All festival photography provided by Curtis Round Photography
REGISTRATION 2026
Dear Ukrainian Dance Community:
We are excited to invite you to the Shumka Dance Festival at Edmonton’s prestigious Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, taking place from Thursday, April 23, to Sunday, April 26, 2026. This festival promises again to be a vibrant celebration of Ukrainian dance, showcasing the immense talent, creativity, and dedication within our community. The festival will now kick off on Thursday evening and continue through Sunday afternoon.
We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who joined us for the inaugural Shumka Dance Festival in 2025 and a warm welcome to all the new clubs joining us in 2026! We’re also grateful to everyone who took the time to complete our participation survey. Your feedback, from dancers, parents, instructors, vendors, and volunteers, has been incredibly valuable. Based on your input, we plan to address several key areas for improvement, including reducing the impact of Ticketmaster fees, providing better-value admission options, streamlining the arrival process, refining category organization, expanding nearby food choices, and enhancing communication regarding competition show finalists. We are committed to making this event a memorable and rewarding experience for dancers, instructors, and families alike.
Please review the enclosed registration details and official rules carefully before completing the registration. Note that the email address used for registration will serve as the primary contact for all communications, including schedules and updates. Registration opens on November 1, 2025 and closes at 11:59 PM on January 9, 2026. Entries are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis upon receipt of payment. Entry fees are due with registration.
We anticipate releasing the first draft of the schedule by February 13. Participants will have two weeks to review and provide feedback. A second draft will follow on February 27, with an additional week for final review. The final schedule will be published on March 13.
At the conclusion of the festival, attendees will receive a link to an evaluation form, and we highly encourage everyone to complete it, as your feedback is invaluable in helping us improve the festival experience each year.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Sincerely,
Peter Eeles, Leda Tarnawsky, Joshua Pacholok, Mark Rachmistruk
SDF Coordinators | sdf@shumka.com
