Downtown Ottawa
Events for June 25, 2026
Wild Colour
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 […]
Intertwined – A concurrent exhibition
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 […]
Original Haunted Walk of Ottawa (All-year round)
Ottawa's award-winning lantern-lit ghost tour runs nightly through downtown streets with cloaked storytellers sharing the city's haunted history at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier, the Bytown Museum, and Ottawa's most infamous haunted high school. The 75-minute tour departs from the ticket office at 46 1/2 Sparks Street, steps from Parliament Hill, and runs in all weather […]
Ottawa Jazz Festival
The 46th Ottawa Jazz Festival opens on June 18 with 11 days of world-class jazz, soul, blues, and experimental music across multiple outdoor and indoor stages in the heart of downtown Ottawa. The 2026 lineup features headline acts including St. Vincent with the NAC Orchestra, Wyclef Jean, Jeff Goldblum and the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, WILLOW, […]
Metcalfe Plaza
Metcalfe Plaza is downtown Ottawa's summer hangout, transformed by the Downtown BIA into a hub of live music, art and culture. The plaza hosts live performances, DJ sets, fitness classes, pop up markets and weekend activities throughout the season. It runs daily from noon to 10 PM, from June 18 through September 20, right in […]
Ottawa Fringe Festival
The 29th Ottawa Fringe Festival kicks off under the theme "Fringe Out Loud," presenting 50+ companies and over 300 performances across multiple venues through June 28. Every show is selected by lottery and no production is curated or juried, giving artists from all backgrounds full creative freedom to take risks and push boundaries. A Fringe […]
Elgin Street Market
Ottawa's only Centretown farmers' market returns every Sunday at Boushey Square with fresh produce, baked goods, prepared foods, and artisan crafts from local vendors. Shoppers can browse dozens of stalls […]
Light at Night Kayaking
Paddle downtown Ottawa's Rideau Canal at dusk in a glowing LED kayak for one of the city's most romantic and visually stunning evening experiences. The 2.5-hour, 5.5-kilometre guided tour launches from Patterson Creek, winding past Parliament Hill, the Chateau Laurier, and the Rideau Canal Locks as the city skyline lights up around you. All experience […]
Ottawa Jazz Festival
The 46th Ottawa Jazz Festival closes its final week at Confederation Park with headline acts including St. Vincent with the NAC Orchestra on June 27 and a closing day lineup on June 28 featuring Ibrahim Maalouf, Alanna Sterling, and Steve Berndt. This year the festival introduced a redesigned musical campus, a new Confederation Park stage, […]
Ottawa Fringe Festival
Ottawa's biggest theatre festival wraps its 29th edition with 62 productions across 10 downtown venues through June 28, covering stand-up comedy, gothic horror, dance, musical theatre, immersive magic, and bilingual […]