Since 2007, Sled Island's thoughtful, eclectic programming and independent spirit have produced a one-of-a-kind festival experience. Each June, the five-day music and arts festival brings together a community of music, comedy, film and art as well as over 40,000 attendees in diverse venues, earning rave reviews from attendees, artists and media across the globe.

You might wonder why donate to a festival when you already have to pay for admission, which is a fair question. The short answer is, putting on an event like Sled Island in Calgary is expensive. International artists do not tour through Calgary and most need to be flown over and paying artist fees in US dollars means adding 30% to our artistic expenses. All in all, the cost of your ticket or pass far from covers what it actually costs to produce the festival.

Add to this the recent provincial cuts to art funding and a substantial decrease to our federal public funding, as well as decreased sponsorship investment in Calgary since the beginning of the recession, and the gap to close becomes bigger and bigger. 

On top of tireless, year-round work to stay sustainable, we're also looking to our community for donations that are an investment not only in the festival we all look forward to each year, but in our year-round support of Calgary’s music and arts scene.

If you think our work is meaningful and brings value to Calgary’s community, please consider making a monthly or one-time donation to help ensure Sled Island will be here for years to come.

Sled Island is grateful for donations of all sizes and all donations will contribute to Sled Island’s operating and programming costs. For donations of $10 and more, a tax receipt will be issued to you.

Sled Island has weathered a flood, an economic downturn, a cancellation amidst a global pandemic, and decreasing sponsorship dollars across the Canadian arts sector. Despite our tenacity through hard times, the changing economic realities facing organizations like ours mean we must find new paths for ensuring our sustainability.

Sled Island is more than just five days in June. It’s a year-round catalyst for music, arts and community and a beloved connector of partners, volunteers, artists and audience members. It's a leader in fostering all-ages, green, safer spaces, inclusion and accessibility initiatives. It’s also an important economic driver. A 2015 economic impact study produced by the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance showed that Sled Island generated $3.4 million in economic activity for Alberta that year. 

With accessibility as a core value, the festival is committed to keeping pass and ticket prices affordable as well as continuing to offer high-quality free programming. As a result, box office revenues cover only 35% of our annual expenses.

Our goal is to stay sustainable, and continue to bring eclectic music and art to Calgary for years to come, but to do this, we need your support! Please consider donating today.