Calgary hosts multi-day sporting festival for first time
Julia Finot, Staff Writer
Canada’s biggest festival of sport, play and community is coming to Calgary for the first time.
From Feb. 13-15, the BMO Centre downtown will host The GOOD Games, an indoor festival celebrating movement, inclusion and community connection through sport.
The GOOD Games is a three-day event combining sports, music and food. Designed to be both spectator-friendly and participatory, the festival aims to create an energetic and welcoming environment, where friendly competitors across the city can face off in the ultimate competition.
The GOOD Games began in 2019, and during the COVID-19 shutdown, organisers kept the event alive by putting on modified sporting events to continue to engage Canadians through the challenging times of the pandemic.
In 2022, the games found their summer home at the University of Guelph and have since remained there as a summer tradition. In 2025, the summer games recorded more than 20,000 attendees across all events.
The games in Calgary will introduce a new chapter to the organisation. This is the first time The GOOD Games will be held at a winter festival outside of Guelph, Ont.. Calgary has a strong and diverse sports culture that aligns with the mission of the games. The inaugural event was chosen to be held in Calgary in partnership with Chinook Blast.
Calgary is widely known for its summer festivals, particularly the Calgary Stampede. But now that The GOOD Games is added to Chinook Blast, the festival is becoming one of winter’s must-attend events, welcome to Calgarians of all ages.
“Winter is not downtime. It is playtime,” said Helen Stoumbos, the CEO and founder of The GOOD Games in an interview with The Newswire. “Together with our partners in Calgary, we are building a festival where people can watch, play, and experience sport in new ways. Our ambition is to grow this into Canada’s biggest winter festival of sport and a yearly celebration of movement for all.”
The event offers a great family-friendly atmosphere, featuring multiple kids’ play zones, indoor courts for exciting matches and a full festival of entertainment. Athletes across Southern Alberta are able to register to compete in a variety of indoor sports, including pickleball, volleyball, teqball, freestyle soccer, arm wrestling and powerlifting.
Accessibility and inclusion are part of The GOOD Games’ mission. There will be opportunities for adaptive and para-athletes to compete in events like wheelchair rugby, wheelchair hockey and wheelchair basketball. Planned and built with community organisations, it is important to the organisers that people of all abilities can take part in the fun, either on the court or in the stands.
In addition to accessible events, The GOOD Games also showcase Indigenous sports, highlighting cultural experiences in a large-scale sports environment. This emphasises sports’ role as a tool for storytelling and connection in many traditional Indigenous cultures.
At its core, The GOOD Games was created around the belief that movement and play brings communities together. The organisers describe the festival as an event where people can show up as their true authentic selves, try something new, and support others around them.
Athletes of all levels and skill sets are encouraged to participate and have fun. With more than 40 events and expos scheduled throughout the weekend, organisers are expecting hundreds of participants this year, showcasing all of Calgary’s diverse athletic talents.
The games rely heavily on sponsors and volunteers to bring the sports community together. It gives sports lovers the opportunity to give back to their community and the ability to connect with a large audience of Calgarians who all share the passion for sports.
The GOOD Games is one of the main attractions this year at Chinook Blast. Chinook Blast is a winter festival to help Calgarians embrace the winter season. Along with The GOOD Games, Chinook Blast will also feature other markets, live performances, and outdoor activities all across the city.
This event is free and open to the public.
