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For more than two decades, the sights and sounds of GlobalFest have drawn thousands to northeast Calgary for a late-summer tradition.
But organizers say they have found a new home across the city at Spruce Meadows for the 2026 event.
“Elliston Park was an amazing space, but we were outgrowing it,” explained GlobalFest chief operating officer, Ken Goosen.
“With it being a very limited, flat area, we couldn’t really bring any additional programming in.”
Late last year, the festival paused ticket sales for the 2026 event as uncertainty surrounding its financial future swirled.
The 2025 event fell roughly 11,000 tickets short of the mark set a year earlier, which Goosen previously said left a quarter-million-dollar hole in their budget.
With the move, Goosen says it allows the festival to add a fourth day — for the first time in the event’s history — as well as garner new sponsors.
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“There’s a lot of services that don’t come in a city park area that Spruce Meadows has in spades,” Goosen said, adding the “immediate and long-term future” of the event was in jeopardy prior to the move.
Back on Calgary’s International Avenue, near Elliston Park, community leaders say it will leave a hole in the late-August calendar, in the business community and in local culture.
“It’s just… kind of what happens in east Calgary. Things become successful… then they leave,” said Alison Karim-McSwiney.
Karim-McSwiney has worked with GlobalFest since it started back in 2003 and now works for the International Avenue Business Revitaliation Zone, as well as the International Arts and Culture Community (IAACC).
“We were able to leverage $60,000 (through parking revenue) that actually went into artists in residence programs, and allowing artists to thrive in the area.”
Karim-McSwiney says that lack of parking revenue will lead to a roughly 30-per cent shortfall in IAACC’s annual income.
“This is a very culturally diverse part of Calgary, and traditionally kind of an underserved part of Calgary as well,” says IAACC board member, Michael Gretton.
“The festival was really just a highlight for the residents, local businesses.”
Karim-McSwiney added GlobalFest was a big reason why the City of Calgary made improvements to Elliston Park, including recently introducing electrical service.
Ward 9 councillor Harrison Clark won’t get to see the festival in his ward for the first time this summer after winning his Calgary city council seat last October.
“It’s been a longstanding invitation for the City of Calgary to come out that way,” Clark said. “We’re sad to see them go. They can try it at Spruce Meadows, see what they think… they’re always welcome to come back.”
Goosen says GlobalFest aims to add a shuttle service between Spruce Meadows and the nearby Somerset-Bridlewood CTrain station to ensure the event is accessible for non-drivers — and the parking situation should be much improved.
GlobalFest runs from Aug. 27-30.
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