August 13–15, 2026
Contemporary Calgary
701 11 St SW, Calgary, AB T2P 2C4

Presented in partnership with Contemporary Calgary

This summer, join artists, curators, musicians, writers, journalists, architects, and cultural leaders from around the world for the third annual BUMP Urban Art Conference.

Centered around the theme Of Simmering, and the Surge, this year’s program explores how ideas move through culture, taking shape in underground scenes, local communities, artistic practices, journalism, music, and everyday conversation before gathering momentum and transforming the public sphere. Across three days of keynote talks, featured presentations, and panel discussions, we’ll examine the forces that shape our cities, the tensions between the margins and the mainstream, and the role artists play in imagining what comes next.

The 2026 conference features keynote speaker Faye HeavyShield, special talks by Sook-Yin Lee and Marigold Santos, alongside conversations exploring public art, housing and affordability, artificial intelligence, cultural movements, global public art practices, and the future of creative cities.

Important RSVP Information

• Guests must RSVP for each keynote, featured talk, and panel individually.
• Reserving a spot for one conference event does not guarantee entry to any other session.
• Capacity is limited for many sessions, so we encourage you to reserve your spots early.

• Special thanks to our incredible partners: Contemporary Calgary, Calgary Economic Development, Calgary Downtown Association, Carvel Creative, and TD Bank Group.