
Upcoming events
Get ready to jump into a world of flying, dreaming and day dreaming! In ‘Pan, Poppies, & Pure Imagination’, campers will explore scenes from Peter Pan, The Wizard of Oz and Willy Wonka – three of the most magical stories ever told. From Neverland to Munchkin land to the Chocolate factory, we’ll act, move, and imagine our way through colorful characters and unforgettable moment.
Campers will explore the topsy-turvy world of Wonderland. The weeklong day camp is full of theatre games, character building, silly scenes and costuming – all leading up to a delightful showcase for family, friends and the community of Fort MacLeod. Whether your child is bold and dramatic or just starting to explore their imagination, this camp is a welcoming place to build confidence and have fun.
Ready to rewrite the classics with TikTok energy and mem-worthy moments? ZChaos!, is a fast-paced theatre camp where we flip the script on some iconic stories and perform them like never before. This summer we’re diving into ‘Frankenstein’ and ‘A Christmas Carol’ – think monster science with attitude, and ghosts who know how to ghost!
This summer, we’re flipping Shakespeare on his head – literally. Welcome to ‘HAMLET…A Comedy”, a one-of-a-kind environmental comedy drama camp where the world’s most dramatic prince becomes the star of his very own remix. Existential dead? Sure. Ghost dads? Absolutely. But this time we’re serving it up with punchlines, pratfalls and perfectly timed plot twists.
John Wort Hannam and his amazing trio with Scott Duncan and Jason Valleau are playing a fundraising concert at the Trinity United Church in Fort Macleod! Join us on Friday, Sept. 26 to help raise money for the seat, floor and washroom renovation currently underway at the Empress! Tickets are $42.50 and on sale now! BUY TICKETS
PART OF THE 2025-26 CENTRE STAGE SERIES - Jeffery Straker grew up taking piano lessons in small-town Saskatchewan and has gone on to perform across Canada, Europe and Latin America. The rootsy-storytelling of his songs has the power to transport a listener – out onto a lake in Canada’s North or to the main street of a prairie town. A clever lyricist with an energetic piano style, his song writing has drawn critical comparisons to the likes of Harry Chapin, Kris Kristofferson , Murray McLauchlan & Billy Joel, while maintaining a style distinctly his own.
PART OF THE 2025-26 CENTRE STAGE SERIES - Madison Violet is a Canadian Juno-nominated female musical duo, consisting of Lisa MacIsaac and Brenley MacEachern. 2025 marks the 25th anniversary of Madison Violet. A rare and impressive feat that they are both proud of and grateful for. The pair, who both have roots in rural Cape Breton, came together musically in the late 1990s. Influenced by their maritime heritage, Brenley and Lisa began creating music together that had roots firmly planted in their past, but with contemporary and modern elements generously overlaid. Categorizing Madison Violet’s music is an impossible task, in that one can hear elements of folk, singer-songwriter, pop, indie, bluegrass, and country flawlessly interwoven throughout.
PART OF THE 2025-26 CENTRE STAGE SERIES - Women-led Flamenco Mediterranean Fusion. Tamar Ilana & Ventanas is a 6-piece global music and flamenco band based in Toronto, Canada. Founded in 2011 by "powerhouse vocalist" (Downbeat Magazine) and Jewish-Indigenous artist Tamar Ilana, they've received 4 CFMA nominations, and toured across Canada, the US, Colombia, Portugal, Ireland and Spain. They released their 4th album, AZADI, in 2024: original compositions that reflect on life’s freedoms with strong influences from their unique combination of cultural and musical backgrounds including Flamenco, Sephardic, Balkan, Greek, Turkish, Jazz, Pop, Classical and Mediterranean folk.
PART OF THE 2025-26 CENTRE STAGE SERIES - Lennie Gallant is an acclaimed East Coast songwriter with sixteen albums of original material to his name and a long list of awards recognizing his work. His iconic song Peter’s Dream was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and his songwriting has reached audiences around the world—quite literally. One of his albums even accompanied astronauts aboard the International Space Station, orbiting Earth 248 times. Over the years, he has shared the stage with symphony orchestras and performed alongside numerous well-known artists, including the late Jimmy Buffett.
Valdy, is a Canadian folk and country music legend who has toured for forty-six years. HIs solo career began in the early 1970s. He is most known for "Rock and Roll Song", his first mainstream single but Valdy has a treasure trove of songs and stories. He is the winner of two JUNO awards including Folksinger of the Year and Folk Entertainer of the Year. His fourteen albums, including four which are certified gold, have achieved sales of nearly half a million copies.
PART OF THE 2025-26 CENTRE STAGE SERIES - Eighteen years ago a number of Ian Tyson's one time sidemen, collaborators and musical admirers came together under the banner of The Gift - Words and Music of Ian Tyson. The Gift rolls through 50 years of Tyson's catalogue, finding room for songs going back to the days of Ian and Sylvia and The Great Speckled Bird, through Ian's honky-tonk years, while making room for a large slice of the cowboy culture music that is heard on albums from Old Corrals and Sagebrush, Cowboyography, 18 Inches of Rain, I Outgrew The Saddle and Songs From The Gravel Road.
PART OF THE 2025-26 CENTRE STAGE SERIES - For nearly two decades, Delhi 2 Dublin has been at the forefront of South Asian fusion music, pioneering a global bass sound they call “Subcontinental Pop”—a high-energy blend of Bhangra, electronic, hip-hop, reggae, and Celtic influences that defies genre and unites dance floors worldwide. As they approach their monumental 20th anniversary in 2026, the band is re-energized, re-inspired, and ready to launch a bold new chapter, creating fresh music for the first time in six years. Founding members Sanjay Seran and Ravi Binning continue to lead the charge, pushing Delhi 2 Dublin’s sound and vision to new heights.
All concerts are supported by Alberta Foundation for the Arts
EMPRESS THEATRE
FORT MACLEOD, ALBERTA
Since 1912 the Empress Theatre has provided a broad spectrum of high quality arts and cultural events to the people of rural Southern Alberta. The Empress is a not-for-profit registered charity that hosts live theatre, world-class music, cinema, summer theatre camps, film festivals, community musicals, weddings, private screenings, conventions, tours, meetings, conferences, symposia, workshops, lectures, debates, rehearsals, memorials, celebrations, benefit concerts, location shoots, live recordings, spiritual experiences, paranormal investigations, parties and more.
The theatre is currently designated an Alberta Historic Resource, is owned and maintained by the Town of Fort Macleod and is operated on their behalf by the Empress Theatre Society.