APT613 will have wall-to-wall coverage of the festival, with daily previews, occasional interviews, and the best photos from each set, on each stage, on each day. We’ve got you!
After a sweltering night dominated by rock, including a once-in-a-lifetime moment by the scheduling gods that had Tom Morello and Def Leppard on the same stage and able to perform their joint single together, it’s time for a momentary genre break, as we have our first hip hop night on the main stage. Now if only the rain can let up tonight…
RBC Stage
6:00 pm – DYSTOH
7:30 pm – Kardinal Offishall
9:30 pm – Sean Paul
Starting the night off with some more experimental sounds, local duo DYSTOH throw sax, afro beats, salsa, and a drum machine into a blender, add in some harmonies on vocals, and the concoction will have the entire main stage bowl dancing. Not a surprise given the pair’s track record with their other project, the SoulJazz Orchestra.
As always, Bluesfest organizers had to deal with a curveball, this year’s being in the form of rapper G-Eazy cancelling his appearance. Their response? Bring in Canadian hiphop royalty in Kardinal Offishall. With a slew of hits including collabs with Akon on “Dangerous,” and Rihanna on “Numba 1,” there’s no question he would have an undisputed spot on the Mount Rushmore of Canadian hip hop, and having him fill in is a major coup.
Closing the night is rapper Sean Paul, who will continue the dance party with his Jamaican dancehall rhythms, and billion stream hits including “No Lie” and “Temperature.” Given the sweltering heat so far this week, he should feel right at home. And much like Pitbull’s party two years ago, the pits will turn into a club throwback session.
Tom Morello at Bluesfest 2025. Photo by Landon Entwistle.
River Stage
6:15 pm – LILYISTHATYOU
7:45 pm – Alicia Moffet
9:15 pm – Peach Pit
Taking the dancing mood in a different direction, Toronto’s Lilyisthatyou brings her own brand of alt-pop to the stage, with touches of dark wave and hyperpop as a backdrop to her straightforward lyrics. Her first single, 2021’s breakout hit “FMRN” broke her on TikTok, and she hasn’t stopped churning out hook-laden bangers since, including last week’s newest track “No Favors.”
Taking the synth-pop but turning down the tempo slightly, Alicia Moffet is up next with a few more ballads strewn across her catalog that spans from her debut on reality tv’s “Next Star” and “La Voix” to her new album this year, No, I’m Not Crying. We can only hope Alicia might invite Ottawa’s own Jamie Fine to join her to perform their synth-pop hit “Never Wanted This.”
Finally, putting the indie into indie pop, Vancouver’s Peach Pit make their return to Ottawa after a stellar set at the Bronson Centre in 2022. Since then, their album Magpie adds to their repertoire of jangly guitar pop, with the title track becoming their highest charting single so far. That said, their most recognizable hits would be “Alrighty Aphrodite” and “Tommy’s Party” both off their debut album, 2018’s Being So Normal, and both having crossed the 100 million streams mark.
LeBreton Stage
5:45 pm – Durham County Poets
7:00 pm – Harry Manx
8:15 pm – Moontricks
The tent has an eclectic trio of artists, starting off with Quebec’s blues band Durham County Poets. Their electric blues is so traditional, it’s also earned the band Canadian Folk Music Award nominations in addition to a Juno nomination for best blues album. Churning out albums since 2012, their latest includes catchy yet soulful songs like “Back at the Groove Shack” and the upbeat “Out of the Woods” that will have folks dancing their blues away.
Marking the 20th anniversary of his first Bluesfest appearance in 2005, Harry Manx has blended his many musical influences into a unique sound all his own. Born on the Isle of Man, raised in Canada, and with a decade abroad with stints in Japan and India, it all combines into an appropriately named “mysticssippi.” Just listen to the middle eastern instruments on a blues backdrop like “Veenarama” or the haunting “Death Have Mercy” and you’ll instantly understand how that name resonates perfectly.
Building on that not-so-traditional set, Moontricks combines folk and Americana instrumentation and song structures with an EDM base, creating a whole new genre that sounds both familiar yet unlike anything else. Their last album Currents demonstrates how their production has evolved since their first breakout hits “Home” and “Mountains.” In particular, “Animals” makes great use of a banjo and traditional drums with a sparse yet intense drum machine beat. The result is ethereal, and should be incredible inside the intimate tent.
Barney Danson Theatre
6:30 pm – Sofia Duhaime
8:00 pm – Jolie Laide
9:30 pm – Harry Manx
Gatineau’s Sofia Duhaime will open the theatre with a set that will draw predominantly from her debut full length album, Lune d’argent, released last April. Expanding beyond strictly a singer-songwriter style, the production behind songs like “Le ciel pleurera” and the title track lift the album to a whole new stage.
Moving from the introspective to a more electronic tapestry is the commanding voice of Nina Nastasia dueting with Clinton St. John as Jolie Laide. The result is an experimental twist on standard guitar based rock, with songs like “Cheyenne” and “Holly” sounding like they should be on a ‘modern throwback’ cowboy movie soundtrack.
The turntables tonight see familiar faces, with the Spin Stage continuing with DJ DoubleDown, while DJMC gives way to DJ Kwame returning to The Crazy Horse Saloon.
Keep checking APT613 for our daily previews to get you ready for your excursion to the festival, and then again afterwards for our daily photos to either jog your memories – or instigate FOMO.
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