Who keeps the Edmonton music scene alive?

A look at some of Edmonton’s most storied venues.

From punk to folk, Indie and rock, R&B or Jazz, every genre of music has a space here in Edmonton. In order for these communities to thrive, they need somewhere to play. Places that cultivate the musical culture unique to Edmonton. Enter some of the venues that give the scene its life.

The Naked Cyber Cafe

The Naked Cyber Cafe has lived in the heart of the city for the past 30 years. Located on 108 Street, the venue features coffee, snacks, computers, and most importantly, a stage. Every Thursday, Edmonton local and Cyber Cafe’s owner, Bob Ligertwood, opens the stage to any and all musicians who are finding their footing in a live performance setting. They can jam out or play whatever they’d like, free of charge. A minor venue is what Ligertwood calls his cafe. It’s “a place where you can begin,” he says. It’s a venue, like most, derived from community. Ligertwood relies on his regular musicians as much as they rely on him. “When I leave here at night at 11 or 12 o’clock, there’s 50 kids in here. and they all just want to play music.”

The Naked Cyber Cafe has strived to create a space that is as easily accessible as possible for musicians, especially MacEwan students. Sharing this space with everyone is what Ligertwood loves to do, and it has created a community that just wants to perform, listen, and dance. MacEwan music students utilizing his open stage policy isn’t a business, it’s his life. And to MacEwan music students, and young musicians in Edmonton, the Cyber Cafe is an idolized venue for beginners, or just a great place to jam out with your friends.

“When I leave here at night at 11 or 12 o’clock, there’s 50 kids in here. and they all just want to play music.”
– Bob Ligertwood, owner of the Naked Cyber Cafe

The Yardbird Suite

For musicians who may prefer a more professional setting, there’s The Yardbird Suite. It has been operating since 1957 and is one of Canada’s oldest jazz clubs. It’s the biggest in Edmonton, with musicians such as Etta James and Miles Davis gracing their stage in the past. Despite being a jazz venue, they host an array of genres, including blues, R&B, soul, and burlesque. With their community growing from 7,000 attendees a year to 15,000 in 2025, Todd Crawshaw, who is the head runner of the Yardbird Suite, understands the impact that such a prolific venue has on youth in Edmonton. The venue is home to Little Birds, the Yardbird Suite’s audition based musical educational programs. Open to ages 11 to 21, the program allows students to improve as musicians while giving them credible stage experience. “Our teachers teach them how to be professionals in the industry, not just players,” says Crawshaw. The Yardbird Suite aims to help the next generation of jazz musicians excel and gain their footing in order to become professionals and gain opportunities outside of Edmonton’s music community. “We’ve got an international reputation,” says Crawshaw. “A lot of Edmonton kids have gone far.”

With open jam nights on Tuesdays, the Yardbird understands how important the jazz community they have fostered over the last 69 years is. “We’re not just here for the development of local artists, but we’re here for the development of the jazz scene,” says Crawshaw. The effect the Yardbird Suite has had on young musicians is undeniable. “The Yardbird gives me a platform to go try,” says Ryden Jensen, a third-year music student at MacEwan. With it being one of the only easily accessible jazz venues for young musicians who just want to jam out, the Yardbird has undeniably fostered a safe and stable jazz scene.

The Aviary

The Aviary is, by far, one of the most credible venues within Edmonton. Here since 2018, the Aviary regularly hosts an array of musical genres, including punk, rock, indie, and everything in between. Phillip Munz, owner and lead operator of the Aviary, says that their dedicated space for performers is a vital part of the arts and culture community in Edmonton. Mostly operating as a special events venue, musicians are able to reach out to the Aviary to book their shows, allowing easy access to live performances within Edmonton. After a fire affected the Aviary in January, the community rallied and supported them when they needed it most, showing how much this venue means to the live music and art scene in Edmonton.

Edmonton is home to a lively music scene, it just takes a bit to find it. The music community that’s built off of decades of collaboration and work is still an ever-growing movement in the city. No matter what music you’re into, there’s a venue and a community for you in Edmonton, and they all aim to give musicians an easily accessible place to begin, never deterring you based on skill or notoriety. These venues foster the music community and push new artists who are figuring out their sound and style in the right direction, says Lucas Wentworth, winner of this year’s SAMU Battle of the Bands. They understand how important their role is in the preservation of such a crucial community in the city. Petrichord, a band made up of current MacEwan music students, says that the best way to support local musicians and venues is to see a show. They all shouted out all the venues that gave Petrichord and many other artists a shot. “Thank you, keep doing what you’re doing. You’re doing amazing stuff for the locals.” said guitarist Walter Flores. Drummer Ty Calder says, “It’s the only way the music industry is going to last.”