Sled Island's All-Ager Rager
Join us on Saturday, April 6 for Sled Island’s All-Ager Rager – an all-day, multi-venue event made especially for young fans!
From 2–11pm, we’ll feature 15+ bands across three venues, including Pin-Bar, Sloth Records and Loophole Coffee Bar. Please note, Sloth Records is up a flight of stairs with no elevator.
Hear music from Brain Bent, Ethan Cybril, Femi, HARSH, In Search of Sasquatch, LOOK ALIVE, LOTUS CHROME, Malaika Hailey, Neon Detour, Oranje, Rebel Grrrlz, The Break-Ins, The Canadian Dispatch, The Turnarounds, WACK, and Zoo!
If you’ve never been to Sled, this is the perfect introduction to the festival. And if you’re already an experienced Sledder, you can bet this will be an epic warm-up to the big event this June!
Attendees 21 and younger will be given priority entrance, and receive a free slice of pizza and DandyPop at Pin-Bar, and a cookie at Loophole Coffee Bar.
Thanks to Calgary Arts Development, The City of Calgary and DandyPop for making this all possible!
Props to Jag Mackenzie for the awesome poster art!
RSVP FOR FREE!
Sled Island 2024 First Wave Lineup Announcement
The first wave of Sled Island 2024 artists is here!
Joining Sled Island's previously announced 2024 guest curator, Show Me the Body, is incisive Chicago rapper Mick Jenkins (performing with a full band at The Palace Theatre), Los Angeles indie rockers Cherry Glazerr, genre-bending rap artist Kari Faux, Montreal-based hip-hop trio Planet Giza, '70s Zamrock revivalists W.I.T.C.H., renowned soundscape composer Laurel Halo, British electronic producer Forest Swords, eminent post-punk three-piece Wombo, and Philadelphia hardcore punk group Soul Glo (selected by Show Me the Body).
Also included in the first wave lineup is acclaimed Toronto-based death metal band Tomb Mold, avant-garde ambient composer and Calgary native Sarah Davachi, hypnotic indie-pop musician Lael Neale, free jazz collective Irreversible Entanglements (led by poet and musician Moor Mother), illustrious multidisciplinary artist Malcolm Mooney (best known as the original singer of the '70s German krautrock group Can) with his new project Malcolm Mooney & The Eleventh Planet, and Canadian “doom-esque” metal group Ethereal Tomb.
Each year, Sled Island's guest curator helps to shape the festival's programming. Show Me the Body’s previously mentioned curator pick, Soul Glo, will be joined by several other exciting selections, including prolific underground rap artist WiFiGawd, experimental pop artist LUCY (Cooper B. Handy), digital hardcore-meets-hip-hop act LustSickPuppy, industrial noise project NGHTCRWLR (the latest embodiment from King Woman’s Kris Esfandiari), and more still to be announced.
Rounding out today’s announcement is some incredible Alberta-based talent, including psych-infused indie group Kue Varo & The Only Hopes, wildly energetic post-punk outfit Brain Bent, Edmonton indie-punks Stem Champ, hip-hop powerhouse Tea Fannie & The Collective, and retro-pop supergroup Ginger Beef, featuring award-winning flutist Jiajia Li and veteran producer/multi-instrumentalist Warren Tse.
Sled Island’s complete 2024 lineup will be announced in the coming months, including additional headliners, over 150 more bands as well as comedy, film, visual art, special events and conference programming. For now, start checking out these newly announced artists on our Sled Island 2024 Spotify playlist!
Sled Island passes are currently on sale at SledIsland.com/Passes. Today is the final day to save 20% on select Sled Island passes. Regular prices go into effect tomorrow, February 7 at 12:00am MST.
For those who can't attend the whole festival, a limited number of single show tickets to select Sled Island 2024 shows will go on sale this Friday, February 9 at noon MST.
For more information and to check out the first wave lineup, visit SledIsland.com.
Thanks again to Becca Lowe for the awesome poster art!
Thank you to our sponsors and funders at connectFirst Credit Union, Eighty-Eight Brewing Company, Dandy Brewing, Calgary Arts Development, The City of Calgary, Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Structured Abstraction, SOCAN Foundation, Venture for Canada, and the Government of Canada.
Show Me the Body Announced as 2024 Guest Curator
We're thrilled to announce that New York experimental hardcore trio Show Me the Body will be joining us as guest curator for Sled Island 2024, running June 19 - 23! The group’s cross-genre musical approach, ceremonial live shows, dedication to creating inclusive spaces, and commitment to fostering a global sense of community made them a very fitting choice for this role, and we’re excited to be working with them for next year’s festival.
Along with guest curator duties, Show Me the Body will perform at the #1 Royal Canadian Legion (116 7th Ave. SE) on Saturday, June 22, 2024. Sled Island passes grant access to this show (subject to capacity).
Each year, Sled Island’s guest curator puts their stamp on the festival through special programming choices and their presence at the event. Show Me the Body’s curatorial selections, to be announced in the coming months, will join over 200 additional bands, comedy, film, visual art and conference programming chosen by the festival in multiple venues across Calgary.
Passes go on sale this Friday, December 8 at noon MST at a special early bird rate of 20% off, and will be available at SledIsland.com, and Lukes Drug Mart (112 4th St. NE). Payment plans and all-ages passes will also be available. For more information, visit SledIsland.com/Passes.
Unfamiliar with Show Me the Body? Start with their 2022 LP Trouble The Water, about which Pitchfork said the band “strike gold” with “daring” music in a glowing review. Also, be sure to check out some of their live footage available on YouTube to get a sense of what we're in store for this June!
Thank you to our sponsors and funders at connectFirst Credit Union, Lukes Drug Mart, Eighty-Eight Brewing, Dandy Brewing Company, Calgary Arts Development, The City of Calgary, Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Structured Abstraction, Venture for Canada, and the Government of Canada.
#KeepOnSleddin Fundraising Campaign
This holiday season, we are asking for your help to get us to our $25,000 fundraising goal, which will be directly invested in the production of our 2024 festival. The Government of Alberta will match 30% of funds raised (up to a max of $15,000) for eligible campaigns that raise a minimum of $5,000. A tax receipt will be issued in exchange of donations of $10 or more!
To donate, visit SledIsland.com/Donate.
If you have attended Sled Island in the past, you know that it is a one-of-a-kind music festival full of new experiences, friendships and connections. Sled Island is dear to attendees, local artists, small businesses and hundreds of community partners who come together each June to celebrate our independent music and arts scene, while also welcoming exciting talents from far and wide.
Beyond our annual festival, we work hard year-round to nurture the local music scene, advocate for our sector, give opportunities to local musicians and offer you more unique shows, all while operating with a small permanent staff of four people.
Putting on a festival like Sled Island in Calgary is expensive. The current high inflation rate, coupled with the increasing price of flights and a weak Canadian dollar are putting unprecedented stress on our budget. We are committed to our event remaining financially accessible but for that, we need your help.
Thank you for your generous support!
The Sled Island Rock Lotto Returns
The always entertaining and unpredictable Sled Island Rock Lotto will make its triumphant return on Saturday, November 18!
Join us at the Palomino Smokehouse and Social Club, where we’ll bring together 25 musicians from various backgrounds and draw names from a hat to form one-off bands for one night only, with just 12 hours to write and perform new material!
This year, the event is focused on creating meaningful connections between musicians just starting their music journey in the city and artists more familiar with the Calgary music scene, with the goal of fostering a more diverse music ecosystem and increasing equitable access to creative opportunities for all.