Here, music and laughter are always on tap. You’ll find it in our pubs and restaurants across our Island, as our friendly cheer and sense of community often brings everyone together. Explore the Island this summer and take part in local festivals, cèilidhs and events.
With the phased re-opening of the province, gathering limits may stagger in size. Some festivals and events may be subject to cancellations. Please be prepared for last-minute changes.
Next Date: Jun 1, 2022
Region: Cabot Trail
Community: St. Ann’s
Enjoy an evening of music with a Ceilidh at the Colaisde na Gàidhlig / The Gaelic College every Wednesday night starting at 7:30pm! Each we...
Next Date: Jun 18, 2022
Region: Sydney and Area / Marconi Trail
Community: Glace Bay & Area
There’s Something in the Wind is a multi-media concert event with the Second Wind Community Concert Band setting the stage for an array ...
Next Date: Jul 31, 2022
Region: Canada’s Musical Coast
Community: Inverness
The Broad Cove Scottish Concert is deemed the largest outdoor Scottish concert in Cape Breton. The concert holds great significance to the m...
Next Date: Aug 2, 2022
Region: Cabot Trail
Community: Baddeck
Note: Due to COVID-19, the visitor experience at Parks Canada-administered places will be different than it has been in the past. The healt...
Next Date: Aug 5, 2022
Region: Bras d’Or Lake
Community: Washabuck
Washabuck’s Annual 10 Day Summer Festival The event is a 10-day community festival that happens in the summer. We have it arranged aro...
Next Date: Sep 9, 2022
Region: Cabot Trail
Community: Ingonish & Area
Attracting hikers from across North America and Europe, The Hike the Highlands festival is celebrating its 19th anniversary in 2022 with a ...
Next Date: Sep 23, 2022
Region: Cabot Trail
Community: St. Ann’s
Join fellow book-lovers for an event-packed week of laughter and up-close conversation with your favourite authors. Every fall, as the Highl...
Next Date: Sep 30, 2022
Region: Cabot Trail
Community: Englishtown
A Festival along the Cabot Trail that’s made for both musicians and music lovers to come and enjoy Cape Breton’s acoustic roots!...
Next Date: Oct 7, 2022
Regions: Cape Breton’s South Coast, Cabot Trail, Sydney and Area / Marconi Trail, Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Louisbourg Area, Bras d’Or Lake
The Celtic Colours International Festival is a unique celebration of Cape Breton Island’s living traditional culture. For nine days in O...
Next Date: Oct 17, 2022
Region: Cabot Trail
Community: Margaree Valley
The Barn Music and Theatre Society of Margaree will be holding our Fiddle & Folk Foliage Farewell, a 3-day all-ages music festival from...
Next Date: Mar 12, 2023
Region: Cabot Trail
Community: St. Joseph du Moine
A two hundred year old festival that celebrates dance, music and the Acadian culture. Come and join in all the festivities of this amazing t...
It simply means social visit, but here, the Cèilidh is a perennial way of life. It’s a weekly family square dance. A community gathering full of food and music. Indulge in a kitchen party and connect with our culture and heritage. Feel the rhythm of our Island through the pulse of music and the warmth of our communities. Your trip to our Island would not be complete with taking in a Cape Breton ceilidh or a kitchen party! Experience Celtic music like never before with one of these events and understand why we’ve been coined as Canada’s Musical Coast.
Arts and culture don’t have an off-season here. From winter jam sessions along Canada’s Musical Coast to sizzling summer festivals and Acadian celebrations along the Cabot Trail. Enjoy music and comedy productions live and experience the rich art and culture that exists across the Island.
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 options why not explore the Island?
Foodie heaven? More like a culinary cloud nine. The culinary scene on Cape Breton Island is truly unlike anything you have experienced and luckily, tasting your way around our Island has never been easier. Follow the Nova Scotia Chowder Trail to a famous lunch cèilidh. Plan your trip around a Highland lobster supper. Experience world-class shellfish, locally grown ingredients, and award-winning sips that connect our heritage to our land.
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 through 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