Summer between the lakes has a distinct rhythm.
It’s the thrum of guitar chords drifting over the water, the hum of a happy crowd, and the feeling of taking in a full sensory experience as music meets a star-filled night.
Out here, you can escape the heat and the hassle without missing a beat. This is where Manitoba’s best performers meet to enhance the open skies and sandy beaches with a sonic bath.
Whether your summer vibe is a sandy dance floor, a night-market groove, or a lawn-chair state of mind, every event on this list has something in common: a love for live music shared by communities who pour their hearts into every show.
If you’ve never watched waves shimmer behind a trumpet solo or felt cool sand between your toes as a bass line vibrates through the shoreline… you’ve never experienced the Interlake at its most magical.
Here are the top four concerts you can’t miss when between the lakes.
Selkirk Concert Series
Music with a View
There’s something special about summer evenings in Selkirk as the light softens, the river glows, and music rises from the waterfront as if this is how it is supposed to be and always was. Running June through August, the Selkirk Concert Series is your cue to swap the couch for a camp chair and let the Red River set the backdrop.
Grab dinner from a rotating lineup of local food vendors, wander down Manitoba Ave. East, and settle in for a free, family-friendly show. Some nights, the notes float across the water from the Selkirk Waterfront; other nights, they mingle with the buzz of the Music on Manitoba night market.
Regardless of where the music plays, it’s an evening immersed in a community you won’t forget.
Vibes: Family-friendly with a focus on country and classic rock cover bands.
Top 2025 Performers We Loved: Dr. Rocktopus (high-energy party band), Unchained (Van Halen tribute), and Hot Blooded (Foreigner tribute).
Dates to mark in your calendar: June through August
> Waterfront Series: Select dates in June & July
> Music on Manitoba: Usually in August, paired with the night market
Where to find info: Schedules drop in late spring on MySelkirk.ca and the City of Selkirk’s social channels.
Good to know: These shows don’t cancel for rain, they simply move indoors. The music always goes on.
Rockin’ Gimli Harbour Concerts
Where History Meets Harmony
Gimli is the crown jewel of the Interlake arts scene, and the Rockin’ Gimli Harbour Concerts are the heartbeat of the summer by the beach. This is where history meets high-energy lakeside vibes.
Before the music begins, take your time. Stroll the iconic seawall, a living outdoor gallery splashed with murals that capture the town’s Icelandic and artistic heritage. Let your toes sink into beach sand still warm from the day, or wander Viking Park where culture and community blend as smoothly as the shoreline.
By the time the free music starts, the sun is slipping toward the water, boats are bobbing in the harbour, and the whole scene feels like a postcard you get to step into.
Vibes: Scenic lakeside entertainment featuring a diverse mix of award-winning country, nostalgic tributes, and high-energy rock.
Top 2025 Performers We Loved: Jerry Sereda (Indigenous country), Pop Vegas (dance/pop party band), The InClines (Patsy Cline tribute), and Leddwyn (hard rock/grunge) [Pictured].
Dates to mark in your calendar: June – August 2026
Shows typically on Saturdays at 7:30 PM
Where to find info: Check the Community Events calendar on gimli.ca or follow the RM of Gimli on Facebook
ROGerKimLee Music Festival (Eriksdale)
The Intimate Festival Experience You’ve Been Missing
If you long for the “glory days” of music festivals before giant crowds, endless lineups, and parking lots measured in kilometres, then mark your calendars for August 21–23, 2026, and head to Eriksdale for an unforgettable three-day celebration of music, art, and community!
The ROGerKimLee Music Festival feels like rediscovering festival culture in its purest form.
It’s warm, personal, and rooted in community. A place where the musicians mingle with the crowd, families are welcome, and those camping can walk to the stage in minutes.
This festival brings together local and regional talent in an intimate outdoor setting, creating a vibrant atmosphere from Friday evening through Sunday afternoon. Enjoy live performances across multiple genres while exploring the Makers Market on Saturday and Sunday, where artisans showcase unique crafts and creations. The beer garden is positioned so you never miss a set and is stocked with domestic favourites and local craft highlights.
Out here, the air feels different: a mix of prairie sunsets, woodsmoke from the campground, and the anticipation of the next set.
Think campfire intimacy meets small-town hospitality. Workshops, makers’ markets, impromptu jam sessions, and Interactive workshops that invite both performers and audiences to learn, share, and connect, creating that rare feeling of being part of something as it grows.
It’s Manitoba’s next big festival (think Folk Fest of the Interlake), but right now, you get to experience it while it’s still wonderfully close-knit. This being their 6th year, they’re running a well-oiled machine that is just waiting for you.
Vibes: A weekend of rootsy, prairie music mash-up that blends country, blues, folk, funk/soul, indie and singer-songwriter sets into one intimate, all-ages festival.
Top 2025 Performers We Loved: Dirty Catfish Brass Band (explosive brass/funk/soul), The Solutions (8-piece funk/soul/R&B party band), Sol James (soulful roots/blues), Mark Reeves (Blues and R&B powerhouse), and The Wrigley Brothers (Cree–French-Métis twin fiddlers and songwriters).
Dates to mark in your calendar: August 21 to 23rd 2026
Friday: Gates open at 5:00 PM
Saturday: All-day & night lineup + makers’ market
Sunday: Music until ~4:00 PM
Where to find info: Lineup, tickets, and details at rogerkimleemusicfest.com
Winnipeg Beach: Live on the Bandstand
Nostalgia on the Boardwalk
Some Manitoba landmarks feel eternal, and the Winnipeg Beach Bandstand is one of them. Standing at the center of Winnipeg Beach Provincial Park, it’s been the soundtrack of summer weekends for generations. Here, local families, day-trippers, and beachgoers gather instinctively as the sun goes down.
“Live on the Bandstand” delivers free open-air performances ranging from classic rock and country to high-energy tribute acts. Spend your day riding the waves, wandering the boardwalk, or hunting for arcade tokens, then finish by dancing under the stars as the lake reflects the stage lights.
This is the purest expression of the town’s slogan: Where Manitoba Plays.
Vibes: A nostalgic lakeside hangout where beach-day energy rolls straight into feel-good evening concerts on the iconic boardwalk bandstand.
Top 2025 Performers We Loved: The Coveralls (multi-era party covers), Glove Box Gold (Fleetwood Mac & Tom Petty tribute), San Carlos Band (reggae/rock/pop beach vibes), Adam T. Elvis (award-winning Elvis tribute), and River City Six (classic rock favourites).
Dates to mark in your calendar: Weekends in July & August
Most shows Saturdays at 7:00 PM
Bonus concerts on Canada Day and long weekends
Where to find info: Full summer schedule at winnipegbeach.ca under Live on the Bandstand.
Beyond Soundwaves
Come for the tunes, but stay and explore all that the Interlake has to offer in 2026.
These four musical events are just the beginning.
The Interlake’s 2026 event season is already taking shape, from lakeside festivals to market nights, music series, cultural celebrations, and community gatherings across the region.
For the full 2026 roster of concerts, festivals, and community events, keep your eye out for new announcements and updates at interlaketourism.com/events
Your next unforgettable summer night is already waiting between the lakes.
Photo Credits: Dee King & Corey King
