Things to do in Edmonton this week: September 27–October 3

This week is a swing between clear and cool at the top and a wet middle stretch—plan your outdoor moves for Sunday and Monday, save the theatres and pubs for Tuesday's drizzle, and finish strong on the weekend. The marquee draw is & Juliet, the jukebox musical built on Shakespeare and pop hooks, landing at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium on Sunday afternoon and evening; if you caught it last year, you know the formula works. The same day, Maria Bamford takes the Myer Horowitz Theatre at 7 p.m.—her stand-up mines depression, anxiety, and family dysfunction with a self-aware edge that cuts deeper than most comedy on the circuit.

On the music side, Thursday night splits between two sharply different rooms. LØLØ, the Canadian singer-songwriter who released falling for robots & wishing i was one in 2024, plays Double Dragon at 7 p.m.—an intimate set for anyone drawn to introspective indie pop. Meanwhile, across town at The Buckingham, Dune Rats (hard rock out of Australia) come with support from Peacebreach Super Ego and Criminal Piss, doors at 7 p.m., tickets from $35; if you want your Thursday loud and raw, this is it. If you're willing to drive out to Sherwood Park—just 13 kilometres south—Pavlo performs folk at Festival Place at 7:30 p.m. the same night.

Hockey frames both bookends. The Oil Kings face Medicine Hat Tigers at Rogers Place on Sunday at 4 p.m., and when the Vancouver Canucks roll in Tuesday night at 8 p.m., the Ice District will be packed; grab dinner at Commodore on Jasper Ave beforehand if you want diner comfort food at a price that won't drain your game-ticket budget. For those following university sport, the Pandas Rugby squad takes on Victoria Vikes at Foote Field on Thursday at 6 p.m., and the Golden Bears Football team hosts Manitoba Bisons Friday at 6:30 p.m.—both solid fall matchups on what should be cool but dry afternoons.

Saturday night closes the week with oskar med k at Midway Music Hall at 9 p.m.—the Norwegian electronic producer behind the Khalid remix of "Make Me Feel" will spin what amounts to a late-night electronic set for anyone chasing club energy as the weekend winds down.

Beyond the stage: the downtown celestial-themed park project announced this fall will break ground in spring 2027 at 103 Street and 100 Avenue, a much-needed gathering space with Indigenous-inspired design in a neighbourhood that needs more reasons to linger. Island Brew Coffee House has shuttered after a couple of years on 124th Street, a reminder of how tight the small-business squeeze has become in Edmonton's retail landscape.

Tuesday's drizzle makes it a night for JINYA Ramen Bar, where a hot bowl erases the wet-day sting. If the weekend stays clear—and Friday and Saturday both look holdable—Bianco's pizza on a patio beats most indoor options this time of year.

If I had one night this week, it would be Sunday matinee at & Juliet, followed by late dinner somewhere in Old Strathcona while the sun is still in the sky and the temperature is actually cooperative.