The High Performance Rodeo is Calgary’s international festival of live art, running three weeks every January with theatre, dance, music and comedy from local, national and international artists.
About
Over three weeks in January, the High Performance Rodeo fills downtown venues with live art. The program mixes theatre, dance, music, comedy and experimental performance from Calgary artists alongside national and international guests. Many editions include free lunchtime concerts, late night shows and big ensemble pieces, and it is the largest festival of its kind in Western Canada.
It began in 1987 as the One Yellow Rabbit Secret Elevator Experimental Performance Festival, where audiences got directions by phone to mystery locations around the city. It grew from those secret shows into the High Performance Rodeo, and the 2026 edition was its 40th. One Yellow Rabbit presents the festival each year.