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Jarrett Edmund
Ron Sexsmith at NMC
Music News
National Music Centre Turns 10, Announces New Exhibits, Programs and Performances
The Calgary-based non-profit houses four of Canada’s national music halls of fame, and it will celebrate its milestone anniversary with new exhibits, programs and events.
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The National Music Centre (NMC) is turning 10, and to celebrate the Calgary-based National Music Centre will present many special events and exhibits over the coming year.
Things kicked off yesterday (April 9) with a launch party headlined by internationally renowned Canadian singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith. He performed for media, partners and supporters and was joined by Métis Canadian folk singer-songwriter Andrina Turenne and drum group Eya-Hey Nakoda. The latter played the ceremonial first sound in Studio Bell when it officially opened 10 years ago.
National Music Centre’s monument to music, Studio Bell, opened its doors to the public on July 1, 2016, and has earned kudos as a hub for music and a booster of national identity. The non-profit charitable organization houses four of Canada’s national music halls of fame – the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Adisq Hall of Fame – preserving the stories, artifacts, memorabilia, archives, and instruments that define Canada’s musical identity.
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Its diverse programs include exhibitions, performances, education, artist development, and music and wellness initiatives. NMC has prioritized inclusivity and cultural representation through the OHSOTO’KINO Indigenous Programming Initiative, empowering artists via recording opportunities, an incubator program, and the Speak Up! gallery that showcases Indigenous artists. The NMC, partnering with Canada's Music Incubator, also hosts the Artist Entrepreneur West creative entrepreneurship program designed to empower emerging artists.
The NMC has welcomed over a million visitors in the past decade, and contributed to the revitalization of Calgary’s East Village neighbourhood.
“This milestone is especially meaningful given how impossible the idea of building the home for music in Canada, based in Calgary, once seemed,” said Andrew Mosker, president and CEO of the National Music Centre.
“Before the National Music Centre opened its doors in 2016, Canada had no physical home dedicated solely to sharing our country’s music history across all genres and styles, and many questioned if a national hub for music could succeed outside of the country’s largest cultural centres. We’re incredibly proud to be here 10 years later."
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Highlights of upcoming exhibitions include Joni’s Jazz (opening Spring 2027), a new exhibition on influential Canadian songwriter Joni Mitchell, exploring her creative life and relationship with jazz through music, visual art and storytelling. Opened earlier this week, PlayLab is a hands-on sound playground where kids and families can discover how music works, transforming visitors from observers into active music makers.
Launching November 2026, Listen: The Pursuit of Perfect Sound is an immersive installation for sound aficionados. Also on view through February 7, 2027 is a feature exhibit on 2026 Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductee Nelly Furtado, celebrating her sound and style, with additional Canadian Music Hall of Fame Class of 2026 honourees to be featured in a separate display opening September 23, 2026.
NMC will mark its official 10-year anniversary on Canada Day with a Sharon, Lois & Bram Singalong with Sharon & Randi and more family programming. The multi-day festival, EddyFest (running August 14-16, 2026), will celebrate more than 120 years of music at Calgary’s legendary King Eddy, considered the National Music Centre’s largest artifact.
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The Canadian Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony, presented in partnership with the National Music Centre and CARAS, returns to Calgary on October 3, taking over the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium.
Launching July 2026, the Live from the King Eddy series will bring together 10 acclaimed artists from across Canada to record live off the floor from the Eddy using the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio. Quebec’s Sara Dufour, Toronto’s The Free Label, Montreal’s The Damn Truth and more Canadian artists to be announced soon, will use the famed studio for a unique live music experience that puts audiences in the room as music history is made.
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Other major upcoming events and programs include the Music Cities Convention (September 29–October 1), presented with West Anthem, and Jeremy Dutcher performing for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30. NMC will also launch a new Francophone music incubator that will bring Francophone artists and creators to Alberta and enable exchanges between Studio Bell in Calgary and NMC’s newly opened satellite space in Montreal. Expect more anniversary announcements over the coming months.
Check out NMC’s full 10-year anniversary program for 2026/27 here.
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