Festival Info

So, you’re thinking about coming to the Winnipeg Folk Fest? Ready to enjoy the outdoors, relax, meet some friendly music-lovers and discover your next favourite artists? Welcome! Let’s start you off by giving you the low-down on what to expect so you can come prepped and ready for fun.

Hours of Operation

The Festival Site Services

  • Join us in the Festival Village – a great meeting place marked with the very identifiable Festival Tower and home to a variety of services.  
    • If you're hungry you'll find 20+ food vendors offering plenty of healthy, ethical, affordable and sustainable food choices.
    • The Hand-Made Village where nearly 50 artisans from across Canada sell their handcrafted works including jewelry, clothing, pottery and musical instruments.
    • The Main Tavern is located in this area in case you need to cool down with a refreshing beverage with your choice of beer, cider, wine or cooler. 
    • The Festival Merch Store is where you can purchase Festival and artist merchandise.
    • Audience Services is run by a wonderful crew of volunteers and there you can get a Festival schedule, ask questions and bring or search for lost and found items. 
  •  Gotta go? We have many well-maintained porta-potties on-site stocked full of toilet paper! There are over 150 of them, conveniently located and accessible so there’s never much of a wait.
  • In need of accessibility services? We offer a range of services to create an experience that can be enjoyed by all. To see a full list of those services please visit the Accessibility page.
  • Safety first! If you're looking for more information on First Aid & Wellness, bad weather, emergency info and more visit Safety. If you need help at the Festival please reach out to a safety volunteer in a blue vest they can help and connect you with necessary resources.
  • ATMs are also located between the Main Tavern and Main Stage. In an effort to reduce cash transactions, Taverns, Festival Merch Store, and most of our vendors offer contactless payment options.
  • Download the Winnipeg Folk Fest app before you get to the Festival for artist bios, schedules, a site map and other useful information. Available for download in the App Store or on Google Play.

For Folk Fest tips and how to get the most out of your Festival experience check out How to Folk.

(Click on image to enlarge)

What to Bring

  • Water Bottle - Environmental sustainability is a top priority at our Festival so we do not sell bottled water. Be sure to bring your own water bottle from home and fill up on cool and clean water. Our taps on-site are marked with tall blue flags.
  • Sunscreen - Protect your skin from the sun’s rays. Make sure to apply and reapply sunscreen throughout the day.
  • Hat - Bring a hat to shield yourself from the sun and stay cool throughout the day.
  • Food & Snacks - You must be nourished to fully enjoy the music! Bring your own snacks or buy from any of our delicious food vendors with local, organic and fair trade food – including vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options – for great prices.
  • Clothing for all Weather - This includes hats and sunblock for the hot sunny days and hoodies, raincoats and boots in case of cooler weather or rain.
  • Good Footwear - The site is big and the last thing you want is a painful blister to ruin your weekend so make sure you have good walking (and dancing!) footwear. Make sure you also have rain boots handy!
  • Cellphone - Using your phone to access the Festival app, connect with friends and snap great pictures is going to drain the battery. Bring your phone’s charging cord and battery pack or use the self-serve Bell MTS Charging Station for free.
  • No WIFI. Please come with a data plan if you wish to have internet access.
  • A Chair or Tarp - Chairs no taller than two feet and 8’x10’ tarps are welcome in the seating area. Chairs taller than two feet and wheelchairs go to the left of the centre seating area.
  • Backpack - Bring a backpack to carry all your necessities around from stage to stage. Audience Services will no longer be offering bag check services. 
  • Bug Spray - Keep those pesky bugs away and enjoy the music in peace by bringing along some bug spray.
  • For Campers - Check out Camping: What to Bring to prepare for your four day Festival home. 

What NOT to Bring

  • Glass products
  • Household furniture
  • Amplified music
  • Drum kits
  • Drones
  • Print materials for distribution
  • Unauthorized generators
  • Pets (service dogs welcome)
  • Commercial vending
  • Illegal drugs
  • Binge drinking devices
  • Laser pointers
  • Firearms/weapons
  • Sky/Chinese/Kongming lanterns
  • Fireworks and other explosives
  • Alcohol (on the Festival site)