Ottawa Bluesfest celebrated its 30th anniversary in style with an event filled with music for listeners of all ages and styles.
The headlining RBC Stage carried the majority of the fun for all concertgoers and included some of the biggest and legendary acts making waves both internationally and across Canada. The festival opened with a trio of Canadian superstars, with rockers, Tokyo Police Club (in their last Ottawa appearance), alt-country game-changer, Orville Peck, and the sensational, Mother Mother. TikTok superstar, Warren Zeiders, who made the trek all the way from Nashville to wow the crowd with his modern take on country music, while the legendary Killer Mike, got Ottawa hip-hop fans warmed up for 50 Cent. Legendary rockers, The Tea Party, Canadian pop king, Tyler Shaw, Canadian pop queen, Carly Rae Jepsen, and re-united rap-rockers, Down With Webster, had their own mid-evening performances from the RBC Stage; while Ottawa’s metal fans were treated to back-to-back performances by Toronto rockers Cancer Bats and Silverstein. Ottawa’s own talent was also spotlighted on the headlining stage when viral sensation, TALK, honoured the hometown crowd with visuals and local pizza before Tyler Childers brought a visual feast for the eyes; and Ottawa rapper, Dax, had the spotlight on an extra night of Bluesfest ahead of Billboard hitmaker, Shaboozy, and country sensation, Jelly Roll, in his first ever show outside of the US. The weekend came to a close with a night of retro jams by the legendary Nas.
Amazing music from all corners could be found at Ottawa Bluesfest’s side stages as well. Ottawa’s own, OK Naledi, opened the weekend up in the Barney Danson Theatre inside the Canadian War Museum, while the SiriusXM Stage played host to both Canada’s Drag Race winner, Priyanka, and Alberta’s own, Corb Lund.
The River Stage, however, was the place to be for an array of new, exciting, and legendary music from across. Gatineau’s Mia Kelly, and Ottawa’s fanclubwallet, proudly performed for fans and family alike. Fernie, BC’s Shred Kelly, London, ON’s Charlie Edward and Burlington, ON’s, Joss Ross, wowed new fans in the Nation’s Capital, and Nashville, TN’s Noah Cyrus, Greenwood, NC’s Future Islands and Totnes, UK’s Ben Howard, brought the world to the River Stage. Finally, legendary Canadian talent was well represented, when Toronto’s own, Bahamas, and Vancouver’s Matthew Good, headlined on the River Stage.
With Ottawa Bluesfest completed for another year, the city sets its sights towards CityFolk; which is set to bring the perfect end-of-summer celebrations to the Capital with legendary performances by the Beaches, Greta Van Fleet, Rise Against, Milky Chance and Jason Isbell, and the 400 Unit.
To see photos from all ten days of the festival, head to our Facebook page!