Tucked into Canada's far Northwest beside Alaska, the Yukon is the country's most accessible northern destination and a place where culture, history and adventure come alive year-round. In 2026, a vibrant calendar of events celebrates everything from First Nations arts and traditions to Gold Rush history, community festivals and contemporary culture, bringing the territory's stories to life in every season. Home to Mount Logan, Canada's highest peak, and the world's largest non-polar icefields in Kluane National Park and Reserve, the Yukon is defined by scale and spirit. With nearly 80 percent of the territory remaining untouched wilderness, these vast, wildlife-rich landscapes form an extraordinary backdrop to a year-round programme of events that is as thrilling as it is deeply rooted in place.

February 2026:

Yukon Rendezvous Festival - 6th-22nd February 2026

The Yukon Rendezvous Festival in Whitehorse, is a beloved winter celebration of Yukon's tenacious frontier spirit and community heritage. The city buzzes with energy as family-friendly sporting challenges like pancake breakfasts, axe throwing, dogsledding, flour packing and chainsaw chucking take place by day, while evenings come alive with Sourdough Sam competitions, coronations and roving performances by colourful characters such as the Snow Shoe Shufflers and Rendezvous Can-Can dancers. The festival embraces diverse talents, cultures and personalities, giving residents and visitors alike a chance to shake off the winter blues and connect with tradition, fun and community spirit.

March 2026:

Pery de Wolfe Race - 5th-8th March 2026

Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2026, the Percy DeWolfe Memorial Mail Race returns to Dawson City from 5–8 March 2026. One of the Yukon's most historic winter events, the race honours legendary mail carrier Percy DeWolfe by following sections of his original Yukon River mail route, challenging mushers and their teams across rugged winter terrain. The milestone anniversary will be marked alongside community celebrations and junior races, highlighting five decades of endurance, heritage and northern tradition.

Kilrich Yukon Native Hockey Tournament - 26th - 29th March 2026

Promoting First Nations hockey in the Yukon since 1977, the Kilrich Yukon Native Hockey Tournament is a much-loved annual highlight held each late March in Whitehorse. The tournament brings together teams from across the Yukon, British Columbia, and the Northwest Territories, celebrating community, culture, and a shared passion for the game while fostering connection and pride across generations.

Thaw di Gras Spring Carnival - 20th - 22nd March 2026

The Thaw di Gras Spring Carnival is a spirited celebration of the arrival of spring in Dawson City, taking place 20–22 March 2026 all throughout town. Locals and visitors alike enjoy over 25 events, from road hockey and adult tricycle races to dog sled and skijor races, snow sculptures, chili cook-offs, the Great KVA egg toss, axe throwing, fireworks over the Yukon River and live music—most of which are free to attend. This true community carnival brings fun and outrageous games together in a lively atmosphere as winter gives way to longer days and warmer weather.

April 2026:

A Celebration of Swans - 1st - 30th April 2026

Each April, the Yukon's natural world puts on a breathtaking show during A Celebration of Swans, a month-long celebration of the annual spring migration at Swan Haven Interpretive Centre. From 1–30 April 2026, thousands of Trumpeter and Tundra Swans—along with ducks and geese—pause on Marsh Lake as they head north, creating one of North America's premier wildlife-viewing spectacles against the backdrop of thawing waterways and spring awakening. The festival offers guided walks, photography and art workshops, presentations, daily bird counts and children's activities, providing unforgettable opportunities for visitors to connect with Yukon's wildlife and the changing season.

May 2026:

Diamond Tooth Gerties opens for summer - 8 May 2026

Canada's first and friendliest casino, Diamond Tooth Gerties Gambling Hall, is one of Dawson City's most iconic attractions. Guests are entertained by the town's original Klondike queen, Diamond Tooth Gertie, whose powerhouse vocals set the stage for the dazzling Gold Rush Girls and their acrobatic, contemporary cancan performances. With three lively shows nightly, visitors can also try their luck at blackjack, poker, roulette, or the slot machines, before stepping back in time at this truly one-of-a-kind experience. Open seven days a week from May to September, with select weekends throughout the  year.

June 2026:

Yukon River Quest Marathon Paddling Race - 17th - 20th June 2026

The Yukon River Quest is the world's most legendary marathon paddling race, challenging athletes to cover 715 km from Whitehorse to Dawson City with just one mandatory 10-hour rest. Racers navigate iconic stretches including Lake Laberge and Five Finger Rapids, retracing historic gold rush routes through breathtaking wilderness. Held annually since 1999, the event welcomes solo and tandem paddlers, SUPs and larger canoes, with volunteers at the heart of its success.

July 2026:

Dawson City Music Festival - 17th - 20th July 2026

Proclaimed “Canada's tiny, perfect festival” by Vancouver's Georgia Straight, The Dawson City Music Festival is a much-loved cultural event in the Yukon since 1979. Over the years, it's grown into a world-class showcase of Canadian artists of varying genres, and a howling good party to boot. The festival is legendary among performers and music lovers in-the-know across Canada. Enjoy great music, friendly people and an authentic grassroots spirit in the heart of Yukon's Klondike.

August 2026:

Discovery Day Celebrations - 14th - 17th August 2026

In August 1896, George Carmack, his wife Kate Carmack, her brother Skookum Jim and nephew Dawson Charlie discovered gold at Bonanza Creek, igniting one of the greatest gold rushes in history as nearly 100,000 people stampeded toward the Klondike in search of fortune. Today, this extraordinary legacy is celebrated each year in Dawson City during Discovery Days, a lively weekend festival featuring everything from family-friendly parades and a pipe band on the Midnight Dome to literary tours, fastball tournaments and vibrant arts events, making it nearly impossible to fit it all into one unforgettable weekend.

September 2026:

Yukon Culture Days - September
Throughout September and into October, the Culture Days celebrations bring communities across the Yukon together to celebrate First Nations arts, culture and heritage. Culture Days supports a Canada-wide network of arts, culture and heritage organizers to deliver free, public events each year, making culture accessible to everyone. From soap-making workshops and museum tours to carving demonstrations and hands-on art workshops, events take place in communities across the territory, with artists, schools, organisations, businesses and citizens all playing a role in shaping this vibrant, inclusive celebration.

October 2026:

Yukon Fringe Festival - 1st - 4th October 2026

The Yukon Fringe Festival is a celebration of live performance with no rules, no filters and no gatekeepers, an open-access, artist-driven festival that thrives on creative risk. From comedy and theatre to dance, cabaret, puppetry, music and everything in between, every show is up close, unpredictable and completely different. Taking place in downtown Whitehorse, the festival returns for its second year and will feature six artist companies from across the Yukon, Canada and beyond, transforming unconventional spaces into stages and delivering a lively block-party atmosphere complete with free public performances, mixers and bold new voices.

November 2026:

Blue Feather Music Festival - November 2026 (dates TBC)

The two-day Blue Feather Music Festival features artists from across Canada and around the world, while staying rooted in community and creative development. Founded in 2000 by Gary Bailie as a memorial for his partner Jolie Angelina McNabb, the festival has grown into a yearly pillar of light in the Yukon, showcasing everyone from emerging local talent to established touring acts, while mentoring young people both on and off stage.

December 2026:

Dawson City Annual Boat Parade - 13th December 2026

The Annual Dawson City Boat Parade is billed as the best boat parade in the North, with a fleet of festively decorated vessels and floats taking to the streets for a fun and quirky parade through Dawson City. Open to all boats and floats, participants are encouraged to decorate and join the “cruise” around town, bringing colour, creativity and community spirit to this much-loved event. Those wishing to take part should meet at the Visitor Information Centre on Front Street by 5:50 pm, with the parade departing at 6:00 pm and following a town-wide route that allows residents to enjoy the spectacle from their homes or safely from a warm vehicle.

About Yukon
Tucked into Canada's far Northwest beside Alaska, the Yukon is the country's most accessible northern destination. It is home to Mount Logan, Canada's highest peak, and the world's largest non polar icefields in Kluane National Park. Nearly 80 percent of the territory remains untouched wilderness, creating vast landscapes rich with wildlife. The Yukon covers an area roughly the size of Spain yet has only 46,000 residents, alongside 220,000 caribou, 70,000 moose and thousands of bears and mountain sheep. The region offers unparalleled access to nature, culture and northern adventure.

Getting to the Yukon: Air Access

Reaching the Yukon is easy thanks to convenient air links from major Canadian hubs. Air North, The Yukon's Airline, offers year-round jet service from Whitehorse to Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna and Edmonton, plus seasonal routes to Toronto and Ottawa via Yellowknife, as well as northern connections to Dawson City, Old Crow and Inuvik. Air Canada operates daily flights to Whitehorse from London via Vancouver. WestJet provides seasonal service from London to Whitehorse via Calgary (overnight in Calgary required) from June to early September.

For further information on the Yukon, visit www.travelyukon.com