Wild Colour
2026-05-15 09:30 - 2027-01-10 16:00 UTC | Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Step into a vibrant, photo-worthy world of science at the Canadian Museum of Nature – Wild Colour is Ottawa’s most colourful museum experience of 2026. Created by the Field Museum in Chicago and enhanced with Canadian specimens, this exhibition explores how animals, plants and minerals use colour to communicate, attract mates, and survive. Museum admission is required and can be purchased online for a 10% discount; the museum is open Monday from 9:30 AM to 4 PM. The exhibition is suitable for all ages, especially curious families, and runs until January 10, 2027. Event details can change, so verify with the organizer before attending.

Frame of Mind: 10 Years of Creative Space
2026-06-01 10:00 - 2026-06-14 21:00 | Ottawa Art Gallery, 10 Daly Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Frame of Mind is the 9th exhibition in the Creative Space program, a partnership between the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre and the Ottawa Art Gallery celebrating its 10th year of using artmaking as a tool for wellness and community connection. The exhibition features work created across fall and winter sessions using acrylic painting and mixed media sculpture techniques, with the theme of how frames can become an integral element of an artwork rather than a background detail. Admission to the Ottawa Art Gallery is always free and the gallery is located at 10 Daly Avenue in downtown Ottawa with multiple floors of exhibition space. The OAG is easily walkable from Parliament Hill and serves as a strong free cultural destination for all ages.
Event details can change, so verify with the organizer before attending.

Intertwined - A concurrent exhibition
2026-06-01 10:00 - 2026-08-02 21:00 | Ottawa Art Gallery, 10 Daly Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Intertwined is a concurrent exhibition at the Ottawa Art Gallery running through August 2, 2026, bringing together artists to explore humanity’s increasingly complex relationship to the natural world through their works. The show features multiple artists working across a range of disciplines and takes up space across the OAG’s five-floor programming venue at 10 Daly Avenue. Admission is free and no booking is required to attend during regular gallery hours. The OAG’s exhibition program is one of the most active free arts destinations in Ottawa, presenting more than 20 exhibitions and 90 artists annually. This is a strong drop-in option for anyone looking for a free, quiet, and meaningful cultural experience during the first week of June.
Event details can change, so verify with the organizer before attending.

Te Tangi a Te Tūī | Maori cirque theatre work
2026-06-04 20:00 - 2026-06-07 20:00 | Azrieli Studio, NAC, 1 Elgin St, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
A stunning Maori cirque theatre work performed in Te Reo Maori, telling the allegorical story of Aotahi and her son Piri as they navigate powerful supernatural beings representing the colonial forces that displaced their people. The production is a collaboration between Te Rehia Theatre and The Dust Palace circus company, combining aerial acrobatics, physical theatre, and Indigenous storytelling in an immersive and visually striking performance. Tickets are available through the NAC website and the run spans four evenings from Thursday June 4 through Sunday June 7. The Azrieli Studio at the NAC is an intimate black-box-style space at 1 Elgin Street in downtown Ottawa. This production is recommended for general adult audiences and older youth interested in world theatre and circus arts.
Set in Aotearoa (New Zealand), Te Tangi a Te Tūī follows Aotahi, a woman living peacefully on her ancestral land near a mysterious forest inhabited by supernatural beings. After the birth of her son Piri, the first male born into their family for generations, an ancient curse is awakened. As Piri grows older, two powerful forces begin fighting for control over his future: Te Pua o Te Reinga, a grieving Patupaiarehe seeking to resurrect her lost lover through Piri, and Kōiriiri, the cursed Bird Man determined to escape his torment by making Piri take his place.
Blending mythology, family legacy, and themes tied to the lasting impacts of colonization, this visually striking cirque theatre production explores love, identity, language, and generational struggle. Performed entirely in Te Reo Māori, Te Tangi a Te Tūī delivers an immersive and emotionally powerful theatrical experience from Aotearoa/New Zealand.
Event details can change, so verify with the organizer before attending.

JINJER Duel North America 2026
2026-06-05 18:00 | Centretown · Bronson Centre, 211 Bronson Ave, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Ukrainian heavy metal powerhouse JINJER brings their Duel North America 2026 tour to the Bronson Centre Theatre with support from Entheos in what is expected to be a high-energy performance from one of the most technically accomplished metal bands on the international scene. JINJER is known for vocalist Tatiana Shmayluk’s extraordinary vocal range and the band’s blend of progressive metalcore, groove metal, and technical precision. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster and Live Nation. The Bronson Centre Theatre offers a general admission floor and balcony seating with a capacity suited to an intimate but powerful show. Bags are subject to search on entry and arriving early is recommended for floor positioning.
Event details can change, so verify with the organizer before attending.

Family Man, Neon Ghosthouse
2026-06-05 19:30 | ByWard Market · The 27 Club, 27 York St, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Family Man and Neon Ghosthouse perform a punk and indie double bill at the 27 Club in the ByWard Market, with doors opening at 7 PM. The 27 Club is one of Ottawa’s most active small-capacity live music venues and consistently hosts touring punk and indie acts alongside local support. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster via the venue page. This is a Friday night indoor show in a compact standing-room venue well-positioned for an after-work start. It is a strong option for fans of punk, indie rock, and alternative music looking for a high-energy early June show.
Event details can change, so verify with the organizer before attending.

Macbeth (Robert Lepage)
2026-06-05 19:30 - 2026-06-13 19:30 | Babs Asper Theatre, National Arts Centre, 1 Elgin St, Centretown, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Robert Lepage reimagines Shakespeare’s Macbeth by transplanting the medieval Scottish tragedy into the world of 1990s Quebec biker gangs, with Cawdor Castle becoming a rural motel and Birnam Wood a cannabis field, while leaving the original story of murderous ambition and paranoia intact. Presented in French by NAC French Theatre, this Francophone production is performed at the Babs Asper Theatre with performances running through June 11. Tickets start at $75 and are available on the NAC website. The production is recommended for adult audiences given its dark thematic content and mature staging. The Babs Asper Theatre is located at 1 Elgin Street in downtown Ottawa and is accessible by transit.
Event details can change, so verify with the organizer before attending.

Nature Nocturne: Wild Colour
2026-06-05 20:00 - 23:59 | Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Nature Nocturne returns to the Canadian Museum of Nature for its first event of the 2026-27 season, themed around Wild Colour in partnership with the museum’s new special exhibition of the same name created by the Field Museum. The event features three dance floors with DJs, live music, performance artists, interactions with museum experts, gallery activities, special photo opportunities, and a cashless bar on site open throughout the evening. Tickets are $42 plus tax, the event is strictly 19-plus with photo ID required, and all ticket sales are final with no re-entry. Advance ticket purchase is strongly recommended as this event is described as selling out fast. The Canadian Museum of Nature is located at 240 McLeod Street in Centretown, accessible by transit along Metcalfe Street.
Event details can change, so verify with the organizer before attending.
