Start Visiting - Arts and Culture

With all the cultures that come together in Manitoba, it is no wonder we have such a diverse, eclectic and vast array of entertainment options. From the brilliant Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, to the world-renowned Royal Winnipeg Ballet, to the exciting Manitoba Theatre for Young People, we have something for everyone, several times over.

Performing arts

• The Royal Winnipeg Ballet gracefully captivates audiences, bringing outstanding dance and entertainment to both Canada and the world. As Canada’s oldest ballet company, it has taught, studied and shared the tradition of dance since 1939.
• The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, a hub for Winnipeg’s rich cultural life, delights audiences with world-class symphonic music and innovative programming at Winnipeg’s Centennial Concert Hall.
• Manitoba Opera formally invites you to enrich your life through the glory of opera. A cast of renowned singers, a full orchestra, elaborate costumes and grandiose backdrops set the stage for a simply breathtaking show.
• The Manitoba Chamber Orchestra is composed of extraordinary talent. Be sure to note upcoming concert dates to enjoy their charismatic performances and astonishing repertoire.
• The Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra performs solo as the only community based professional jazz orchestra in Canada. The soulful roots and flavour of the 18 to 25 musicians in the big band come from around the world.
• The Manitoba Theatre Centre (MTC) transports you to the land of imagination. Performing heart-warming comedies, beloved classics and enduring dramas, the MTC offers exciting and affordable live entertainment.
• Prairie Theatre Exchange epitomizes the good things in life on the Prairies: camaraderie, creativity and warmth of heart while delivering theatre that challenges Manitobans and reflects their realities.
• The School of Contemporary Dancers shapes and prepares students for careers in contemporary dance performance, providing a vibrant and stimulating environment to showcase choreographic works.
• Le Cercle Molière, Canada’s oldest continually operating theatre, presents French plays in the heart of St. Boniface, featuring works from famous as well as aspiring local artists.
• Rainbow Stage colours its stage with high-calibre musical theatre productions like The Full Monty, Grease and The Wizard of Oz.
• Shakespeare in the Ruins welcomes thee to enjoy the bard’s famous works at the Assiniboine Park Conservatory, as they bring each masterpiece to life to educate, entertain and enlighten.
• The Winnipeg Jewish Theatre presents theatre that reflects Jewish experiences of the past, present and future, while promoting a better understanding of the Jewish culture in the community at large.
• The Manitoba Audio Recording Industry Association (MARIA) is the main beat to Manitoba’s vibrant music community. MARIA plays to the rhythm of all genres of music and represents over 700 members from every facet of the music industry.

Museums and cultural sites

• The Manitoba Museum encourages you to discover Manitoba’s heritage and explore its land from its northern arctic coast to its southern prairie grasslands. In addition, be sure to visit the planetarium and science museum.
• Located in the historic and vibrant community of St. Boniface, the Centre Culturel franco-manitobain is dedicated to making French-Canadian culture accessible to the community and residents of Manitoba.
• Heritage North Museum in Thompson promotes and preserves the heritage and history of the North.
• The Forks is Winnipeg’s historic gathering place, where two rivers and four million visitors meet, every year.
• The Exchange District is one of Canada’s most colourful and cosmopolitan neighbourhoods. Some of the district’s hot spots include Old Market Square, several nightclubs and unique eating establishments, all nestled among the district’s historic and architecturally significant buildings.
• Lower Fort Garry takes you back in time to the 19th century fur trade and the oldest stone fur trading post still intact in North America.
• St. Norbert Arts Centre features the extraordinary remains of the tyndall stone chapel and monastery used by the Trappist monks who once lived there, and is surrounded by beautiful fruit orchards and gardens.
• Experience a piece of local history at the Saint-Boniface Museum by learning about the lives and culture of the Francophone and Métis communities of Manitoba. A highlight of the museum is the exhibit dedicated to Louis Riel, the ‘father’ of Manitoba.
• Unearth the Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre in Morden, which features the largest collection of marine vertebrates in Canada.
• Explore Manitoba’s Association of Manitoba Museums for a full listing of all the exciting collections of fossils, exhibits and dioramas in the province.

For kids

• Manitoba Theatre for Young People is an innovative and highly creative theatre company focused on performing productions for children and their families.
• Board the diesel train engine and coach car at the Manitoba Children’s Museum, your ticket to nurturing your child’s power of imagination and spirit of discovery.
• Manitoba Camping Association has been involved in organized camping and helping children develop a love for the great outdoors since 1937.

Live entertainment venues

• MTS Centre, located in downtown Winnipeg, is Canada’s newest major market sports and entertainment centre, and is home to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose professional hockey team.
• Keystone Centre is the centre of it all in Brandon, from recreation to entertainment, convention and agricultural events.
• Manitoba Centennial Centre includes the Centennial Concert Hall, the Manitoba Museum, Planetarium and Manitoba Theatre Centre.
• Winnipeg Convention Centre is where conferences, trade shows and spectacular events convene.
• West End Cultural Centre strives to provide a forum for artistic expression and serves as a venue for non-mainstream artists and musicians to perform.
• The 1,646-seat Burton Cummings Theatre was built in 1907 for quality live entertainment and lives up to its billing to this day, drawing classic and contemporary acts from Prince and Celine Dion, to Wilco and Hedley... and of course, Burton Cummings.
• Gas Station Theatre fits the eclectic Osborne Village it calls home, as it hosts an impressive array of shows, from comedy festivals to fashion shows.
• Pantages Playhouse was built in downtown Winnipeg in the heyday of Vaudeville. Now, nearly one hundred years later, it continues to entertain audiences with a wide array of acts that come through town.
• Partners in the Park represents three cultural hotspots in Assiniboine Park: the Pavilion Gallery Museum, Leo Mol Sculpture Garden and the Lyric Theatre.