Sights & Sounds

We’re fully into the summer madness with a bunch of different events and activities happening around town this weekend!

Iranian-Canadian comedian Neema Naz came by the Algonquin Commons Theatre on July 19 as the latest stop on his My Estupid Life Comedy Tour around the world. Before an audience of hundreds, Naz shared jokes about what it was like to be raised in Scarborough and Markham by two immigrant parents, gave impersonations of his friend group, and revealed how “the talk” went for him as a teenager.

Bluesfest 2025 may have ended for the summer, but it lives on in photos! Relive the final night of the festival through these photos.

“Nothing has killed live music and nothing will kill it,” says Bluesfest founder Mark Monahan.“There’s no end to the growth of people who want to go out and see live music.” Read Sopha Lall’s article about live music thriving in Ottawa.

In case you missed last night’s Bluesfest performances, here’s a look through our photographers’ lenses.

It was Day 7 of Bluesfest, featuring headlining act Green Day, and you can relive all the moments here with our Gig Photos.

From rock mainstays like Daughtry to blues up-and-coming legends like Christone Ingram, there’s lots of music for everyone this Saturday, including those who want their “blues” in Bluesfest.

Check out our photos to relive last night’s best Bluesfest moments.

In what might be one of the most highly anticipated nights of any Bluesfest in recent years, Green Day will be filling the main stage bowl with what could be a record setting crowd. But if you need some respite on the side stages, there will be plenty to keep you entertained.

One of the summer’s brightest events, Les Grands Feux du Casino Lac-Leamy, returns to the Canadian Museum of History. The annual competition features six evenings of dazzling fireworks launched from the Ottawa River on Wednesdays and Saturdays from July 30 through to August 16. 

Day 5 photos of Bluesfest just dropped. Relive the shows here with our Gig Photos.

After a night of legendary rock and roll, it’s time for the first hip hop night at Bluesfest this year, with acts like Sean Paul and Kardinal Offishall, with some indie pop on the River Stage, and enough blues to satisfy the purists.

Looking for a feel-good summer comedy this month? Look no further than Ottawa Little Theatre’s production of Always a Bridesmaid performing July 16-Aug. 2.

Months ago, we were at Broadway Nights Ottawa (BNO) when hostess extraordinaire Emma Iris told the audience that familiar face Noah Pacheco and friends were going to perform a song from a musical he had written. While the song was fantastic, we wanted to know more and follow the story of a locally written and brand-new production in the works.

Kicking off five straight days of music, Wednesday at Bluesfest features major acts like The Decemberists, Tom Morello, and Def Leppard alongside local bands like Amos the Transparent and Funk Yo Self.