A commitment to culture
We're dedicated to fostering a rich and vibrant creative sector in our community by supporting cultural events, programs, facilities, organizations and artists.
Culture is an important part of what makes Kelowna a great city. Whether it be watching a summer concert at Waterfront Park, volunteering at the Kelowna Community Theatre or strolling through downtown’s Cultural District, Kelowna is brimming with cultural opportunities for all ages and abilities. The quality of our arts, culture and heritage scene enhances how visitors experience our city and makes residents proud to call Kelowna home.
Be the first to know when new opportunities are available!
Community Voices Matter
We're updating the Cultural Plan and we want to hear from you! Whether you're an artist, performer, organizer, supporter, or simply love experiencing local culture—your input is essential and will help determine the priorities of the community and help make updates for the current cultural landscape.
Learn more about how to get involved by visiting the Cultural Plan page.
We have created funding mechanisms to support cultural development in Kelowna, from facility operations and professional organizations to our community grassroots organizations.
Our cultural grants support the creative sector in Kelowna and continue to expand our residents' accessibility to arts, culture and heritage.
Several facilities in the Cultural District are City-owned and operated by a local non-profit organization. Through lease and operating agreements, we're able to support these non-profit organizations in operating their venues and offering their services to the community.
We currently own three cultural facilities that are operated by non-profit organizations:
- Kelowna Art Gallery
- Kelowna Museums Society (three venues)
- Rotary Centre for the Arts
Do you have an upcoming event and want to get the word out to the community? In our efforts to promote arts, culture and heritage in Kelowna, Cultural Services will distribute and display event posters for cultural events on bulletin boards at various facilities around the city. Check out the poster distribution guidelines for eligibility and more information.
Offered in partnership with Relatives in Reconciliation, the community is invited to participate in free collective reading circles to engage with key Truth and Reconciliation materials collaboratively. By taking turns reading sections aloud, groups discuss the content and share insights. Two upcoming opportunities are offered to expand your knowledge about Truth and Reconciliation:
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)
May 20, 2026
register
94 Calls to Action
June 3, 2026
register
More dates will be offered through 2026. Register on eventbrite.ca
For more information about these opportunities email: [email protected]
Cultural development began in the early 1970’s, when a committee formed to study the possibilities of developing a “Cultural Arts Centre” in Kelowna. In 1989, Kelowna established the Mayor’s Task Force to create our first cultural policy. Our cultural policy (updated most recently in 2010) gives form, support and provides direction for the cultural development in the city.
Over the past 20 years, significant progress has been made to integrate arts and culture into overall community planning and the delivery of services to residents and visitors. Early work led to the establishment of a number of cultural facilities, the Cultural District, a granting process, and the establishment of a Cultural Services branch in 2001.
As the fourth pillar of sustainability, we take culture seriously and strive to weave it into all aspects of civic planning and life in Kelowna. To achieve this, Kelowna's first Cultural Plan (2012-2017) was launched in 2012 to encourage and integrate local culture within all neighbourhoods of Kelowna. Since then, significant progress has been made in implementing 2012-2017 Cultural Plan goals and strategies. Many organizations continue to thrive, and new organizations and venues have emerged. Major initiatives such as the Bernard Avenue revitalization, the Civic Block Plan, the relocation of the RCMP, completion of new parkades and the opening of the Okanagan Centre for Innovation have had an impact on the landscape of the Cultural District.
Affordability of spaces for living, working and creating is an issue for many artists. In addition, key buildings in our inventory of cultural infrastructure such as the Kelowna Community Theatre and the Okanagan Heritage Museum continue to age and have mounting structural deficits as new buildings go up around them.
Our updated Cultural Plan is intended to respond to changes and challenges and set a direction for the years 2020-2025.
