Coming here for the Western Canada Fashion Week (WCFW), the event was a wonderful experience. The venue for the event was amazing. The open clean space to the beautiful runway. The fashion show went on smoothly with tons of entertainment. I love the local fashion artists and I'm excited to go on a shopping spree in the near future. Overall I love coming to Arts n Barns for events and will be back soon! read more

ATB Arts Barns - a crowd of people watching a presentation - Performing Arts Near Me - Edmonton, Alberta

I love the versatility of this venue! I've been here to see plays during the Fringe Festival, fashion shows during Western Canada Fashion Week and even an awards ceremony for John Humphreys Human Rights! It's amazing how the decor and change in seating transforms the look and overall ambience in this space! Sometimes I have to remind myself that it's the same venue! Usually I buy my tickets online and then pick up my tickets at the will call window, right before the show. Sometimes there can be long line ups prior to the shows. Tickets I've bought have ranged in price from about $10-25. Give yourself extra time in case you need to find a parking space outside, pick up your tickets, have a quick washroom break and line up early to grab some good seats. This is a fairly small and intimate venue. Seats can be quite limited depending on the particular event. Seats are usually on a first come, first serve basis. This venue has a great location in the Whyte Ave area. You have plenty of options of places to eat in this vicinity, before or after the show. There is also a small concession stand inside this venue, in case you want to grab a quick refreshment. Overall, I love this venue! If you haven't been here yet, give it a try! It's pretty awesome! read more

ATB Arts Barns - Pawakan Macbeth! - Performing Arts Near Me - Edmonton, Alberta

I've mostly been to fashion shows in the ATB Arts Barn but recently went for an event as part of Comedy Fest and was impressed with how versatile the space is. The room can be long with a large stage, full runway and seats placed around the runway. Or like last night, it can have raised seating looking down towards the stage, with a cosy theatre style. The foyer is large with a small bar and coat check. They have added a few more comfortable seating options and a couple of high tables. They could make this space look better but I guess they want to keep it as versatile as possible. I'll keep coming here for shows as I really do like the venue and the seats are well comfy! read more

The Transalta Arts Barns does not put on shows in and of itself, but is used by a variety of organizations for shows and events. It is one of the biggest locations for the Fringe Festival, and includes the box office. I have attended the launch of a local television station here, as well as rented the main foyer for use during a peace rally for speakers. The foyer is huge and can seat around 150 people, and there are several theatres within the building. The foyer is also sometimes used for arts and craft sales of various kinds. The acoustics sound pretty decent, and the location is good, just a few blocks off Whyte Avenue with a reasonably large parking lot. read more

ATB Arts Barns - Performing Arts Near Me - Edmonton, Alberta

I've decided to review local Edmonton businesses and institutions as they are for Fringe venues because I'm a Fringe and Yelper nerd like that. So keeping that in mind this review is for The Westbury Theatre inside the ATB Arts Barn as a venue for The Edmonton International Fringe Festival. This is not a review for ATB Arts Barn or Westbury Theatre outside The Fringe. This is also not a review of any shows I've seen here. Let's go. The Westbury Theatre is one of the biggest (if not the biggest) Fringe venues. It's a main venue right inside the Arts Barn. This is nice because it's where the main box office is. So the venue is super easy to find. Before I continue with the good point, I'll point out some of the less good points at this venue. 1. It's at the main site, which is easy to find, but it means that this venue (and the queue to wait for shows here) can get busy. Usually there are volunteers to help make sure you're in the right spot. The queue is outside and I've noticed they have arrows drawn on the sidewalk showing where you should stand. 2. This venue (or at least the queue for shows here) is busy. Lots of artists will be around plugging there show, something that happens at the Fringe all the time, but there will certainly be a lot more artists here than if you were at say the Hostel 4 blocks away. That being said if you hate crowds, the Fringe probably isn't the best festival to check out. The good points. 1. The venue is an actual theatre, which is nice for the fringe because it has a sound and light booth. It's just a nice touch for the shows here. 2. The seating is on stepped platforms, so you are higher than the rows below you. Unless you are really short you can probably see the stage fine. The seats aren't as a comfortable as some theatre seats, but they are padded (a bit) and definitely the more comfortable seats of Fringe venues. 3. There is AC here. In the middle of a hot August day seeing at Fringe show at The Westbury is like winning the lottery. 4. There are bathrooms inside the Arts Barn. They can get busy, but indoor washrooms (rather than a port-a-potty) is always a bonus. 5. The box office is right next to the theatre, so you can get your tickets basically at the venue. This is the main box office though so it will be busy. Try to buy your tickets online and stand in the shorter will call line up to pick up your tickets. The Westbury, being a theatre, is used outside The Fringe too. Aside from the crowdedness that can occur around this area this is probably the best venue of any at The Fringe. read more

The Transalta Arts Barns is home to all the Fringe Theatre performances, in addition to the Varscona Theatre across the street. There are several theatres within the Transalta Arts Barns, with the Westbury Theatre being the largest, having a capacity of about 370 people. I haven't been in the Westbury yet, but I caught a show this past summer in one of their smaller theatres, Studio A. This room seats about 60 people, and the rows are built in raised levels auditorium-style, so that everyone can see the stage. Everything is fully wheelchair accessible, and the acoustics in the room are very good. You're able to hear every sound when it's quiet, even the drop of a pin. This is one of the best theatres I've been to. Transalta Arts Barns also rents out space for big events, whether corporate or personal. They provide shop and wardrobe facilities as well. read more

ATB Arts Barns - the outside of the building - Performing Arts Near Me - Edmonton, Alberta

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I've been here multiple times over the past few years for the Western Canada Fashion Week. It's an awesome venue for the catwalk and photographers and fashionistas to view the new looks for the upcoming seasons. In the foyer they offer beverages for sell and a couple of vendors for a small variety of things such as jewelry and accessories. I also attended a wedding here a few years ago and the gorgeous curtains made for a stunning backdrop for the head table! The floor was awesome for dancing, it ended up being the prefect venue for the size of crowd that attended! The washroom facilities are a decent size and well kept. The biggest issue for some people is that ticket sales on site are cash only, so be sure to hit the bank ahead of time although I believe there is an ATM there. Also parking can be a bit tricky, thankfully due to the times of the year it is held.. I am generally attending on my Italian scooter and can invent myself a parking spot almost anywhere! An interesting site if you're looking for a venue that's not like all the other halls! read more

ATB Arts Barns - Performing Arts Near Me - Edmonton, Alberta

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I don't know what to say about this venue, except that I had one of the scariest experiences of my whole life here. I missed the play, "The Bone House," by Marry Chan at The Fringe, but luckily they were running it again on Halloween at the Transalta Arts Barns. The Play was set up in a room with a small stage. My friend and I had heard this play was so scary that people would start crying and have to leave. We knew not to sit in the aisles, so we sat near the back. The play finally started, and I was listening to the guy speaking at the front. He was telling us about a serial killer that he was tracking. All of the sudden, I saw something in the corner of my eye. I turned my head and saw a guy dressed up in a the "Scream" outfit holding a giant knife. He was staring right at me, and I was so freaked out. He ended up not being the serial killer, but rather the tracker's crazy assistant. After that happened, my friend and I were split up, and I was seated in an aisle seat. The tracker continued to tell us stories about the gruesome serial killer killings. Eventually, he led us to believe that the killer was right here in Edmonton. He had all of us stare at a negative image of the killer's face, then the lights went, and we could see a reflection of the face. The lights came back on, but later they went out again, and I couldn't see a thing. The side door opened, and the killer walked in. He walked up and down the aisles. Although I couldn't see at all, I could feel the wind from his cape and at one point, he touch my head. I almost had a heart attack. Even though I knew this was a play, I literally was so afraid that I though I was going to die. The killer then tore out the tracker's heart and squeezed it. It was funny, because they splashed water all over everyone to make them think it was blood. That eased my tension a little bit. So, I'd have to say that the Transalta puts on some good plays, and I would definitely check another one out here sometime. read more

This location is great for events and for theatre. I've visited this venue many times over the years for various reasons. Most recently the Backstage Theatre has come to be located in this building as the Varscona Theatre undergoes some renovations. But there's much else that can be done in this space from craft sales to dance workshops and other special events as well. read more

Now re-named the ATB Arts Barns, FYI. If you are looking to have an event with an amazing location that is close to a ton of restaurants, pubs, shops and nightlife galore, well this is a fantastic spot! Not too big, best suited to events with about 100 attendees, the Arts Barns are clean and versatile (though a real lack of parking!). Really the best draw is not the place itself, but the location... You can attend an event then grab dinner or drinks after (or before too you party animal!) However, if you are going to an event here in the dead of winter, I have seen the line-ups to get in, go down the alley - so dress warm! read more