Published on June 30, 2025

The Plaza is Back!

Professional Programming Presenter Ben Sures takes us through the 2025 lineup and what concertgoers can expect this summer.

The Arden Theatre's Plaza Series is back for its fifth summer, transforming downtown St. Albert into a hub of weekly live entertainment from July 3 to Aug. 28, 2025. Every Thursday evening at 7 p.m. enjoy a mix of local and international talents under the open sky on the front plaza of St. Albert Place. The series is better than ever this year — just bring your own seating and take in the free music and fun. No tickets required!

With a vibrant lineup of nine shows, there’s something for everyone.

We chatted with Professional Programming Presenter Ben Sures for his take on what you can expect from this year’s Plaza Series lineup — which is sure to be your soundtrack for the summer!

People lined up entering a Plaza Series performance

What impact do you hope this year’s Plaza Series will have on the St. Albert (and surrounding) community?

My intention for this summer's Plaza Series is to create connections, St. Albert summertime memories and inspire people to celebrate culture. I also want to make people feel welcome when they experience the Plaza Series music and setting. It's like a weekly festival experience, only it's free and like a festival you can bring your own chair, picnic and pet if you choose.

Tell us about your approach to selecting the lineup of artists for The Plaza Series this year.

I like to choose genres that pair well. For example, on July 10 we have Jed and The Valentine and The Myhre Brothers. One is a contemporary folk-pop duo with banjo and guitar, and the other is old time fiddle and bluegrass, which is basically the root source of Jed and The Valentine's inspiration so it's like a music timeline. It’s a mix of local and travelling artists from as far as the UK and as close as Winnipeg!

My approach includes choosing multiple genres that appeal to a wide audience demographic but artists that mostly are good communicators, entertainers and musicians. I favour a plurality of styles and vibes. I also want to showcase as many communities as I can fit into a short series, so we have Caribbean inspired music, Latin Music, old time Swing and Jazz and contemporary singer songwriters. Also, to compliment the music on a few shows we have some dance demo/lessons from Métis jigging to Cumbia. Not only that but we will have a professional cartoonist Gerry Rasmussen at our first concert on July 3 and Edmonton painter Carla Lam on August 7. 

How would you describe the experience of the Plaza Series to someone who hasn’t had a chance to attend?

It’s like a summer-long family-friendly music festival but instead of going to different stages you come back every week for a new show. The shows are free, welcoming, and we have lovely volunteers and staff. The music is world class and the people running the sound are the best in the province. I have no reservations about saying that based on the caliber of entertainment we are hands down the best free summer series in the province. 

Who is The Plaza Series for?

The Plaza Series is for everyone, all ages, people who love community, people who love summer, people period. Our hope is to have a loyal regular crowd from St. Albert and surrounding communities, but everyone is welcome.

This year’s Plaza Series lineup includes:

Learn more and join us for a summer of music, community, and fun, at ardentheatre.com

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Related Pages

Stage Perspective Arden Theatre ›
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Last edited: July 2, 2025

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