Spring is done springing, and warmer weather is paving the way for our favourite season: summer festival season! Across the North and beyond, summer buzzes with events celebrating Inuit and circumpolar art and cultures. Many of these festivals provide a platform for Inuit artists to share their work, connect with audiences, and strengthen community ties. We’re back again this year to tell you where to find festivals featuring everything from Inuit films and music to visual arts—even a seal-skinning competition.
July
PIQSIQ, Inuksuk Mackay (left) and Tiffany Ayalik (right), performing at the 2025 Great Northern Arts Festival COURTESY GREAT NORTHERN ARTS FESTIVAL
Great Northern Arts Festival
July 8–13, 2026
Inuuvik, Inuvialuit Settlement Region, NT
Established in 1989, the Great Northern Arts Festival is the longest standing pan-Arctic arts festival in North America. The Great Northern Arts Festival is a multi-day celebration of Arctic arts and cultures in Inuuvik, Inuvialuit Settlement Region, NT, bringing together artists, storytellers, musicians, and communities from across the North. This year’s theme, “Gathering,” highlights community, creativity, and the relationship between people and the land in Inuuvik, drawing inspiration from traditions of sharing and the abundance of the Arctic summer, when berries, plants, and wildlife are plentiful across the landscape.
The programming includes an event run by Inuk writer Jamesie Fournier (who hosted a spoken-word event at the 2025 festival), where attendees will “gather and relate artistically, creatively, and emotionally through words.” [1] Artist Kim Ruben from Paulatuuq, Inuvialuit Settlement Region, NT, based in Inuuvik, will be delivering a traditional doll-making and sewing workshop.
Folk On The Rocks
July 17–19, 2026
Yellowknife, NT
Founded in 1980, Folk On The Rocks has grown from a small outdoor concert into one of Canada’s premier summer music festivals. Held on the shores of Long Lake in Yellowknife, NT, the event features more than 35 hours of programming across six stages, with performers from the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and across Canada. In addition to music, the festival includes food vendors, an art market, community activities, a children’s area, and a beer garden.
This year’s line-up includes artists at various stages in their careers, many of whom are local to Yellowknife. Tłı̨chǫ singer-songwriter and guitarist Stacie Arden Smith is one of the notable local artists. Her music is deeply rooted in the North and she says it is shaped by the community and her lived experiences. Also, make sure not to miss the performance by the Tree of Peace Jiggers, a Yellowknife youth dance group that brings generations of high-energy dance traditions to life through lively performances and interactive workshops.
August
Uiksaringitara (Wrong Husband) (2025) (still) COURTESY ISUMA DISTRIBUTION INTERNATIONAL INC.
International First Peoples’ Festival
August 4–14, 2026
Montreal, QC
The International First Peoples’ Festival, a major celebration of Indigenous cultures from across the Americas and around the world, unfolds throughout Montreal’s cultural venues with a vibrant multidisciplinary program. The Place des Festivals is transformed into a space that will feature installations inspired by Indigenous worldviews and the work of contemporary Indigenous artists whose practices are rooted in rich artistic and spiritual traditions.
This year, for its 36th rendition, the festival will showcase Zacharias Kunuk’s, OC, ON, Uiksaringitara (Wrong Husband) (2025), which won in the Best Canadian Feature Film category at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. The line-up and exact schedule are to be determined, but festival organizers told the IAQ that they’re hoping to feature Inuit musicians, so follow their social media accounts and stay tuned for announcements!
Beatrice Deer and William Tagoona performing at Aqpik Jam in 2024 COURTESY BEATRICE DEER PHOTO CHARLIE SHIPALUK
Aqpik Jam
August 11–14, 2026
Kuujjuaq, Nunavik, QC
Recognized as Nunavik’s largest music festival, Aqpik Jam is a four-day celebration in Kuujjuaq, Nunavik, QC, featuring nightly performances and community events, including its signature aqpik berry-picking competition. Held each year during the second week of August to coincide with the ripening and harvest of aqpiit, the festival has been running since 1996. While it was established to showcase musicians connected to Inuit culture, its line-up has since grown to include Canadian pop acts and tribute bands.
In last year’s edition, Inuk musician Niivi Snowball gave an incredible performance of their music, while Beatrice Deer returned to the festival’s stage in 2024 for the first time since 2016. This year’s line-up is still in the works, but it’s sure to be as delightful as usual.
Nitjautik Music Festival
Tasiujaq, Nunavik, QC
August 28–29, 2026
The Nitjautik Music Festival is a community-organized, family-oriented festival that takes place in Tasiujaq, Nunavik, QC. This year it returns for the fifth year, after logistical challenges prevented the organizers from bringing the festival to life in 2025. The 2024 line-up included the renowned Iqaluit-based singer-songwriter Looee Arreak and a band called Noteven! that plays Inuktitut songs from the ’80s and ’90s.
The line-up for this year’s festival is yet to be announced, but the organizers are confident that it will be a strong return. In addition to the musical numbers, a recreation committee is currently cooking up the various games and activities that will take place during the festival. Attendees are also promised a barbecue picnic!
Notes
1 Great Northern Arts Festival (@greatnorthernartsfestival), “Let’s Welcome: Jamesie Fournier,” June 10, 2026 instagram.com/p/DZaNzvgH20f/?img_index=1.