Watch ice turn into art at Edmonton’s International Ice Carving Competition

In downtown Edmonton, watch these ice blocks be carved into beautiful art sculptures over three short days.

This January, Edmonton’s International Ice Carving Competition, also known as Chiseled, will be back at the ICE District Plaza. Over three days and several long hours, bystanders can watch teams of talented ice carvers transform blocks of ice into magnificent art.

What to expect

This was Chiseled’s 2024 competition winner, The Huntress, created by Team License to Chill, comprised of Victor Dagatan from the Philippines and Andrew Zoller from Calgary. You can expect more fantastic pieces like this from local and international artists during the competition.

As for the exact competition measures, each team is allotted 15 blocks of ice and 34 hours over the course of three days to bring their sculptures to life. It’s incredible the work they can do in such a short amount of time.

Activate Arts Alberta is the organization behind Chiseled, formerly named Ice on Whyte. The organization hosts a variety of community events across the province. In December, Activate Arts Alberta even held Chill Factor in Edmonton. This was an ice-carving workshop where guests got the opportunity to try their hand at ice carving themselves.

You might be familiar with Activate Arts Alberta if you’ve ever visited the popular Whyte Avenue Art Walk, held each summer. During the winter, it hosts an abundance of activities, just like Chiseled.

More details will come soon regarding the ice-carving competition itself, so stay tuned.

Chiseled

When: Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2026, to Friday, Jan. 17, 2026
Time: Various times
Where: ICE District Plaza — 10360 102nd St. NW, Edmonton, Alta.
Cost: Free

Recent posts:
Ontario’s renowned Boots and Hearts music festival is making its way to Alberta
Jasper’s new glacial plunge is elevating wellness in the Alberta Rockies