Femme Wave
Calgary’s feminist arts festival returns for its fourth year with a stellar lineup
- Price: Free - $70
With the goal of creating an integrated, encouraging arts scene with opportunities for women and non-binary artists, Femme Wave returns with nearly 30 musical acts and a stellar selection of visual arts, comedy, and film programming.
Calgary’s only feminist arts festival, Femme Wave is a collective-run organization from diverse and varying backgrounds with a mission of creating safe, positive, and inclusive space for women and non-binary artists.
The lineup includes Vancouver’s JB The First Lady alongside musical talent from across Alberta and Saskatchewan including Too Attached, the musical project of siblings Vivek Shraya and Shamik Bilgi, and Calgary’s own Polly Dactic. There’s also an all-ages show crawl and a whole day of workshops to check out.
Not sure where to start? Here are our not-to-be-missed picks for this year’s festival:
Femme Wave Kickoff Cabaret
November 15, 2018, 7:00pm
Dickens Pub (1000 9th Ave. SW)
$15 – $20, 18+
With its annual, multi-disciplinary kickoff cabaret, Femme Wave starts on the right note. Co-presented by Sled Island, this party has a bit of everything including film, spoken word, comedy, visual arts, and music.
showpass.com
Femme Wave Fun House
November 16, 2018, 7:00pm
Royal Canadian Legion #1 (116 7th Ave. SE)
$20 – $25, 18+ after 8:30pm
The Friday night of your dreams, this epic evening takes over all three floors of the beloved #1 Legion and includes performances by headliners Too Attached and JB the First Lady. Presented in partnership with Indigenous Resilience in Music and funded by FACTOR, the music line-up alone features half Indigenous artists.
showpass.com
Femme Wave All-Day All-Ages Show Crawl
November 17, 2018
Multiple locations
Free – $12 per show
Save your Saturday for this all-ages, all-day crawl as Femme Wave takes over downtown Calgary with a handful of wicked shows and sweet programming.
showpass.com
Dance this Mess Around
November 17, 2018, 9:00pm
King Eddy (438 9th Ave. SE)
$15 – $20, 18+
Want to dance the night away? Then be sure to hit up Femme Wave’s first ever DJ dance night co-presented with Alberta Electronic Music. The lineup includes sets from Kellarisa, Mother Mary, Duchess of Dub, and more.
showpass.com
And, as always, the festival is committed to providing a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race or religion.
Femme Wave runs November 15 to 18, 2018 at venues around the inner-city. Head to femmewave.com for the full festival schedule.
