Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity is bringing back its popular AMP Sessions concert series this July, offering two weekends of free outdoor concerts for all ages at the Shaw Amphitheatre. The family-friendly events run July 17 to 19 and July 23 to 26, with music starting at 6 p.m. each evening against a backdrop of mountain views.
The 2026 lineup spotlights artists from Banff, Canmore, and Calgary, plus one international act. Banff’s own The Ramblin’ Hey Ho Ha’s will close the series on July 26 with a boot-kickin’ blend of bluegrass, roots, and rock. Other performers include Calgary yacht-pop artist Kayla Williams on July 17, Alberta soul and funk collective The Motown 6 on July 18, and Calgary synthwave band Lost Decade on July 25. Banff Centre alumnus Joshua Burnside, an experimental folk songwriter from Northern Ireland, performs July 23, while award-winning roots musician John Wort Hannam takes the stage July 24.
Admission is free for all AMP Sessions concerts. The Shaw Amphitheatre, which opened in July 2011, seats up to 1,700 people and offers a 360-degree view of Banff’s mountain ranges. Food and drinks will be available on site, with the Banff Centre team serving backyard-barbecue-inspired meals and a bar with alcoholic and non-alcoholic options. Attendees can also bring their own picnic food and soft drinks, but outside alcohol is strictly prohibited.
On July 19, the series partners with the Canmore Folk Festival’s Artist Development Program to present two Canmore-based bands, Side Hustle and Cave Arcade.
The AMP Sessions are part of the larger 2026 Banff Centre Summer Arts Festival, which runs from May to September with more than 100 events, including many free offerings. A full list of performances is available at the Banff Centre.
