this would be possible without your support! <3

We can't talk about last night without mentioning Joel Plaskett. Canada's sweetheart saved the day when Neko Case cancelled on the day of the show. He fulfilled the hopes of everyone who had waited more than a year for his sweet serenade. Thanks Joel, you're our hero! Elsewhere, Sled Island continued with Dan Deacon getting weird at the #1 Legion, Public Animal annihilating the Ship & Anchor, the Burger Records blow-out and DJ Bob Mould got Punk Rock Fancy with the Hot Mess crowd.

Don't you quit on us yet! This ain't over by a long shot. Olympic Plaza day 2 is what's on everyone's lips with the headlining set from the incomparable father of space-rock, Spiritualized! The outdoor stage isn't lacking in talent in support acts; Rocket From The Crypt who party-rock a little harder have an extended set while Minneapolis garage gurus The Blind Shake, furious punks White Lung, Portland surf-rockers The Shivas and local thinky-pop act Feel Alright provide hit after hit. Today is your last chance to enjoy a beer in the pit at Olympic Plaza so don't miss out! Stay hydrated while you party with our water-filling stations, no plastic water bottles will be sold on site.

One other perfect All Ages, daytime pick is Touché Amoré, who storm the #1 Legion mid-afternoon. When the sun sets, things heat up even further. Get some vintage pop with Shannon and the Clams at The Palomino or an encore from hook-laden garage-rockers Bass Drum of Death! Another icon to take the stage is Bob Mould of Hüsker Dü and rock legend in general at Republik, where he is joined by scholars of his method, Solids. St. Vincent has fully realized her alien pop identity and is usually playing rooms twice the size of Flames Central. There is no question that you'll have to line up early for this one! The heavy and the trippy converge in Earthless and The Shrine's takeover of Dickens. Kathleen Hanna, whose role as Guest Curator proved vital to the tone of Sled Island 2014, has each one of her band picks play the #1 Legion with Sled vets Obits stepping in as headliner to play expert post-punk. Again, get there or early or you could lose out!

Find an excuse to experience art, film, comedy or something special! National comedic talent is represented by Pat Thornton, Amanda Brooke Perrin, Kathleen Phillips and guests at Big Secret Theatre, multi-media exploratory artwork is on display at Phantom Figures at Truck U-Haul, youth culture's origins and significant are examined by thoughful doc Teenage and PARKSale has unique items for purchase in the open air.

We're just scratching the surface here. Check the online schedule to get up-to-date set times and don't forget to use our Mobile Version for access on the go.

Whatever you get up to at Sled Island today, we want to hear about it! We're watching out for #NobodyRainsOnOurParade, #SledIsland, #Sled2014 and #GetYourSledOn on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

If you're trying to see everything listed above, it's going to be impossible without a pass. There's still time to purchase and/or pick up yours at The Fairmont Palliser, located at 133 9th Ave SW. Merch and posters are on site too! Hours are 10am to 10pm.

With over 250 bands, art exhibits, comedians, films and special events at Sled Island, there will inevitably some shuffling around. We've assembled a run down of schedule changes, up to date as of the time of this post. Stay tuned for additional updates on our Mobile Version where you can build your own schedule!

SATURDAY, JUNE 21

#1 Legion: the line-up has shifted slightly. It is now:
Downstairs: Sontag (10pm), The Younger Lovers (11pm), Screaming Females (12am), Obits (1am)
Upstairs: The Yeah Dads (10:30pm), Roman Polanski’s Baby (11:30pm), Mindtroll (12:30am)
Bamboo: The TBA is now Black Thunder
Broken City: Nervous Talk has been replaced by Dead Soft
Haultain Park: Youssou Seck (4pm), Cold Water (5pm), Jon McKiel (6pm)
Palomino upstairs: Stepmothers are now on at 8:30pm and storc are now on at 9:30pm
Tubby Dog: Hand Cream has been replaced by Bitter Fictions

SUNDAY, JUNE 22

Haultain Park: Zen Mystery Fogg (1pm), SAVK (2pm), Cowpuncher (3pm)
Sloth Records in-store show is now cancelled.

VISUAL ART CHANGES:

Pussy Whipped is now Friday, June 20th at 7pm
Take A Look @ U has been postponed until late September
There Is Much I Wish To Know has been postponed until late September
Hey Jerk Face. SUP? is now at the Peanut Gallery, 207 8th St SW (basement of Fluevog). Closing reception August 1st.
Summer Friends Gang has been moved to Saturday at 7pm at The Palomino.

ADDITIONAL COMEDY INFORMATION

Walk-up tickets will be sold at Big Secret Theatre in very limited quantities for $35. Get there early--this goes for passholders too! Full lineups are below, with headliners listed first.

Friday Early Show, Starting at 8pm: Kyle Kinane, Hari Kondabolu, Jon Daly and Cyrus Ghahremani, Brittany Lyseng with Host Alan Cho.
Friday Late Show, Starting at 1030pm: Pat Thornton, Amanda Brooke Perrin, Kathleen Phillips, Don Wood, Jeff Toth and Host Brent Constantine.

Saturday Early Show, Starting at 8pm: Kyle Kinane, Hari Kondabolu, Jon Daly and Cyrus Ghahremani, Sarah Adams and Host Brent Constantine.
Saturday Late Show, Starting at 1030pm: Pat Thornton, Amanda Brooke Perrin, Kathleen Phillips, Craig Martell, Alan Cho and Host Jeff Toth.

Sled Island regretfully announces that Neko Case has cancelled her Sled Island appearance due to circumstances beyond the festival's control. All Neko Case ticket holders will receive a full refund.

However, tonight's show at Olympic Plaza will go on as a free event open to the general public with special guest headliner and Canadian National treasure, Joel Plaskett Emergency. The show is open to all-ages, on a fully licensed site featuring Big Rock Beer and food trucks. The updated schedule for tonight is:

Joel Plaskett Emergency (9:30)
Blitzen Trapper (8:30)
Bry Webb (7:30)

Thank you all for your patience. Whilst we are incredibly disappointed by the cancellation, we are confident that Sled Island 2014 will continue to be a magical festival experience fueled by incredible musical talent and enthusiastic music fans that live in and flock to Calgary every year.

For those who purchased their tickets online, your refund will be automatically processed in the coming days.
For those who purchased at a retail outlet, refunds will be available starting Friday, June 27th.

Nobody Rains On Our Parade,
The Sled Island Team

Last night, Rhye wowed us with balladry, Operators delivered on their rising reputation, double-header The Fresh & Onlys and Bass Drum of Death ripped the #1 Legion a new one, minds were expanded by Jerusalem In My Heart, Power Trip pummeled Dickens and that's just the music! The weird and wonderful were showcased by Radioheaded 2 and Waiting For Ambassador X while fans geeked out over record store doc Last Shop Standing. The final result? A classic and diverse start to the festival.

Rain can't stop The East Village Block Party this time! We know Calgarians can take it. Hifi has curated some serious talent for this one. Locals Kline and Beach Season start things off at 3pm, followed by dark Vancouver bass producer Project Pablo and the men who need no introduction, Smalltown DJs. International headliners come in the way of Portland's live-electro goddess Natasha Kmeto and LuckyMe label mates Jacques Greene and Cashmere Cat who have taken the world by storm. Cool down from the dancing and enjoy the good vibes of Big Rock's beer gardens, Market Collective's artisan wares and tasty treats from your fave food trucks! It all happens on the beautiful East Village RiverWalk and may well prove to the party of the year.

If you want to keep raving, move along to the FREQ presented show at The Hifi Club where Cashmere Cat and Jacques Greene get an encore. All danced out? The quintessential post-punk legends Mission of Burma headline a Beatroute-presented show at the #1 Legion with a huge roster including one of the most talked about acts around, Victoria's classic punk revivalists Fountain. Across the street at The Palomino, synth-happy indie pop gang Royal Canoe is going to pack the house. Things get even more interesting when FFWD presents hip-hop edutainer Killer Mike with Montreal's deconstructed R&B showman Black Atlass. Elsewhere, a dose of dark is up for grabs at Commonwealth where the goth-tinged chameleon Chelsea Wolfe makes her Calgary debut, CITR & Discorder present ragin' Vancouver punks White Lung at Dickens with LA psychedelic violence trio The Shrine and then there's The Fresh & Onlys, who you know will fill The Golden Age Club. All Ages awesome award of the evening goes to the digital-meets-alien drone of Oneohtrix Point Never at Central United Church!

Sled Island isn't just about music. We have a vast spectrum of arts for you to enjoy! I Dream of Wires, the doc on modular synth and the culture surrounding it is screening in conjuction with Beakerhead at Glenbow Museum - ConocPhillips Theatre. Guest Curator Kathleen Hanna's show In Light of It takes place at Contemporary Calgary marking her first time putting together an art exhibit. Take a look into the unique life of Killer Mike when he gives an intimate artist talk at Beat Drop, who present the show. Thursday is the first night to feature comedy! Enjoy a wild Night Out with Jeff D'Silva.

Stay tuned to the online schedule for the most current set times and take the Mobile Version with you.

We have our ears to the ground and eyes on the screen; have your say using #EVBP, #GetYourSledOn, #Sled2014 and #SledIsland across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Try #NobodyRainsOnOurParade for those special triumphant moments!

If you think you missed your chance to get the full Sled Island experience with a pass, you couldn't be more wrong. We're doubling down on the action for Friday through Sunday! They are still online and available at Pass Pickup at The Fairmont Palliser (133 9th Ave SW) where you can also find our merch for 2014. Our hours are 10am-10pm today, tomorrow and Saturday. See you on the streets!

Boo-yah! Thanks for coming and kicking Sled Island off right. Commonwealth was alive with the spitfire rhymes of Ayoo Angie, the ire of The Slabs and more! Too bad The Shivas couldn't make it but they have now made it to Calgary and will be playing all other scheduled shows! Elsewhere, the 8th Annual Poster Show had its grand opening at Forbidden where dazzling designs were admired. If you thought last night was a party, you'll be drooling over what's on the agenda for today!

It's here! It's finally here! Sled Island makes a triumphant return with the official opening night of our 8th festival edition. The big start to the evening is smooth R&B duo Rhye headlining Central United Church for its return as a marquee, All-Ages venue at Sled Island. Later on, we're expecting packed houses for garage rockers The Fresh & Onlys and Bass Drum of Death at The #1 Legion, Dan Boeckner's (Wolf Parade, Handsome Furs) latest industrial dance project Operators at Republik, Kingston shredders PS I Love You at Broken City, Chicago post-punks Disappears at Commonwealth and thrash-punks Power Trip at Dickens. Hey under-agers! We've got some other AA shows running later; William Tyler brings modern ingenuity to traditonal music at The Ironwood while Jerusalem In My Heart melts minds at National Music Centre. Don't miss them! Get your fix of fruits and veggies for the week at the Hillhurst Sunnyside Market from 3 to 8pm today. Wednesday also marks the launch of the stellar film program with a screening of Last Shop Standing co-presented by Sloth Records. Get your evening started at the opening for two of our trippiest art shows, Waiting For Ambassador X and Zoloft Garden at the #1 Legion starting around 7pm. 

Check the online schedule to get up-to-date set times and build your own schedule. Don't forget to use our Mobile Version for access on the go.

Keep up on and participate in all the Sled Island action! Follow us on Facebook, @sledisland on Twitter and Instagram. If you want your posts to get out there, use #SledIsland, #Sled2014, #GetYourSledOn or for those moments of triumph, #NobodyRainsOnOurParade!

Make sure you have your wristband before heading out! Pass Pickup happens at The Fairmont Palliser (133 9th Ave SW), 10am to 10pm with passes and merch on sale there and at the shop. We do welcome walk-ups at shows but as always, it is subject to capacity. It's offically time to #GetYourSledOn! 

While the official start to Sled Island isn't until tomorrow, we're getting the party started early! It's been a long time coming and we're ready to wild out. Read on for every-thing you need to know about the Sled Island sneak peek.

Tonight's marquee event is the Kick-Off Party presented by Nudie Jeans featuring the surfy garage of Portland's The Shivas headlining upstairs and local freakazoids The Slabs handling the basement. The bill is rounded out by The Mandates, Slow Down, Molasses, 36?, Witchstone, Ayoo Angie (replacing Young Braised) and Tigerwing. Wild Rose Soul Club are on DJ duties with spins to keep you dancing all night. One more thing you should know about this event is that Nudie and Leo are hosting a pretty rad contest. Check out the details. Wanna get started even earlier? SO WHAT hits the New Gallery +15 Window Space starting at 6pm. More art is on offer with a Sled Island tradition: The 8th Annual Poster Show! We're unveiling the designs of local artists for some of our most exciting headlining acts at Forbidden, located at 1209 1st Street SW. Running in conjuction is St(ILL) Life Show, which exhibits works ranging from oil paintings to commercial illustration. For thrill seekers, try a special edition of Punk Rock Bingo at the Ship & Anchor! If you're making your way around on two wheels, the only sure way to have fun is to stay safe. Read up and be responsible on the roads!

Check the online schedule to get up-to-date set times and build your own schedule. Don't forget to use our Mobile Version for access on the go.

Keep up on and participate in all the Sled Island action! Follow us on Facebook, @sledisland on Twitter and Instagram. If you want your posts to get out there, use #SledIsland, #Sled2014, #GetYourSledOn and for those moments of triumph, #NobodyRainsOnOurParade!

Make sure you have your wristband before rolling up! Pass Pickup happens at The Fairmont Palliser (133 9th Ave SW), 10am to 10pm with passes and merch on sale there and at the shop. We do welcome walk-ups at shows but as always, it is subject to capacity. Let's kick this thing off right!

Sled Island is thrilled to reveal our 2014 festival merchandise, designed by talented local artist Jack Bride! Jack is no stranger to the festival and we couldn't be happier to present his work which will be featured on shirts, tanks and totes. Here's what he had to say about the illustration:

"Here, we have The Mysteries of Night Life and Summer Solstice Magic coming through the Digital Universe as New Energies Invade our City with the Reality Altering Mediums of Music. Music as Archetype, Music as Magic, Music as Humankind's First Contact with the Hidden Spirits."

Merchandise that is pre-ordered online can be retrieved during Pass Pickup at the Fairmont Palliser from June 14-21. Any deliveries will be made after June 22nd.

Visit merchandise stands at Olympic Plaza, the East Village Block Party and at Pass Pickup throughout the festival. Make sure to place an order before they're all gone!

In addition to this year's apparel and for the first time, we will be releasing a limited edition Sled Island Compilation Tape! The tape features sweet tracks by bands that we think you should pay attention to during the festival. The SoundCloud playlist is now live, but see that you grip one at the Nudie Jeans Presents Sled Island Kick-Off Party at Commonwealth on Tuesday, June 17th.

Another year of Sled Island, another exciting round of All Ages shows! With the festival only two weeks away, it's a great time to explore the options you get with an All Ages Pass, now on sale online and at the office, Sloth and Lukes Drug Mart.

Nearly 80 bands ranging from headliners like post hardcore institution Touché Amoré, luxury trap act Cashmere Cat, mind-expanding artistes Oneohtrix Point Never and Julianna Barwick and guest curator Kathleen Hanna (Bikini Kill, Le Tigre) picks Roman Polanski's Baby and Younger Lovers to local youngsters The Basement Demons and Beach Season and Calgary music royalty Bitter Fictions and Kris Ellestad! Not to mention Sled's largest attraction, two jam-packed days at Olympic Plaza starring Spiritualized, Neko Case, Rocket From the Crypt, Blitzen Trapper and more. At $50, an All Ages Pass is actually cheaper than admission to both days!

The sensaional music lineup is just the beginning! With a total of over 40 events across more than 15 venues, you can't miss our other programming. Every film screening at Sled Island is open to all ages and includes Kathleen Hanna doc The Punk Singer, examination of adolescence Teenage and much more. Visual Arts are also primarily unrestricted to those under age, with most "18 and over" openings open to all ages at later dates. Special events include among many things, an artist talk by Killer Mike at Beat Drop and the Polaris Music Prize long list announcement.

We're now rolling out another easy way to get familiar with the bands playing All Ages shows! Sled Island's All Ages Compilation is now live and available here! You can also head over to the lineup page and filter All Ages Option to see it all on one page.

We can't wait to see all our under age buds! Keep up with everything on the All Ages page and get ready for the time of your life!

The wait is almost over to pick up your pass for Sled Island 2014! Once again, we are setting up shop at the historic Fairmont Palliser, located at 133 9th Ave SW. We'll be open for business on the following dates and times...

• Saturday, June 14th to Tuesday, June 17th from 10am to 6pm
• Wednesday, June 18th to Saturday, June 21st from 10am to 10pm

Sled Island offers a variety of pass options to explore and discover the immense lineup of music and arts. The Festival Discovery Pass provides access to all shows subject to venue capacity during the festival. A Festival Discovery Plus Pass provides all the same benefits with skip-the-line priority access (subject to capacity) and some other special perks! An All-Ages Pass is the way to go for anyone under 18, it includes both days at Olympic Plaza, Touché Amoré at The Legion, our entire film lineup and more.

Festival passes and our soon-to-be-unveiled merchandise will be available at the Pass Pickup starting on June 15th at 10am! In the meantime festival passes are on sale now at the shop, order yours today!

Sled Island is ready to unveil its full 2014 festival schedule, featuring over 300 genre-defying bands, films, comedians, visual artists and special events spread across 38 venues in Calgary, Alberta, happening day and night from June 18-22, 2014. 

Beyond the festival's headlining performers at Sled Island's main outdoor venue, Olympic Plaza, including Neko Case, Spiritualized and Rocket From The Crypt, the festival features jaw-dropping line-ups and surprises in unique and intimate settings around every corner. From Rhye’s debut Calgary performance at Central United Church to Burger Records taking over the perfectly-charming Golden Age Club to the two-floor, eight-band dance party capped off with Dan Deacon at the iconic #1 Royal Canadian Legion, there’s a wide-variety of unforgettable show experiences to be had throughout Sled Island 2014.

Recent additions to the festival lineup include the secretive new Dan Boeckner (Wolf Parade, Divine Fits) industrial dance project, Operators, bratty pop-punk icons, The Spits, Montreal trap-party DJ, Tommy Kruise plus a handful of local comedians joining the already stellar line-up. Sadly, Hunx and His Punx are no longer performing at Sled Island. We’re also excited to unveil the Special Events component of the festival, which includes an artist talk with Killer Mike, a look into Natasha Kmeto’s live vocal processing techniques, the free National Music Centre collection tours plus much more. 

Sled Island offers a number of ways to experience this staggering amount of music, art, film, comedy and special events during the festival. Armed with a Festival Discovery Pass, you'll have access to all Sled Island events, subject to capacity. The Discovery Plus Pass provides priority access to all Sled Island events, subject to capacity, plus other perks! An All Ages Pass is designed specifically for our “under 18” buddies in mind. Get your passes today!

We realize not everyone is able to commit all 5 days to the festival. As such, there’s individual tickets available for select shows including Olympic Plaza, Flames Central and more. St. Vincent tickets are now sold out online. Visit the Sled Island website for more details on individual show tickets. There’s also a handful of free events during the festival including the East Village Block Party on June 19th, Tubby Dog shows and more.

Details on pass pick up will be coming soon! In the mean time, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and consider using the hashtags, #SledIsland, #NobodyRainsOnOurParade to get ready for the most-fun 5-days you’ll have all year! 

Every year, we aim to present thoughtful programming at Sled Island and our Visual Arts component is no exception! Today, we unveil the extensive roster of diverse works curated by Visual Arts Coordinator, Jodie Rose. There's a clear theme running through this year’s program, combining the Riot Grrrl spirit of Kathleen Hanna and natural engagement with the public. Most of the Visual Arts component at Sled Island will be made accessible for free in the hopes of pushing the visibility of the works further than ever.

Works exhibited include Kathleen Hanna's first-ever curated art show In Light Of It, the annual Sled Island Poster Show featuring original handmade depictions of your favourite Sled Island acts, the nail and hand art spectacle of Fingering It Out, the digital wormhole VirtualSled 2014, an examination of art's relation to commerce The Black Box Gallery and much, much more.

Many of this year’s Visual Arts projects are on going beyond the festival dates. Keep up-to-date by checking up on the soon-to-be-unvieled Arts Blog and our social media channels. Most importantly get ready for summer, Calgary. We want to see what you've got this June!

Our big announcement this week is for people who love dancing, sunshine and free things. So, pretty much everybody. The East Village Block Party is back, baby! Come on down at 3pm on Thursday, June 19th and rock your bod to the sounds of LuckyMe bigshots Cashmere Cat and Jacques Greene, Parisian next-big-thing STWO, bedroom-trappin’ Natasha Kmeto, Calgary’s dance ambassadors Smalltown DJs and rising acts Project Pablo, Beach Season and Kline! This fantastic lineup was curated by Calgary’s party experts The Hifi Club.

Whether you’re a vogueing champ or have two left feet, we’ve got you covered. The East Village Block Party will also feature a Big Rock beer garden, Market Collective selling your fave wares , some of Calgary’s best food trucks and more! This event wouldn't be possible with the support of Skullcandy, Red Bull and East Village. Check out the event for full details and listen to the playlist here.

Remember, this is a FREE and all ages event so bring your friends and show ‘em how Sled Island gets down. We’ve got music from 3pm to 10pm and it’s going down rain or shine. See you there!

On Saturday, June 14th, the second annual Green Island Bike Scavenger Hunt kicks off at the Enmax Stage at Prince's Island Park! With last year's event turning out to be a massive success you just know this year will be even bigger. Green Island focuses on keeping green initiatives, environmental awareness and biking culture in Calgary as fun as it should be and this event best exemplifies those values.

From 12pm-5pm, you'll be hunting around the core for a list of finds themed around both Sled Island and Green Island. The first team of 4 to successfully complete the challenge will win 4 Discovery Passes and 4 decked-out bikes courtesy of Big Rock! We've also got a big after-party in the works so RSVP to the event page to keep up to date on that. Sign up your team here or let us know if you need a hand in setting up your squad.

Here's a re-cap of all the crucial details
Date: Saturday, June 14th (Rain or Shine)
Start: Enmax Stage in Prince's Island Park at 12pm
Cost: $10 per person or $40 for pre-formed teams

It is with heaviest of hearts that the Sled Island Music & Arts Festival has to announce that 2014 guest curator Kathleen Hanna’s appearances at Sled Island, including The Julie Ruin’s Calgary debut, have been cancelled. Hanna’s struggle with Lyme Disease, documented in the film The Punk Singer, is ongoing. Unfortunately, she is currently having a relapse which necessitates a difficult 3-month course of treatment. First and foremost, the festival’s thoughts are with Kathleen Hanna, a true artist and inspiration, in this difficult time.

While Hanna’s appearances have been cancelled, her curatorial presence remains felt throughout the 2014 festival. Her thoughtful programming selections across all elements of Sled Island, including musical acts Screaming Females, Hunx And His Punx, Younger Lovers, Mindtroll and Roman Polanski’s Baby and comedy selection Hari Kondabolu are still integral parts of the line-up. Hanna also has curated an art show, In Light Of It, which will still be exhibiting at Contemporary Calgary for the festival. As well, the aforementioned documentary, The Punk Singer, chronicling Hanna’s battle with Lyme Disease and absence from music, will be screened as part of the film programming.

While The Julie Ruin’s much-anticipated set cancellation is indeed a disappointment, Sled Island staff are currently working hard to program a thoughtful, exciting replacement for Hanna’s musical showcase on Saturday, June 21st at the #1 Royal Canadian Legion. In the meantime, refunds will be offered for this concert. If you purchased your ticket online, refunds should be processed automatically within the coming days. If you purchased your ticket at a retail outlet, please return to that outlet starting Monday, May 19th to receive a full refund.

We would like to assure festival-goers that, thanks heavily to Kathleen Hanna’s incredible work, Sled Island 2014 will remain a magical event and we wish her the swiftest of recoveries and a return to Calgary when her healing process allows.

The Sled Island Team

There's a brand new party in town and oh, what an arty party it is! Each year, Sled Island puts a thoughtful emphasis on showcasing artwork as an engaging part of our festival. This year marks the inaugural edition of our visual arts fundraiser.

On Friday, May 16th at Contemporary Calgary there will be two missions; to tear the roof off the place and to raise money for visual artists as to contribute more means to execute projects and provide fair compensation for their work.

"Butter" will be a sizzling evening filled with glistening visuals and the fired up dancefloor sounds of Jane Trash, Justin Wadell, Yung Nino and Sled 2014 artist Kline. We'll also be hosting a silent auction for works displayed at the event! Get RSVP'd by shooting an email to rsvp@sledisland.com and hop on over to the event for all the updates.

Once again, Sled Island is offering a super-deal All Ages Pass for some of our favourite people; young music lovers! All Ages programming has been a big part of Sled Island from the get-go. From the inaugural edition of the fest in 2007 with Cat Power at Knox United Church right up to last year's awesome performance by The Beets at Tubby Dog, there has and will continue to be exciting options for those under the legal drinking age. An All Ages Pass for $50 grants those under 18 access into tons of options to see headliners or try something new! Our film program is primarily open to All Ages and visual art listings are soon to follow!

The marquee event of Sled Island is always the headliner heavy days at Olympic Plaza. If you were to buy tickets for both days to see Spiritualized, Neko Case, Rocket From The Crypt, Blitzen Trapper and more, you would be spending $80. Duh! An All Ages Pass is a way better deal and gets you into both days at Olympic Plaza guaranteed! 

Another exciting option for All Ages programming this year is... wait for it... Touché Amoré! We just confirmed their (all-ages) show is happening on Saturday, June 21st at the Royal Canadian Legion #1 from 2 to 6pm. Tickets available here. You asked and we listened. This show is certain to be packed to the rafters so we encourage you to arrive as soon as doors open.

Putting on a exciting All Ages component can be a labour of love. You can help! We're looking for passionate young music lovers aged 15-17 to help us spread the word. Encourage your friends to come along to Sled Island with you and we'll keep track of referalls. Prizes will be awarded! Visit our All Ages page for more info.

We're also on the lookout for all-ages partners that benefit the All Ages community. If you're interested in partnering with Western Canada's largest indepdendent music and arts festival and have something to offer young music fans, we wanna hear from you! Email us for more details.

Want more? Get a feel for what's available with your pass by listening to our All Ages Playlist on Souncloud.

As always, Sled Island is keeping up with what's happening around Calgary. Hop on over to the Picks page to see what's going on. We now have All Ages options in colour.

That should give you plenty of all-ages info to chew on 'til we reveal the full schedule on May 27th! Stay tuned.

Sled Island is thrilled to announce the full lineup for the 8th annual festival edition featuring over 250 bands, films, artists and comedians spread across 30+ venues concentrated in the downtown core and surrounding areas of Calgary, Alberta from June 18-22, 2014. Check out the incredibly diverse lineup for Sled Island here.

Recent additions to the lineup include the electro-party sensation of Dan Deacon, American producer, AraabMuzik, Brooklyn-based experimental pioneer, Oneohtrix Point Never, incredibly fun Norwegian producer, Cashmere Cat, lush house sounds of Blondes, a special edition of Punk Rock Fancy hosted by DJ Bob Mould, Constantines front-man Bry Webb's solo endeavour and festival fave Ian Blurton's latest, Public Animal. 

Also announced are some of Calgary's finest, including the timeless power pop of The Mandates, hooky, guitar-laden popsmiths Lab Coast, the sheer ambition of 36?, the frighteningly catchy synthpunk of Teledrome and the audio-visual experience that is Holgans.

We've also added a variety of interesting acts from across Canada such as Crosss, woolworm, Jon McKiel, Open Relationship, Johnny de Courcy, Betrayers, Freak Heat Waves, Soupcans, xxx CLVR, Ghibli, Nervous Talk, Fountain and Maica Mia.

These artists join previously announced musical acts including Spiritualized, Neko Case, Rocket from The Crypt, St. Vincent, Joel Plaskett Emergency, Rhye, Killer Mike, The Julie Ruin, Mission of Burma, Touché Amoré, Earthless, Bob Mould, Chelsea Wolfe, Blitzen Trapper, The Fresh & Onlys, Power Trip, Jung People, Disappears, White Lung, Shannon and the Clams, Bass Drum of Death, U.S. Girls, Elliott Brood, Solids, PS I Love You, Royal Canoe, Jerusalem In My Heart, The Shrine, Each Other, The Blind Shake, Black Atlass, William Tyler, Renny Wilson, La Luz, Fiver, Anciients and Dead Ghosts.

In addition, guest curator and Riot Grrl co-founder Kathleen Hanna's personal picks include Screaming Females, Hunx and His Punx, Younger Lovers, Mindtroll, and Roman Polanski's Baby. Hanna will be performing with The Julie Ruin and the festival will also feature a screening of the documentary based on her life, The Punk Singer, with a special Q&A with Hanna.

This year's hot ticket comedy program features Kyle Kinane, Jon Daly, Hari Konabolu, Pat Thronton, Kathleen Phillips and Amanda Brooke Perrin. Stay tuned for more details to come in the following weeks.

Sled Island's film program is back for its 8th year and is built around all of your favourite things: record shops, synthesizers, punk singers and teenagers! Check out Sled Island 2014's film lineup here.

Stay tuned for the visual arts, special events and full schedule announcements coming in the next month.

Click here to view the Sled Island trailer.

Festival passes, offering access to every event at the festival subject to capacity, are now on sale for $199 (Discovery Pass) and $349 (Discovery Plus Pass) on our website. All-Ages Passes, giving those under the age of 18 access to the festival's all-ages programming, are also on sale for $50. 

A limited number of individual tickets for select shows are now available. Additional tickets for select shows go on sale May 6th on our website and Ticketfly. 

Sled Island film is back for its 8th year and we’ve built our program around all of your favourite things: record shops, synthesizers, punk singers and teenagers! We’ve included some of the best animated and comedic shorts we’ve seen in ages (keep an eye out for Ben and The Break), documentaries, premieres and an awesome Q+A with guest curator Kathleen Hanna on Friday night! When programming, we were careful to start our screenings between 6:30 - 7pm nightly, to give you guys time to line up for comedy and music! If you’re partied out by Sunday, join us at the Globe Cinema for an afternoon of music videos and a fantastic/ surreal/ eccentric film treat from the 1950s. For trailers and more details, visit the film page. 

Events are all-ages unless otherwise noted. Admission is included with the Festival Discovery and Discovery Plus passes. Individual tickets will be available at the door. 

Sled Island is proud to announce the 2014 edition of its fan favourite and hot ticket comedy program, which is sure to be a bigger favourite and hotter ticket than ever!

This year, we're welcoming the voice of Comedy Central, Kyle Kinane, the mastermind behind both the Kroll Show and the world's greatest ever Red Hot Chili Peppers-based hoax, Jon Daly, plus Hari Kondabolu, writer for Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell, who was hand-picked by Sled Island Guest Curator Kathleen Hanna. But that's not all! Also joining the line up we have the star of Rollertown and the annual "Pats 24 Hours" comedy marathon, Pat Thornton, Laugh Sabbath stalwart, Kathleen Phillips, and introducing hometown weirdo and Comedy Network contest winner, Amanda Brooke Perrin!

To top it off, thanks to our generous partner One Yellow Rabbit we have the pleasure to add the beautiful Big Secret Theatre to our comedy venues. The Big Secret Theatre will also host two presentations of Radioheaded 2: A Listening Party to Watch during the festival, a creation of Denise Clarke mixing dance, theatre and music, based on 2007 Radiohead album In Rainbows.

More comedy details including additional acts, ticketing info and schedule to follow over in the coming weeks!

Sled Island is excited to partner with Lukes Drug Mart to host our second annual pre-festival party on Sunday, June 8th from noon to 5pm. The event will feature a free concert and is open to all ages. It will be taking place outside of Lukes Drug Mart’s Bridgeland location at 112 4TH St. NE. 

Canadian hip-hop extraordinaire Shad will headline the party along with northwest pop-punk sensations, Tacocat as direct support. Vancouver’s Dead Soft and local Calgary band Night Committee will round out the bill.

This is our second annual event in partnership with Lukes Drug Mart, one year removed from the highly successful 2013 inaugural Sled Island pre-festival party which featured Rural Alberta Advantage and Ladyhawk as performers. As mentioned, once again it's free and all-ages. Join us for an awesome afternoon of total fun. RSVP for the Facebook event here.

Sled Island supports the creation of a Cycle Track Network based on the positive impact it would have on our festival-goer's experience and the boost to our city. Read what executive director, Maud Salvi has to say about it below. 

On April 28 Calgary City Council will vote on a plan for a separated Cycle Track Network in Calgary. This project will put more people on bicycles, reduce the amount of cars on our roads and benefit the health and safety of Calgarians. The vote at City Council is going to be very close. Tell your Council representatives that you support the Cycle Track Network by calling 403-268-2430. More information about the Cycle Track Network can be found here.

If you support the Cycle Track Network please consider ‘liking’ their Facebook page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We're excited to announce our second wave of headliners playing this year's festival: Boston post-punk legends and long-time festival wishlist performers Mission of Burma, Portland-based freak-folk flag bearers Blitzen Trapper, The Fresh & Onlys' fuzz pop from San Francisco, punk'd-up thrash metal from Dallas Power Trip, indie shoegaze Krautrock and Steve Shelley (Sonic Youth) collaborators Disappears, Vancouver punk rock DIY stalwart White Lung, doo-wop garage rock from Shannon & The Clams, Brooklyn-based experimental and ethereal pop artist Julianna Barwick, lo-fi, fuzzed out Mississippi garage rockers Bass Drum of Death, U.S. Girls' experimental 60s AM radio-inspired pop, Canadian alt-country heroes Elliott Brood, Berlin-via Montreal DJ Deadbeat, and Jerusalem In My Heart's return to Calgary post-2013 flood to finish their National Music Centre residency.

In addition, guest curator and Riot Grrl co-founder Kathleen Hanna's personal picks include Screaming Females, Hunx And His Punx, Younger Lovers, Mindtroll, and Roman Polanski's Baby. Hanna will be performing with The Julie Ruin and the festival will also feature a screening of the documentary based on her life, The Punk Singer, with a special Q&A with Hanna.

These artists join over 35 other artists, including previously announced headliners: Spiritualized, Neko Case, Rocket From The Crypt, St. Vincent, Touché Amoré, Joel Plaskett Emergency, Rhye, Killer Mike, Earthless, Bob Mould and Chelsea Wolfe. Festival goers can expect over 250 bands plus film, comedy, visual art, and special events in the 30+ venues from June 18-22, 2014. Stay tuned for comedy, film, and the full line-up announcements in the coming month.

Click here to view the Sled Island trailer

Festival passes, offering access to every event at the festival subject to capacity, are now on sale for $199 (Discovery Pass) and $349 (Discovery Plus Pass) on our website. All-Ages Passes, giving those under the age of 18 access to the festival's all-ages programming, are also on sale for $50.

A limited number of individual tickets for select shows go on sale April 11th via our website and Ticketfly. 

Are you interested in volunteering for Sled Island this year? The volunteer sign-up form is now live, get it here! and fill it out completely for maximum good times this summer.

If you're looking for pre-festival volunteering hours, we have an opportunity coming up. A casino fundraiser on Saturday, May 31st and Sunday June 1st. Please email volunteer@sledlsand.com directly or indicate on the form if you're interested in this opportunity.

Now is the time! Go ahead, sign up! After that, you can expect an email from Briana, our volunteer coordinator later this month regarding an orientation session (date TBA). You may also want to add volunteer@sledisland.com to your contacts or safe list to ensure future emails don't end up in your spam folder.

Thanks to everyone who offers thier time and effort by signing up to volunteer for Sled Island! Excitement is high this year, and we're looking forward to being able to work with all of you. Don't hesitate to contact volunteer@sledisland.com with any questions.

Sled Island is pleased to present the 1982 classic, Ladies and Gentlemen: The Fabulous Stains on Thursday, April 24 at The Globe Cinema (617 - 8 Ave SW) at 7:30pm. Tickets are $12 (only avaialble at the door) and proceeds will go to Sled Island's film program.

Ladies and Gentlemen: The Fabulous Stains stars Diane Lane as a disaffected, punk rocker who's anti-social rants to the media make her all-girl garage rock band an overnight national sensation - despite their total lack of talent. Laura Dern and Ray Winstone also star in this cult classic.

RSVP for the Facebook event here.

Sled Island Music & Arts Festival continues to cement its reputation as one of the must-experience festivals in North America. Known for the thoughtful presentation of its fun, forward-thinking line-up, the festival is set to make a triumphant return following the challenges that accompanied the Alberta floods of June 2013.

Watch the festival trailer here!

Today, the first wave of headliners has been announced, representing what is sure to be one of the most diverse line-ups in the festival’s history. Sled Island 2014 is thrilled to present: a rare appearance from UK space rock legends Spiritualized, the celebrated and eclectic American singer-songwriter Neko Case, the world’s greatest party rock band Rocket From The Crypt and refined experimental pop artist and David Byrne and Swans collaborator St. Vincent. These artists are joined by the currently exploding American post-hardcore of Touché Amoré, Joel Plaskett Emergency, the Canadian national treasures who return following their cancelled 2013 appearance, the smooth-as-silk Danish-Canadian boudoir-R&B duo Rhye and the critically-acclaimed Atlanta hip-hop legend in the making, Killer Mike. Rounding out the first wave are psych-rock power trio flag-bearers Earthless, the long-awaited re-emergence of riot grrrl co-founder Kathleen Hanna in The Julie Ruin, alt-rock icon Bob Mould (Hüsker Dü) and goth-tinged experimental singer-songwriter Chelsea Wolfe.

The 2014 edition of Sled Island is guest curated by Kathleen Hanna, celebrated musician (Bikini Kill, Le Tigre, The Julie Ruin), feminist activist and zine writer. Each year, the guest curator helps to set the direction and tone of the festival through specialized programming choices and with their presence at the festival.

The festival, now entering its eighth year, will see over 250 bands, film screenings, art events, comedy shows and special events invade more than 30 venues in downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Stay tuned for more exciting artist announcements on April 2nd, 2014.

Festival passes, offering access to every event at the festival subject to capacity, are now on sale for $199 (Discovery Pass) and $349 (Discovery Plus Pass). All-Ages Passes, giving those under the age of 18 access to the festival’s all-ages programming, are also on sale for $50. Order your festival pass today!

Individual tickets for select shows are now on sale. Find out more information here.

Sled Island is currently accepting art exhibition, performance, installation and special project proposals for the 2014 edition of the festival.

While this is a unique opportunity for emerging artists, curators and performers of all media to engage with a context that embraces the spirit and relationship between the visual arts and music in Calgary, proposals do not need to contain a direct link to music to be considered. Simply, we’re looking for art, design and curatorial proposals that will contribute unique, intriguing, enhanced or additional experiences for festival-goers to encounter at Sled Island. There are no limitations to the type of projects or media that can be proposed - simply, we want to be excited! Follow the link for more details.

Nobody rains on our parade! Thanks to the overwhelming support of our community, including attendees, artists and our numerous partners, The Sled Island Music and Arts Festival returns following the devastating Alberta floods that caused the cancellation of the 2013 edition of the festival just two days into its four day program. Facing losses of up to $200,000, nearly 70% of Sled Island pass holders chose to forgo or re-invest their pass purchase to ensure the festival’s long term viability. Sled Island will be back in 2014, bigger and better than ever!

Today we're thrilled to announce the 2014 guest curator, Kathleen Hanna (The Julie Ruin, Le Tigre, Bikini Kill), celebrated musician, feminist activist and zine writer. Each year, the guest curator helps to set the direction and tone of the festival through specialized programming choices and with their presence at the festival. Past curators have included: John Dwyer (Thee Oh Sees), Tim Hecker, Andrew W.K., Colin Newman (Wire), Fucked Up, Scott Kannberg (Pavement) and more. As long-time admirers of Hanna’s work across artistic media, the festival couldn’t be more excited to see the shape the festival takes with her thoughtful input.

Festival Passes are on sale now at limited-time price of... 

$179 Discovery Pass - access to all Sled Island events (250+ bands, art, film, comedy), subject to capacity.
$299 Discovery Plus Pass - all the benefits of the Discovery Pass as well as priority access to all Sled Island events (skip to the front of lines!), Artist Lounge privileges, a Sled Island delegate bag and more!

All-Ages Passes are also on sale for $50, granting you access to all-ages venues including Olympic Plaza, Tubby Dog and many more.

Sled Island is proud as well to announce a new Festival Presenting Sponsor and beer partner, Big Rock Brewery. The Calgary-based brewery’s enthusiasm for both the festival and larger music & arts community in the city is infectious and will help to ensure that festival-goers’ thirst is quenched and show-going experience as fun as ever!

Sled Island’s film program keeps on growing, incorporating traditional and non-traditional venues, interactive screenings as well as diverse programming including documentaries and narrative features. To submit a film for consideration for the 2014 festival, please fill out the submissions form. The deadline to apply is Friday March 7th, 2014.

And don’t forget band applications are open too! Apply today.