Alianait Arts Festival

Founded in 2005, Iqaluit’s Alianait Arts Festival is a celebration of Inuit and other circumpolar artists held annually at the end of June. The region experiences a gorgeous 24 hours of sunlight during this time of year, creating a perfect setting to enjoy a community-driven festival with friends old and new.

Previous years of the festival have seen shows from the likes of The Harpoonist & The Axe Murderer, Big Little Lions, Kobo Town, Nomadic Massive, Northcote, Kelly Fraser, Jane’s Party, Cris Derksen, Leela Gilday, Nanook, Old Man Luedecke, Twin Flames, Ahi, Eastern Belles, Quantum Tangle, Simon Lynge, The Bushman and more. Alianait also brings in circus acrobats, dancers, storytellers, actors, filmmakers and visual artists from all around the world.

Throughout the festival, musicians also host various workshops to engage with local artists and leave a lasting impression. Alianait partners with local schools for the workshops and ensures each and every performer participates to create a sense of community and inspire locals to get involved.

Since 2010, Alianait has also presented a series of concerts throughout the year to build excitement for the main event and aim to bring shows to places outside of Iqaluit whenever possible. The concert series brings around a half dozen concerts to the area throughout the year.