Live music will once again grace the historic King Edward Hotel as it sets to open in two weeks as a permanent music venue.
To kick off the reopening of the King Eddy, the venue is being brought back to life with a 10-day Bell Live music series to run the duration of Stampede, from July 6 to 15.
First built in 1905, the King Edward Hotel became the “home of the blues” in the 1980s, but in 2004 it closed down.
It was later acquired by the National Music Centre and, in partnership with the Calgary Municipal Land Corp., it was restored to help revitalize East Village.
“We knew how important the Eddy was, we knew that we had to get it right and have to get it right. It’s a really, really important pillar of National Music Centre and our programming,” said Adam Fox, director of programming at the National Music Centre.
“We saw something that would not only benefit music in Canada, we saw something that could help revitalize a neighbourhood that had an opportunity to do so. And the Eddy we saw as being a really important anchor in that, not only revitalizing the neighbourhood but revitalizing one of Calgary’s most legendary venues.”
For the duration of Stampede, there will be wall-to-wall live music featuring local and regional talent during the day, which is free to enjoy, and regional and national artists in the evening.
In the evening, people can buy tickets in advance or at the door for the headlining acts. Tickets range from $15 to $45 in advance and $20 to $50 at the door.
Headlining acts include The Abrams, Tim Hus and Kira Isabella, as well as mystery acts that will be announced the day of.
“It’s a good mix of, I think, contemporary country music, modern country, but also a bit of roots and Canadiana-style music in there, too,” said Fox.
“There’s one specific show on Saturday (July 14) that I can’t talk about, but I really highly recommend people get their tickets because they’re not going to want to miss who we’re hosting.”
The music centre has used the former hotel for live music events since 2016, with the same exterior design as the original building. Inside, there are historical details such as original bricks, but with a modern twist.
“It’s important for us to tip our hats to the tradition and the history and the legacy of the King Eddy, but at the same time this also represents a next step in the evolution,” said Fox.
The former hotel will close down after Stampede for finishing touches, and then permanently reopen as a bar and restaurant featuring a diverse lineup of live music come July 20.
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