King Eddy marks 120 years with three-day Eddy Fest celebrating its blues legacy

The King Eddy, one of Canada's oldest music venues still in operation, is celebrating 120 years of history this weekend with Eddy Fest—a three-day celebration of its legendary blues heritage.

Built in 1905 as one of many hotels along the CPR tracks on 9th Avenue in what was known as "Whisky Row" and "Hotel Row," the King Eddy served as Calgary's doorstep for migrants, travellers, and workers building new lives in the city. In the 1950s, it became the first hotel in Calgary to desegregate and welcome African-Americans and African-Canadians. The venue transitioned to live music in the 1970s before Jack Karp bought it in 1982 and transformed it into a Canadian mecca for blues.

For decades, the King Eddy became an obligatory stop on the Western Canada circuit for old-time blues musicians, earning a reputation as one of the best rooms for the genre in Canada and perhaps the world. Blues saxophonist A.C. Reed, who backed Muddy Waters and opened for The Rolling Stones, was among the greats who performed there. Andrew Mosker, now president and CEO of the National Music Centre, first discovered the King Eddy in the early 1990s when a hotel worker suggested he check it out. He caught A.C. Reed that night and became a devoted fan, later seeing Buddy Guy, Albert Collins, Junior Wells, Matt "Guitar" Murphy, and Buckwheat Zydeco perform at the venue.

Kevin McAuley, a regular in the 1980s, remembered the atmosphere vividly. "It was intimidating for some because it was kind of seedy," he said. "It wasn't your upscale establishment by any means, but it very nicely represented typical blues bars throughout the U.S. that I had been to, juke joints and places like that. Even though it seemed a little intimidating, the people who frequented it were just amazing."

The venue closed in 2004 but was preserved by the National Music Centre. The King Eddy now stands as a key part of Calgary's musical landscape, and Eddy Fest celebrates both its storied past and its continued role in the city's live music scene. Festival tickets are on sale now.