Festival and special event entertainment in Calgary
Shaw Entertainment builds entertainment lineups for festivals, community events and outdoor celebrations in Calgary and across Canada. One company books the acts and plans who plays when, across the whole day.
Bring your event to life with entertainment that gets people involved.
Whether you're organizing a community event, festival, outdoor celebration, or large-scale gathering, Shaw Entertainment can help you build an entertainment lineup that keeps the energy going.
What we would suggest
A starting point for this kind of event. These are suggestions, and your own plan is built around your programme.
Plan the nightWhat we would suggest
Festival or special event
- Around the grounds
Roving performers through the site, from the gates onwards.
- The show
Bands through the day on the main stage.
A headline set for the largest crowd of the day.
- Dance
A DJ between acts and to close, so the stage is never silent.
Suggestions only. Every event is planned on its own.
The gatherings we cover
- Community events and festivals
- A stage that is never silent: bands through the day, a DJ for the changeovers and a headline set to finish.
- Outdoor celebrations
- Canada Day, a summer party, a grand opening. Music people can hear across a park without it being too much up close.
- Street festivals and markets
- Roving performers and small acoustic acts that work in a crowd and need very little set up.
- Large gatherings
- Company days and public celebrations with more than one stage. We plan the acts so each stage has something on.
Entertainment that suits it
- Live BandsNothing creates energy like a great live band.
- DJsKeep the party moving with a professional DJ and music selected for your event.
- Interactive & Roving ActsNot every act needs a stage.
- Headliners & Recording ArtistsSometimes the event needs a name.
- Aerial, Cirque & FireSome acts change how a room looks.
- Singers & VocalistsAdd a memorable live vocal performance to your event.
Planning notes
- How far ahead
- As early as you can. December and summer Saturdays are asked about first, so if your date is one of those, get in touch as soon as it is set.
- What the site needs to know
- Stage, cover, power and sound are different outdoors. Tell us what is already arranged on site and what is not, so nothing is assumed.
- A lineup, not one act
- A long day needs variety, and changeovers that do not leave a silent stage. We plan the acts so one hands over to the next.
What affects the cost of festival entertainment?
How many acts the day needs and how big they are, the hours to cover, the date and the season, travel, and the production on site: stage, sound, power and cover. Tell us the hours and the stages and we will come back with a quote for the lineup.
Shaw Entertainment comes from the team behind Barry Shaw Live and Unique Party Band. See the rooms and companies that team has played for.
Questions people ask
- Can you put together a full lineup for the day?
- Yes. Tell us the hours, the stages and the audience and we will propose a lineup of acts to cover it.
- What about weather?
- Outdoor events need a plan for it. Tell us what cover and power the site has and we will raise anything the acts need before the day.
- Can you book a headline act for a festival?
- We can ask. Tell us the name, or the kind of name you want, with the date and the budget range, and we will find out what is possible.
- What happens on stage between acts?
- A DJ plays for the changeovers, so the stage is never silent. We plan the acts so one hands over to the next.
- What works at a street festival or a market?
- Roving performers and small acoustic acts that work in a crowd and need very little set up.
Tell us about your night
Choose the occasion and what you are looking for. It takes a few minutes and gives us a proper brief to work from.