Some of Southern Alberta’s best highlight Whoop-Up Days entertainment
Party under the midway lights and celebrate summer with nationally-recognized artists
Lethbridge, Alta. – Grab your dancing boots, get a drink in your hand, and celebrate a Southern Alberta summer at Whoop-Up Days. More than a dozen musical acts will hit the stage as Whoop-Up Days throws a free party under the midway lights. This year’s musical entertainment will take place during the final three days of the festival on Aug. 24, 25 and 26.
Whoop-Up Days is proudly a Southern Alberta community event and the entertainment lineup shines a spotlight on some of the best the region has to offer, with award-winning and nationally-recognized local artists on tap to perform. The headliners include Project WILD award winner Shaela Miller on Thursday, Aug. 24, JUNO nominee Armond Duck Chief on Friday, Aug. 25, and Canadian Folk Music Award nominee T. Buckley on Saturday, Aug. 26.
Entertainment begins each of the three days at 1 p.m. and runs until long after the sun goes down. With a beer garden and an all-ages viewing area, there is a chance for everyone to enjoy this Whoop-Up Days tradition.
“Music brings people together and we know it’s a central part to any celebration,” says Mike Warkentin, Lethbridge and District Exhibition CEO. “There aren’t many things better than live music and cold drinks under the midway lights on a warm summer day or night. We’re excited about our entertainment lineup and truly believe we’re highlighting some of Southern Alberta’s best artists.”
Miller, who has called Lethbridge home for most of her life, is one of the region’s most popular and respected country music artists. She won the 2022 Project WILD - Country Artist Development Program, has played countless major festivals including the Calgary Stampede and Big Valley Jamboree, and her album Big Hair Small City placed fourth on CKUA’s top 100 albums of 2021. Joining Miller on Thursday, Aug. 24 are Lethbridge rockers Tube Dog and Lethbridge singer-songwriter Tyson Borsboom.
Duck Chief, a country singer from the Siksika Nation, has toured across Alberta, Canada and the United States for more than a decade, including high profile performances at the Indigenous Music Awards, Canada Day with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, and at the Indian National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. His 2016 album “The One”, earned him a JUNO nomination and was named Best Country Album at the Indigenous Awards. Joining Duck Chief on Friday, Aug. 25 are local singer-songwriters Tyler Moulton and Bailey Kate.
Buckley, who is from Calgary, blends his western roots into a unique folk music sound and has played shows across Canada. He earned Canadian Folk Music Awards nominations for Emerging Artist of the Year in 2020 and Songwriter of the Year in 2023, while being nominated for Western Canadian Music Awards, and winning a Calgary Music Award for Folk Recording of the Year in 2022. Joining Buckley on Saturday, Aug. 26 are Lethbridge country-rockers the Cody Hall Band, and throwback rock and doo-wop group RebelsAngels 50’s.
In addition, Whoop-Up Days has partnered with the Blackfoot Confederacy in collaboration with WinterCount Productions to bring live entertainment to the stage from 1 to 3 p.m. on Aug. 24, 25 and 26. Performers will include Willy Big Bull, Lance Tail Feathers, Desert Orchid, Breed of Society, Double Rider, and Jax Running Rabbit.
The beer gardens party continues after the headliner, late into the night on Aug. 24, 25 and 26 featuring Lethbridge’s The New Testaments.
The full Whoop-Up Days entertainment schedule can be found at whoopupdays.ca.
About Whoop-Up Days
Whoop-Up Days runs from Aug. 22 to 26 at Lethbridge & District Exhibition. Whoop-Up Days is where our community comes together to celebrate, experience, eat, laugh, and ride. Where the midway lights brighten up the southern sky, where the authentic west still runs wild, where cultures come together and memories are made. This year features free admission for the community, fuelled by Gas King. Learn more at whoopupdays.ca.