Alianait unveils dates, theme for 2026 festival

The Alianait poster for 2026 was designed by artist Nooks Lindell. (Image courtesy of Alianait/Facebook)

The 2026 Alianait Arts Festival is set to go ahead June 18 to 21 with a theme honouring Pisiit, which in Inuktitut means traditional Inuit songs.

The annual Iqaluit musical gathering will once again coincide with National Indigenous Peoples Day, which is Sunday, June 21.

The date and theme were unveiled in a post on Alianait’s Facebook page, along with a poster created by Arviat artist Nooks Lindell, depicting a woman riding a wolf.

The design is meant to honour the history and future of pisiit, strength and overcoming injustice, Lindell said in a statement on Alianait’s Facebook page.

“The pisiit reminds us that we have significance, our personal experiences have power and meaning,” Lindell wrote.

“Let us use the power of telling our stories through pisiit to build the connections and the strength of Inuit and Indigenous people around the world. This design represents us and our power.”

Alianait typically offers a lineup of musical performances, workshops, pop-up sessions and other events around Iqaluit. It features artists from across Canada’s North, Greenland, and other Indigenous communities. Many of the events happen under a large purple and yellow tent which gets set up next to Nakasuk school.

This year’s programming has not yet been announced.