Festivals

Bluesfest takes its turn at Lansdowne for its own weekend, boasting a lineup of iconic Canadian performers. Check out our day-by-day roundup for what to expect!

Dean Brody headlined country music night at CityFolk.

Our Lady Peace headlined Day 2 of CityFolk for the largest crowd of this year’s festival, so far.

Apt613 chatted with Kevin Young, keyboardist and founding member of the festival co-headliners Moist, to catch up on what the band has been up to on how they have worked around the pandemic, and the creative process for their latest upcoming album.

While it seemed unlikely just a few months ago, Ottawa will actually be hosting live music festivals in 2021, starting with this weekend’s CityFolk. This somewhat abbreviated edition will feature a single stage over three evenings, and while it may not have similar quantity to previous years, it certainly is bringing headline quality performers.

CityFolk Festival is presenting outdoor concerts at Lansdowne Park from Sept. 16 to 18. Kicking off the weekend, the Thursday night lineup includes performances from singer-songwriter Charlotte Day Wilson, Toronto R&B duo DVSN, OVO rapper Roy Woods, and Juno award-winning R&B artist TÖME.

The Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF) begins on September 22, and animation lovers have a lot to look forward to in this year’s selections, which were chosen from a record-breaking 2,528 entries representing more than 100 countries. So it might be overwhelming to know where to start. Barbara Popel offers some selections to begin with.

House of PainT’s street dance battles are back and taking place in September throughout Ottawa. Check out “Take It to The Streets” in a neighbourhood near you to either watch or compete for a prize!

Meet the latest group of United Way East Ontario’s Community Builders. Today: Kayla and Jenna Spagnoli.

Meet the latest group of United Way East Ontario’s Community Builders. Today: Ali Arbeau.

Meet the latest group of United Way East Ontario’s Community Builders. Today: Pearly Pouponneau.

Meet the latest group of United Way East Ontario’s Community Builders. Today: Osmel B. Guerra Maynes.

VERSeFest, Ottawa’s annual international poetry festival, wants to celebrate the art of poetry, music, and food by presenting Poetry in the Park. The festival will include an entire afternoon of bilingual arts performances along with a delicious lunch. The day of poetry will be held on Aug. 28 from 1pm to 5:30 pm at Strathcona Park in the Sandy Hill area. The event, including lunch, is free for anyone to attend.

For two weekends in September, live music returns to Lansdowne Park with both Bluesfest and CityFolk offering star-studded lineups. Tickets go on sale August 26.

Jasmine van Schouwen: “Festibière ultimately delivered more “festi” than “bière.” If you’re looking to catch some great bands with friends in a trendy atmosphere, you won’t be disappointed.”