Here, music and laughter are always on tap. You’ll find it in the in the weekly Ceilidhs of our small communities. In the year round festivals that celebrate our culture and coastal seasons. In the live shows and song writer’s circles of our neighbourhood pubs. Everywhere you go, you’ll find unique experiences that celebrate our heritage and lifestyle.
Due to the gathering limits in response to reducing the spread of COVID-19, a number of festival & events have been cancelled. We encourage you visit specific event websites for updates.
Next Date: Aug 4, 2020
Region: Sydney and Area / Marconi Trail
Community: Glace Bay
The Cape Breton Summertime Revue is a popular music and comedy production which features comical, topical, local content, mixed with a light...
Next Date: Aug 4, 2020
Region: Cabot Trail
Community: Baddeck
Baddeck Gathering Ceilidhs are entering their twenty-second season showcasing Cape Breton Traditional Music. A cozy venue that provides a un...
Next Date: Aug 15, 2020
Region: Canada’s Musical Coast
Community: Mabou
Race Location: 32 MacDonald Road, Mabou, NS Race Distances: 47k, 88k, and 162k (distances and routes may vary slightly come race day) ...
Our Island is a place that needs to be embraced by all your senses to truly be understood. So come experience our coastal charm on full display in the signature culinary, musical, and cultural events and festivals that we’re known for.
It simply means social visit, but here, the Ceilidh is a perennial way of life. It’s a weekly family square dance. A community gathering full of food and music. A rousing kitchen party to warm the heart and body after a chilly winter’s day. A way to connect with our culture and heritage.
Arts and culture don’t have an off-season here. From winter jam sessions along Canada’s Musical Coast and to sizzling summer festivals and Acadian celebrations along the Cabot Trail, you’ll inviting events across Cape Breton Island throughout the year.
History, heritage, community—there’s always a reason to celebrate on our Island. You won’t have to travel far to find a fun festival, but with so many of them all year, you’re definitely going to want to.
A foodie heaven? More like a culinary cloud nine. Tasting your way around our Island has never been easier. Follow the Nova Scotia Chowder Trail to a famous lunch ceilidh. Plan your trip around a Highland lobster supper. Come for leaves, but stay for Celtic Oktoberfest.
Like the routes, trails, and waterways that bisect our Island, music connects our communities and cultures. Internationally renowned festivals. Weekly jam sessions. Time honoured traditions and ancient rituals. Hear our spirit in each fiddle reel, bagpipe biri, and drum beat.
Pay ode to the Island’s coal mining history with food, fun, and festivities. Discover the roots of our Acadian communities by guided hike. Run head-on into history though a 300-year-old fortress. Our heritage is easy to learn, but even more fun to live with each event.
Over 100 communities. Hundreds of days a year to celebrate. From seasonal festivals and annual sporting tournaments to weekly dances, discover each pocket of our Island with our unique selection of community events.
There are direct flights to Sydney from Toronto and Montreal and from other North American and European cities via Halifax. If traveling by ground, the Trans-Canada Highway 104 leads to Cape Breton Island.
Getting Here and Around