Event of the Year

During Orchestra in the Forest, Wasagaming’s gorgeous Danceland venue is transformed into a scene straight out of A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream. The surrounding forests of Riding Mountain National Park are seemingly invited indoors, setting the stage for a woodsy performance from the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra coupled with Indigenous storytelling. This single evening event in late October brings in tourists from across the province to experience Riding Mountain National Park for the weekend, during a traditionally slower time for tourism, while locals are treated to the award-winning sounds of this world-class orchestra. Each year, the event has grown in size, while it has been continually developed through collaboration with local businesses, Indigenous partners and tourism organizations.

If you thought French on Mercredi was great, wait until you try it on Jeudis. In summer, Thursdays in Saint-Boniface are très chaudes to say the least. From Kitler Brewing to Le Patio 340, the shops of Provencher and Le Musée de Saint-Boniface, all of St. B becomes one big celebration of culture through zesty activities, live concerts, historic bike tours and outdoor movie nights. Along with immaculate vibes that make visitors relish all that French flavour, Jeudis Franco Thursdays (JFT) have proved to be bon pour l'économie with more foot traffic and dollars spent at local businesses, increased vendor sales at St. Boniface Summer Market and even attendance tripling for Le Musée de Saint-Boniface’s cultural workshop attendance. When you make one of the city’s most vibrant neighbourhoods even more vibrant, you know you have a great thing going.

With your feet in the sand, a blanket under your bum and a screen built right onto the beachy shoreline, there’s no place like the Gimli International Film Festival to experience some cinema. Nearly 10,000 people attended the Gimli International Film Festival’s (GIFF) 25th year celebration in 2025, with more than a quarter of those coming from outside the province. It was the biggest year for the festival’s box office, while website traffic rose 60 per cent, social numbers were up 75 per cent and local media coverage was at an all-time high with 32 tracked stories. A massive contributor to the local economy, GIFF also holds a $15,000 RBC Emerging Filmmakers Pitch Competition and supports emerging filmmakers through various awards.

Years in the making, the 2025 Grey Cup Festival demonstrated what is possible when so many groups and levels of government come together to celebrate the city. More than 800 volunteers helped run countless events over the nearly week-long festival, which culminated in the 112th Grey Cup game at Princess Auto Stadium. From the TELUS CFL Fan Experience at U of W, to the RBC Convention Centre being transformed into the ultimate fan zone, to tailgate parties and culinary events at Princess Auto Stadium, and a hosting partnership with the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) and Treaty One Nations, the Grey Cup Festival showed how Winnipeg rolls out the red carpet. With hotels filled across the city for 3-5 days in a row, tens of thousands of out-of-town fans taking part in the festivities, a reach that went beyond the city with the Access Credit Union Rural Tour and a legacy impact that saw flag football kits distributed to 900+ Manitoba schools, the Grey Cup Festival continually went for two. While our Bombers weren’t able to make their sixth straight Grey Cup appearance, the city and province came away winners with an estimated $90 million impact from the festivities.

As unbelievable as it sounds – even more unbelievable than Vikings not having horns on their helmets (they didn’t!) – Islendingadagurinn, the Icelandic Festival, just celebrated its 136th festival! With new platinum and gold sponsors, a 150-strong team of volunteers, a board of 13 caring members and an abundance of local Icelandic pride, the 2025 Islendingadagurinn was one of the biggest ever celebrations of Icelandic heritage in Canada. Each summer, the four-day festival proves to be a huge tourism draw for Gimli. For the 136th edition, all the local hotels were booked, local area traffic was up 342 per cent and the festival resulted in an estimated economic impact of $813,000, with more than 30 per cent of attendees coming from outside the area. With an emphasis on local support, new eco-conscious initiatives and even Halla Tómasdóttir, the president of Iceland, in attendance, this was one festival the Interlake will never forget.

During the sold-out Alive at the Museum, Winnipeg’s celebrated Manitoba Museum was transformed into an elaborate music and arts festival, with more than 2,000 people in attendance. Organized by Always Dale, the event was meant to entice people who may not normally be the museum’s target audience, showcasing this incredible venue through events like DJ-set dance parties in Alloway Hall, the Earth History Gallery, the Nonsuch port, and of course, the Planetarium. In total, five immersive stages were set up within 12 of the museum’s unique spaces. The event sold out six weeks in advance and proved to be a huge financial boost for the museum, generating a month’s worth of event revenue in one evening. Best of all, 80 per cent of attendees who were surveyed said that they felt more connected to the museum, which will be outstanding for years to come. Alive at the Museum will return for two nights in September 2026.