West End Cultural Centre

ALL OF THIS IS HAPPENING AND IT IS SO GOOD. Punch Card (multiple tickets for a deal) on sale now 🤯. @michael_kaeshammer @dustrhinos @mikeboguskimusic @rockbobster @elboludodelrock @thefufuchichichoir @ambereppmusic @amber.emmanuel.music @emmanuel.bach @pie_the_music_of_cake @caraluft @donamero @sadaa.echoes @wildernesssupply @tiredcossack @reallovewpg @raespoon @pascuala_ilabaca_y_fauna AND MORE! What a season 😍

50/50 Raffle Tickets on sale until May 25th Online sales only. Find the link in our IG bio or in the "news" section of The WECC site. Thank you for your kind support of the Tune In Program! It really makes a difference in the lives of neighbourhood youth. The Tune In Program offers free music instruction on the guitar, bass, drums, voice, and songwriting for youth. Professional musicians provide two hours of instruction and mentorship once a week (Tuesday, 4-6pm). This beloved program is presented in partnership with Music Equals through the Manitoba Conservatory of Music & Arts. Funds raised through the 50/50 raffle will go towards expenses like instrument repair, and consumables like strings, reeds, rosin, and the like. “The Tune In Program has allowed me to expose neighbourhood kids to music! They have instruments we don’t have access to. Attending this program means kids have gotten to learn more about music than we could any other way. It is consistent, every Tuesday. We can really count on it. It has become important to us!” - Jackie Loewen, neighbourhood resident “I really like Tune In. It gives me something I don’t have: a drum set. I really like Tune In. It also helps other kids. It makes me happy that WECC is introducing new things to kids.” - Participating Youth “The WECC Tune In Program has been an incredible opportunity for so many of my students. It has provided access to a variety of instruments and music lessons - experiences that were not available to many of them otherwise. Students come to school the next day excited! They want to share what they’ve learned, whether it is trying something new or exploring something they’re passionate about. We’re very fortunate to have such a valuable program available in our community.” - Keri McPhillips, music teacher at a nearby school The Raffle ends May 25th, online sales only. A winner will be drawn (online, by a smart, fair robot) on May 27th. Must be 18 or older. LGCA LGCA 3864-RF-49465 Photos shared with permission.

WECC Merch for Sale until May 29th! When you buy WECC merch you're supporting an arts non-profit and registered charity. We are so thankful for your support! We’re doing an order-ahead model because it results in less waste and is more sustainable. We completed a merch run in December, with great success! Now we're back with many of those same items, plus some spring time specials featuring the WECC Spring Season 2026 mascot Sunny. The order deadline is May 29th. Items will be available for pickup at The WECC starting June 22nd. The WECC will be open for pickups Monday-Friday 10:30am-5:00pm.

Daniel Champagne Sunday May 31st West End Cultural Centre, 586 Ellice Ave MATINEE ADDED (evening show sold out) Doors 1:00pm Music 2:00pm Daniel Champagne’s evening show sold out so quickly we had to add a matinee! And that one is inching towards a sellout by the day. There’s still room, but there won’t be for long. The Australian virtuoso recently described as ‘the finest guitar player of this generation,’ has been selling out concerts around the globe — and in the spring of 2026, he’ll bring his now-famed live show to intimate venues across Western Canada! “Do whatever it takes to get in the front row!” – Rhythms Magazine, Australia “A generational talent that must be seen to be believed.” – Roots Magazine, UK Don’t miss your chance to see live music at its finest! Daniel Champagne lives and breathes music. Playing upwards of 250 concerts around the world each year, he is as loved globally as he is in his homeland of Australia. His signature guitar style and formidable stage show have garnered accolades and dedicated fans worldwide. Growing up in the Bega Valley on the Far South Coast of New South Wales, the story goes that the young artist first picked up his instrument of choice at age five, following in the footsteps of his musical father. He began writing songs at twelve, trained classically throughout his teens, and performed wherever he could — honing his craft and developing the electric live show that he is renowned for today. At eighteen, he finished school, turned professional, and hit the road without looking back. The following eighteen years have seen him release seven studio albums, sell out concerts across the globe, play some of the biggest festivals under the sun, and share stages with the likes of Tommy Emmanuel, INXS, John Butler, Lucinda Williams, Ani DiFranco, Judy Collins, and Rodrigo y Gabriela. Expect jaw-dropping guitar skills, songs that carry the heart away, and the stories of a troubadour that will stay with you long after the last note rings out — a Daniel Champagne show is not just a concert, it’s an experience. #winnipegmusic #winnipegnonprofit #winnipegevent #winnipegconcert

Shorter WECC office hours this Friday May 15th, just FYI. We'll be open 11:00am-5:00pm. Thanks for understanding :)

💥A live set you’ll be feeling long after it ends💥 Mas Aya performs at Cluster Festival on May 30. Grab tickets through the link in bio. 🎟️ 🥁 Brandon Miguel Valdivia has emerged as one of the most prolific and respected musicians in Canada working as a drummer and multi-instrumentalist over the past twenty years. He has worked with artists such as Polaris Prize Winner Lido Pimienta, Polaris Prize Winner Jeremy Dutcher, U.S. Girls, Not the Wind, Not the Flag, Laaraji, Arnold Dreyblatt, amongst others. Mas Aya is the name of his solo project for which he has garnished international acclaim with releases on Telephone Explosion Records and Shika Shika receiving warm critical reception from such sources as Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, CBC, the New York Times and more. His music merges jazz, electronic and Latin traditions creating an eclectic, unclassifiable music teeming with subtle contradiction and restless intruige.

A quietly stunning lineup of musical shapeshifters arrives at Cluster on May 28 🌾 Tickets for The SunDog Ensemble are available now. Link in bio 🪷 The SunDog Ensemble is a rotating cast of musical creators exploring sound across genres, beamed into existence by Canadian pianist and songwriter Theresa Thordarson. The current lineup features Theresa on keys and vocals, composer/clarinetist Christopher Byman, multi-disciplinary guitarist John Himes, and jazz-adjacent guitarist/creator Ava Glendinning in a program including new and lesser-heard classical works, folk/pop music, and jazz non-standards.

Daniel Champagne @danielchampagnemusic Sunday May 31st West End Cultural Centre, 586 Ellice Ave MATINEE ADDED (evening show sold out) Doors 1:00pm Music 2:00pm Daniel Champagne’s evening show sold out so quickly we had to add a matinee! And that one is inching towards capacity by the day. There’s still room, but there won’t be for long. The Australian virtuoso recently described as ‘the finest guitar player of this generation,’ has been selling out concerts around the globe — and in the spring of 2026, he’ll bring his now-famed live show to intimate venues across Western Canada! “Do whatever it takes to get in the front row!” – Rhythms Magazine, Australia “A generational talent that must be seen to be believed.” – Roots Magazine, UK Don’t miss your chance to see live music at its finest! Daniel Champagne lives and breathes music. Playing upwards of 250 concerts around the world each year, he is as loved globally as he is in his homeland of Australia. His signature guitar style and formidable stage show have garnered accolades and dedicated fans worldwide. Growing up in the Bega Valley on the Far South Coast of New South Wales, the story goes that the young artist first picked up his instrument of choice at age five, following in the footsteps of his musical father. He began writing songs at twelve, trained classically throughout his teens, and performed wherever he could — honing his craft and developing the electric live show that he is renowned for today. At eighteen, he finished school, turned professional, and hit the road without looking back. The following eighteen years have seen him release seven studio albums, sell out concerts across the globe, play some of the biggest festivals under the sun, and share stages with the likes of Tommy Emmanuel, INXS, John Butler, Lucinda Williams, Ani DiFranco, Judy Collins, and Rodrigo y Gabriela. Expect jaw-dropping guitar skills, songs that carry the heart away, and the stories of a troubadour that will stay with you long after the last note rings out — a Daniel Champagne show is not just a concert, it’s an experience.

🌼We are so excited to have Osmanthus at the festival this year. Catch this dynamic duo at Cluster on May 30. Ticket link in bioooooo🌼 Starting as a one-off pairing for a small gallery show in early 2019, Calgary-based duo Osmanthus combines violinist Laura Reid’s classical prowess and ear for melody with Krzysztof Sujata’s electronic experience and penchant for paced improvisation and minimalism. Together they straddle the line between acoustic and electronic music and accentuate how truly insignificant the distinction between the two worlds is. ✨

Annual Public Meeting Wednesday May 14th at The WECC 6:00pm-7:30pm Charts! Live music by Amby! Please join us for The WECC Annual Public Meeting where we will talk about the year we’ve had, check out some charts, and enjoy the live music stylings of singer-songwriter Amby! Amby @ambyambyambyamby Amby plays music for lovers and losers who are open to laughing and crying while listening. Existing somewhere in the venn diagram of Joni Mitchell, Martha Wainwright, and Lizzy McAlpine. Amby tows the lines between folk, alternative rock, and country music with a voice originally trained for musical theatre and choir. The humour in their lyrics brings some lightness and relatability - if they can laugh at themselves, so can you. A little laughter goes a long way in transferring stories of darkness, love, and spiritual hunger into a vessel of sound that is refreshing and intimate. Drink up.

Montreal Jazz drummer Valerie Lacombe, live at CCFM Friday May 22nd Valerie Lacombe is on the road with here new album State of Garden and Shadow, and we can catch her and her ensemble live in Winnipeg! Valerie Lacombe, State of Garden and Shadow release tour Friday May 22nd Centre Culturel Franco Manitobain, 340 Provencher, 2nd floor where Mardijazz is held Doors 7pm Music 8pm *This show has been relocated from The WECC to Centre Culturel Franco Manitobain.

Crafts and Ceilidh 2 (kay-lee, an Irish music session) Sunday May 17th West End Cultural Centre, 586 Ellice Ave. Doors 1:30pm, Music 2:30pm - 6:00pm $5 Irish and Celtic traditional music. Also, making crafts, reading books. *Now with empanadas from Corrientes, $6 each* For fans of: The Chieftans, Dust Rhinos, Fun. Making crafts, hanging out, laughing, 3rd spaces. Join us for a session of Irish music (a ceilidh, pronounced kay-lee) in the hands of some of the top trad music players in Winnipeg. The musicians will play a million tunes, calling out a new one before the last one even ended. It is awesome. We’re going to feel like we’re in a movie. In the style of the ceilidh, let’s hang out, listen, grab a beer, pull out a craft (optional), get dancing (also optional) and stay a good long while! Grab an empanada for $6! Corrientes restaurant will be onsite with some tasty options. Bring your favourite crafts! Knitting, embroidering, collaging - basically anything that doesn’t require a power tool - it’s all welcome at this Crafts and Ceilidh event! Or bring a book, colouring, cards, cribbage, crosswords - it's all welcome! Or do a WECC-provided craft! A true pro will do a knitting demo a few times: casting on getting started. We’ve already got yarn and knitting needles collected for this event, so if you don’t have your own you’re welcome to come learn with our supplies! We'll also have some colouring sheets out for kids. Please bring a book light or some kind of light with a battery if you can. The lights at The WECC are a bit dim for detailed work. This event is all ages, families welcome. We’ve kept the tickets for this event low, at $5. Grab yours now to guarantee your spot! FYI for curious players, this event is a closed session, which means no musician drop ins. If you’re keen to jam, consider the Irish Club, which runs some open sessions!