The circus is back in town for the May long weekend in Regina, with the Great Benjamins Circus headlining a diverse lineup of events that also includes the Cathedral Arts Festival, the Saskatchewan Highland Gathering and Celtic Festival, local theatre, a summer kickoff party, and ThunderCon.
1. The Great Benjamins Circus
The Florida-based show offers seven performances over four days under the big top in the parking lot at Victoria Square Shopping Centre. Shows are scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 1 p.m., 4 p.m., and 7 p.m., Sunday at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., and Monday at 1 p.m. The circus, which also came through Regina last spring, tours across North America. It features exclusively human performers, including world-class athletes and artists who push the boundaries of what the human body can achieve. According to an online preview, the Great Benjamins Circus is a celebration of human artistry, athleticism, and the timeless magic of live performance. For 90 minutes, audiences experience the energy, beauty, and excitement that only a real circus can deliver, with clowns, acrobats, aerialists, and daredevils performing feats that inspire wonder and amazement. Learn more at benjaminscircus.com.
2. Cathedral Arts Festival
A Victoria Day tradition continues with the opening of the 35th annual Cathedral Village Arts Festival from May 18 to 23. This free six-day event launches Monday at 11:30 a.m. with the annual CVAF parade. The route starts at Holy Rosary Park, goes west along 13th Avenue to Elphinstone Street, and heads over to Les Sherman Park for the kick-off picnic and opening ceremony at 1:30 p.m. Live entertainment on the Les Sherman stage includes music from Elvis impersonator Jesse Lamont, the Pacesetters Orchestra, and the Hot Dog Bluegrass band. There are also activities at the Art Gallery of Regina and the Artesian. Day 1 concludes Monday evening at Westminster United Church with performances by the Regina Mandolin Orchestra and the Jazz Bandits. A full schedule can be found at cvaf.ca.
3. Bringing Scotland to Regina
The annual Saskatchewan Highland Gathering and Celtic Festival runs Saturday at Victoria Park. Gates open at 8 a.m., followed by various festivities throughout the morning and afternoon, including traditional Scottish athletics, sword competitions, and a caber toss event. There are also children's activities, live Celtic music and dance in the festival tent, and an on-site market. The Prairie Piping Amateur Invitational takes place Friday night at Hotel Saskatchewan, followed on Saturday by piping, dancing, and drumming performances at Hotel Sask and Victoria Park. Learn more at saskhighland.ca.
4. Checkpoint
On Cue Performance Hub opens its 2026 Riser Regina series with a presentation of Checkpoint by Rania Alharthi at the University of Regina's Shu-Box Theatre. A preview is slated for Friday night, followed by the official opening on Saturday night. The show also runs Sunday at 2 p.m. and continues until May 24.
