Every festival on the harbour and every hamper out of Burnside runs on somebody signing up for a shift. Below: standing roles that take applications year-round, and the festival crew calls — with the season each one opens, because the big ones close months before the event.
Nocturne is run primarily by volunteers and is now taking registration for the October 15–18 festival, with most shifts on Saturday, October 17. Fill in the 2026 volunteer registration form, attend a training session in early October (date TBC), then choose your shifts and pick up your gear.
Eight days of film every September — the festival’s biggest volunteer need of the year.
Halifax’s all-night art festival is registering volunteers now. Ambassadors, artist support, setup and teardown.
Nova Scotia’s largest summer festival. Applications open in the spring.
Up to 1,000 volunteers for one race weekend. Registration through VolunteerLocal.
Eleven days each July, run largely by volunteers. Calls go out in early spring.
Atlantic Canada’s biggest sci-fi, fantasy and gaming convention — run entirely by volunteers.
A week-long production at the Scotiabank Centre — one of the few calls open all year.
Six days of street performance on the waterfront — the oldest festival of its kind in Canada.
A week of readings, panels and workshops across Halifax and Dartmouth each November.
A one-day fundraiser where teams play alongside local Special Olympics athletes.
Several roles here need a criminal record check and a child abuse registry check — including Special Olympics, Big Brothers Big Sisters and IWK. Both are done through Halifax Regional Police (1975 Gottingen St, Mon–Fri 8:30–4:30). Budget a few weeks.
Hope Cottage asks for three. IWK asks for two written references plus an interview.
You can generally volunteer as long as the role isn't work someone would normally be paid to do — but immigration rules are strict. Check with ISANS or current IRCC guidance before you start.
Hundreds of HRM organizations post volunteer calls we haven't verified one by one. These three directories are where they land first.
Searchable HRM listings, posted by the organizations themselves. Recently posted: East Coast Ukrainian Festival 2026, the SICC Mobile Toy Library, Drop Zone Halifax.
Open directory →Province-wide search by location, interest and skill. Free to use, and where many non-profits post first.
Open directory →Municipal boards, committees and commissions. Positions are listed during the annual fall recruitment period.
Open directory →Send us your call and we'll list it free, linked to your own application page — roles, dates and who's eligible. Festival calls get pinned while they're open.
Submit a volunteer call →