Bouchercon 2026 Update: October 2025

In This Issue

• Registration Information

• Passport Requirements

• Add-On Trips to Make Your Visit Unforgettable

• Thank you for Your Anthology Submissions

• Stay Connected

Registration Information

Plans for the 2026 Calgary Bouchercon are progressing rapidly!

Registration and payment can only be completed through the Bouchercon 2026 website. We will never send a link for payment via email, PayPal, Zelle, etc.

Click HERE to register.

Please note, discounted rates for hotel registration open on October 21 for Bouchercon 2026 attendees. If you have registered for Bouchercon 2026, you will receive an email with the information needed to book on Oct. 21. You cannot register for a room until you have completed your registration for the convention.

Click HERE for hotel information. 

Passport Requirements

Get your passports ready!

Visitors to Canada require a passport or equivalent travel document in order to cross the border.

If you plan to join us in Calgary from outside of Canada, please ensure your passport is up to date. Applications can take time, and we don’t want anyone to have any last-minute surprises or stressors when they travel.

Visitors entering Canada by car can check the Canada Border Services Agency for information to plan your trip across the border.

For more information on travelling to Calgary, click HERE. 

Add-On Trips to Make your Visit Unforgettable

So many amazing excursions to choose from!

Whether it’s your first time visiting, or you live nearby, consider extending your stay with a tour before or after Bouchercon.

Check out the tours listed HERE and experience all Calgary has to offer.

Weather in October

Please keep the weather in mind when choosing which tours to attend. Higher elevations will be cooler so it’s always a good idea to pack sweaters and check weather reports before venturing out.

We can’t guarantee the weather, but October is a beautiful time of year in the Rockies. Plan to enjoy crisp autumn air and beautiful scenery. The falling leaves create an enchanting mosaic of colors, ranging from copper to gold, adding a lovely rustling soundtrack to the city.

Check HERE to help you prepare for October in Calgary. It will give you an idea of what to expect during Bouchercon 2026. Notice these temperatures are in Celsius.

Photo Courtesy of Travel Alberta

Thank you For Your Anthology Submissions

Submissions to the 2026 Bouchercon Anthology closed on schedule October 1 amid a flurry of terrific short mystery story submissions. A huge thank you goes out to all who submitted! And a sincere thank you also for your tremendous diligence in adhering to our necessary submission requirements. This really helped us handle and input each one, for which Judging Coordinator Juanita Violini is hugely grateful.

All of the many creative ways that our border theme was woven into the mystery genre are absolutely inspiring and the Judging Committee Members, along with editor, Olyn Ozbick, will have a tough decision on their hands in choosing the finalists whose stories will be forwarded along to Jess Lourey. Jess will select the winning short mystery stories for publication in the Anthology, after which the editor will lead the authors through polishing their manuscripts. These will appear alongside stories by some of our 2026 Guests of Honour. 

Stay Connected

For more updates, follow us on social media or check out our website HERE. Keep checking back as more information will be forthcoming on a regular basis and will increase as the convention draws closer.

We look forward to seeing you in Calgary!