Patio Series Returns to Festival Place for 29th Summer
Nine Wednesday nights of live music in the Peace Park, featuring diverse pairings of jazz, Celtic, country, and pop acts.
The Qualico Patio Series returns to Sherwood Park's Festival Place for its 29th season, a summer institution that's built a devoted following by pairing unlikely musical acts and letting the chemistry do the work.
Nine Wednesday shows stretch across July and August, each featuring two acts on the same stage. The lineup mixes genres deliberately—jazz next to country, Celtic next to pop—forcing audiences to discover things they didn't know they wanted to hear. Festival Place talent supervisor Brett Fraser described the philosophy: "I think the crowd is really growing to like those pairings. It's not always easy to find new music in our environment of commercial radio and streaming algorithms."
The series kicks off July 8 with Cara Lianne McLeod and Fuller Hull, moves through Paul Woida, Catherine MacLellan, Diet & the Love Soldiers, Ben Sures, and more through the summer, closing September 2 with Edmonton-raised Tammy Weis performing songs from her new EP Home is on my Mind, a tribute to Canadian songwriters.
Last year more than half the shows sold out. Pre-sale season passes have already hit record sales this year, a sign demand is outpacing supply. Organizers still reserve tickets for walk-up attendees on show nights, but it's getting harder as word-of-mouth spreads. The new menu partnership with local restaurant The U-Turn Eatery adds another layer to the experience—dinner, then live music in the grass as the sun goes down.
Bring your own chair. If weather turns, the shows move inside to Festival Place's main stage. For the full lineup and tickets, visit festivalplace.ca/events/series/qualico-patio-series.