Creative City Summit Calgary 2026: Early Bird Registration

Creative City Network of Canada

The Confluence Historic Site and Parkland, Indigenous Exhibit Kípaitápiiyssinnooni (Our Way of Life). Photo: Rebekah Jarvis

Early-Bird Registration Now Open
Creative City Summit Calgary 2026
Beyond the Surface: Finding Flow

Registration for the Creative City Summit: Calgary 2026 is officially open! Bursary program available for Indigenous and racialized delegates. Continue reading for eligibility requirements.

Beyond the Surface: Finding Flow explores how slowing down, questioning familiar practices, and noticing what is often overlooked, builds momentum and a shared purpose. How can we improve the systems—the structures and partnerships—that guide culture work?

Finding Flow enables municipal culture teams to elevate their ideas, programs, and resources through community-based, evidence-informed approaches that integrate culture across civic life.

Creative City Summit 2025. Photo: Jamstone Productions

From October 6 to 8, over 300 municipal arts, culture, and creative sector leaders from across Canada will gather for three days of applied learning, peer exchange, and forward-looking conversation designed to strengthen communities through culture. Now is the time to plan ahead, confirm your attendance, and secure early-bird savings.

To support internal approvals and participation planning, delegates can access helpful resources, including:

• 2024-25 CCNC Annual Report
• 2025 Kingston Creative City Summit Final Report
• APPENDIX “A” – D (2025 Kingston Summit Report)
• Creative City Summit – Calgary 2026 1-Pager

These materials are designed to help you make the case for attendance within your organization.

Early-bird delegate rates are available April 1 – June 13, offering $100 in savings.

Rates for Full Summit Pass:

• CCNC Member Rate
  In-person Rate: $800 CAD
  Virtual Rate: $175
• Non-Member
  In-person Rate: $875 CAD
  Virtual rate: $275

Whether you are shaping policy, delivering programming, stewarding public spaces, or building cultural infrastructure, the Summit is designed to provide practical insights you can bring directly back to your municipality.

Register through the Summit portal

Inglewood Sunfest 2024 in Calgary. Photo: Neil Zeller

Summit Participation Support Bursary for Indigenous & Racialized Delegates

Equitable participation remains central to the Creative City Summit.

The Summit Participation Support Bursary Program reduces structural barriers to attendance and supports meaningful representation from Indigenous and racially marginalized municipal and Band Council staff.

The program reflects CCNC’s commitment to equity, relationship-building, and sector stewardship grounded in respect, reciprocity, and shared learning.

Two participation streams are available:

Stream A – Full Bursary
Provides full Summit access for eligible Indigenous and racially marginalized delegates whose participation may otherwise be limited by financial barriers.

Stream B – Buddy System (2-for-1 Model)
Encourages CCNC member municipalities and Band Councils to send multiple Indigenous or racialized delegates, strengthening peer support and shared learning through paired attendance.

Application Deadline: June 22, 2026

Apply Now

Applications will be reviewed by committee, with successful applicants selected through a lottery process following the June 22, 2026 deadline. Applicants not selected will still receive access to early-bird registration rates.

Creative City Summit 2025. Photo: Jamstone Productions

Why Attend the Creative City Summit?

Each year, the Creative City Summit creates space for Canada’s municipal cultural leaders to connect across regions, exchange ideas, and tackle shared challenges together. Calgary provides an inspiring backdrop for this work.

Calgary’s Arts & Culture division plays a vital role in preserving and showcasing one of our most valuable civic resources: human creativity. Much of this work happens behind the scenes, yet it profoundly shapes the cultural expression, vibrancy, and identity of the city. Hosting the Summit in Calgary invites delegates to explore how municipal leadership can nurture creative ecosystems that strengthen communities socially, culturally, and economically.

Seats fill quickly each year. Secure early-bird pricing, connect with peers from coast to coast, and be part of the conversations defining how creativity strengthens civic life.

A New Delegate Experience

This year also marks the transition from Whova to Pheedloop, a Canadian event management platform selected to better serve delegates’ diverse needs. The platform introduces expanded accessibility features aligned with CCNC’s Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals, helping ensure a more inclusive and seamless experience.

Register now to plan your participation in Calgary 2026.

Creative City Network of Canada
116 Albert Street, Suite 300
Ottawa, ON K1P 5G3
www.creativecity.ca
info@creativecity.ca
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Akimbo is a media partner of the 2026 Creative City Summit.