Catching Live Sports at Downtown Venues
Step into Canada Life Centre on Portage Avenue and Donald Street, and you're at the heart of Winnipeg's sports scene. The Winnipeg Jets play NHL hockey from October through mid-April, with the Stanley Cup playoffs running into June. Single-game tickets can be hard to come by for key matchups, though they do appear on game days. The same downtown arena hosts the Winnipeg Sea Bears, a Canadian Elite Basketball League team drawing summer crowds with fast-paced action from May onwards; tickets range from $25 to $47. If you prefer the more affordable atmosphere of development-league hockey, the Manitoba Moose (the Jets' farm team) play October through April with ticket prices between $30 and $40, and AHL games tend to be more family-friendly than NHL matchups.
Beyond downtown, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers play Canadian football at Princess Auto Stadium from June through November, with tickets ranging from $33.50 to $181. The team won the Grey Cup in 2019 and 2021 after a long drought dating to 1990. For baseball, the Winnipeg Goldeyes take the field from May through September at Shaw Park, located north of The Forks at 1 Portage Ave E; the ballpark, built in 1999, is considered one of the nicest minor league venues in North America, with ticket prices from $15.50 to $29.50.
Theatre, Film and Performance Across the City
The Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre on Market Avenue in the East Exchange District is Winnipeg's premier theatre group, running October through May with original works, Broadway hits, and everything between—the MTC Mainstage stages broad-appeal productions while the smaller MTC Warehouse takes on quirkier fare. Tickets range from $20 to $85. The MTC also hosts the Master Playwright Festival in January and February, and the Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival runs in July at venues throughout the city. Prairie Theatre Exchange, located on the third floor of Portage Place Shopping Centre downtown, offers an intimate experience with all seats within 10 metres of the stage; tickets are $35–47.
In summer, head to Rainbow Stage in Kildonan Park, Canada's longest-running outdoor theatre, where performances run with tickets $35–60. The Cinematheque in the Exchange District screens Canadian, independent, foreign and alternative film in an intimate setting. For something rooted in history, Theatre in the Cemetery operates July through August in the St. Boniface Cathedral Cemetery, walking you through gravesites of figures like Louis Riel while telling stories of French, Métis and Manitoban history; shows are in English and French, with tickets at $7. Shakespeare in the Ruins performs Shakespeare plays in outdoor and varied settings throughout the city.
Gaming, Casinos and Indoor Recreation
Club Regent Casino on Regent Ave W operates from 10 AM to 3 AM Monday through Saturday (noon to 3 AM Sunday), offering a large tropical-themed space. McPhillips Station Casino on McPhillips Street runs the same hours with a railway theme. Both are closed on selected holidays.
For daytime and evening amusement, Grand Prix Amusements off Highway 1 East features go-kart racing on three challenging tracks with over 75 karts for ages four and up, plus pirate-themed mini golf, bumper boats, bumper cars, batting cages and arcades. Speedworld Indoor Kart Track on Berry Street in St. James operates noon to midnight with 40–50 km/h European-style racing karts on a ¼-km indoor track. Thunder Rapids Fun Park on Portage Ave offers five types of go-karts, bumper boats, batting cages, video games and mini golf, running 10 AM to 10 PM Monday through Saturday (noon Sunday) in summer, with reduced hours in spring and fall. U-Puttz Black Light Miniature Golf on McPhillips Street in the North End presents a uniquely themed 18-hole course.
Winter and Year-Round Outdoor Activities
From December through April, Springhill Winter Sports Park north of Winnipeg on Highway 59 operates Tuesday through Friday 6:30–9:30 PM and Saturday–Sunday 9 AM to 4 PM, with 10 ski runs, a quad chairlift and tow rope, plus a terrain park for all levels. Certified instructors and rentals are available.
The Golf Dome on Wilkes Ave (off Sterling Lyon Parkway) runs 9 AM to 10 PM in summer and 8 AM to 10 PM in winter, offering a three-tier driving range, 18-hole mini golf and three virtual golf simulators. Public 18-hole courses include Kildonan Park Golf Course on Main Street, John Blumberg Golf Course on Portage Ave, and Windsor Park Golf Course on Des Meurons Street. From May through September, you can also visit Assiniboia Downs Racetrack on Portage Ave (just west of the Perimeter Highway) for live thoroughbred racing, with year-round simulcast wagering available on races from around the globe.
Annual Festivals Worth Timing Your Visit Around
The Festival du Voyageur celebrates the city's fur-trading heritage. Folklorama brings multicultural performances and food from dozens of cultures across the city. The Winnipeg Folk Festival and Jazz Winnipeg Festival each draw music lovers to different seasons. The Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival takes over venues throughout the city in July, showcasing independent theatre. The Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre also hosts its Master Playwright Festival in January and February, featuring new works by established and emerging playwrights.
Whether you arrive for winter sports and indoor entertainment, summer festivals and outdoor theatre, or simply to catch the Blue Bombers or Jets in their respective seasons, Winnipeg's neighbourhoods and venues give you plenty of reasons to plan an evening out—or several.