Here, music and laughter are always on tap. You’ll find it in our pubs and restaurants across the 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 canceled if another outbreak occurs. Please be prepared for last-minute changes.
Next Date: Jun 16, 2021
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 29, 2021
Region: Sydney and Area / Marconi Trail
Community: Membertou
Live & Local with Aaron C. Lewis and Friends! Every Thursday from 5:00pm-8:00pm Enjoy a night of incredible local talent and your ...
Next Date: Jul 2, 2021
Surf ‘n Cider Sunday Every Sunday from 4:00pm-9:oopm Don’t worry about cooking this evening, come enjoy delicious batter...
Next Date: Jul 30, 2021
LPYC Harbourfest is a yearly, family friendly event designed to bring the community together. The Lennox Passage Yacht Club, a non-for-profi...
Next Date: Aug 26, 2021
During August 26, 27, and 28, 2021 the Cape Breton Jazz Festival will feature a selection of jazz musicians performing music at various venu...
Next Date: Sep 3, 2021
The Acoustic Roots Festival offers a variety of music including country, folk, celtic, blues and bluegrass. The event features some of the ...
Next Date: Sep 10, 2021
Attracting hikers from across North America and Europe, The Hike the Highlands festival is celebrating its 18th anniversary in 2021 with a...
Next Date: Mar 20, 2022
A two hundred year old festival that celebrates dance, music and the Acadian culture. During Mi-Carême many people, called les mi-carêmes,...
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, cultural events, and festivals that we’re known for.
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 warmth of our communities. Your trip to 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 and 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.
Like the routes, trails, and waterways that bisect our Island, music connects our communities and cultures. Internationally renowned festivals. Weekly jam sessions. Time-honored 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 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