Calgary Folk Music Festival drops the needle despite exchange-rate sour note

Picture it. Late summer 2025. You are strolling along Memorial Drive and as you get closer to Prince's Island Park, you can hear music.

Lots and lots of folk music.

The 46th edition of the Calgary Folk Music Festival takes over the urban island park for a four-day weekend starting July 24.

"There are a lot of local artists and Canadian artists," the festival's artistic director Kerry Clarke told reporters Wednesday.

"Because our festival is so collaborative, it gives them a chance to try things out and meet other artists and maybe do some new songs for them."

Thursday's stage will welcome Sierra Ferrell, Michael Kiwanuka and Elisapie.

Patrick Watson, Ruby Waters, Cymande, BadBadNotGood and Moontricks will entertain Friday.

"Saturday night's festivities culminate with revered hardcore troubadour Steve Earle with Reckless Kelly, Texas's beacons of fresh hick rock, after crack East L.A. Mexican roots and blues rockers Los Lobos and Madeleine Peyroux's dusky lyrics, wrapped in sultry, playful, retro sounds," the festival said in a release.

The festival wraps Sunday with Cake, Ocie Elliott and LA LOM.

Here's the full lineup.

Clarke said there's a lot of moving pieces with a festival of this size.

"A lot of negotiation, a lot of back and forth. Michael Kiwanuka was out, then he was in, then he was out, now he is in. So a lot of juggling and negotiation," she said.

"This festival is able to attract great artists because we have a really good reputation."

The volatile situation south of the border with tariffs and a punishing exchange rate affects decision-making in Calgary, Clarke explained.

"A lot of artists are booked well before we knew exactly who was going to be elected and when they were elected, exactly what impact that would have," she said.

"There are a lot of American headliners that are going to bring in people to see Canadian artists, and we want to keep collaborations between the two countries. Those conversations are critical."

The festival aims for a minimum of 50 per cent Canadian artists. This year, Clarke said it's closer to 60.

But it's the U.S.-Canadian exchange rate that's really hurting.

"It impacts the budget hugely," Clarke said.

"This year is one of the worst in about the last 20 years.… If we didn't have that huge cost, we could have at least a couple more American headliners, probably four or five more Canadian headliners. So it does impact the overall look of the lineup."