The Edmonton Blues Festival has been permanently cancelled after a 25-year run.
Producer Cam Hayden confirmed the festival will not be returning for various reasons in an announcement made on the event’s website.
“The world is changing, and with multiple blows of COVID, escalating costs, uncertain weather, and other factors we have no control over, we find we can’t continue,” he said in his video send off.
The Edmonton Blues Festival, founded by Hayden in 1999, was previously cancelled in 2025 and pre-emptively for 2026.
Hayden had cited increased production costs and a struggle to find a venue since the closure of the Heritage Amphitheatre. The festival’s more recent announcement also noted declining attendance.
Hayden will continue to produce other blues events, including a show this summer at KDays on July 18 and 19.
“To quote Rick Estrin, ‘The blues ain’t going nowhere,’” he said.
