Ottawa Summer Festivals and Events You Won’t Want To Miss in 2026
Summer is the perfect time to explore Ottawa’s many vibrant festivals and exciting local events. Whether you’re a foodie hankering to indulge in different cuisines, a traveler curious about new cultures, or a music lover yearning to dance the night away, Ottawa has some of the best festivals and events to keep you entertained this summer. Check out the full list of Ottawa events below, and then check out the details of some of our favourite festivals to attend in the capital.
Ottawa Festival and Event Dates
May
Ottawa Poutine Festival - May 1-3, 2026
Best Fest Ottawa Food & Drink Festival - May 8-9, 2026
Great Glebe Garage Sale - May 23, 2026
Ottawa Ribfest - May 27-31, 2026
Ottawa Chinatown Night Market - May 29-31 2026
June
Orleans Craft Beer Festival - June 5-6, 2026
Capital Ribfest - June 5-7, 2026
City of Om - June 12-14, 2026
Doors Open Ottawa - June 6-7, 2026
Orleans Craft Beer Festival - June 5-6, 2026
Festival Franco-Ontarien -June 11-13, 2026
Italian Week - June 11-21, 2026
Ottawa Fringe Festival - June 18-28, 2026
Festival L'Outaouais en Fête - June 19-24, 2026
Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival - June 20-21, 2026
Escapade Music Festival - June 26-28, 2026
Ottawa Dragonboat Festival - June 19-21, 2026
Ottawa Jazz Festival - June 19-28, 2026
July
Canada Day in Ottawa - July 1, 2026
Music and Beyond - July 4-17, 2026
RBC Ottawa Bluesfest - July 9-19, 2026
Hope Volleyball Summerfest - July 11, 2026
Nostalgia Music Festival - July 19-23, 2026
Ottawa Chamberfest - July 23-August 2, 2026
August
Les Grands Feux du Casino Lac-Leamy Fireworks - July 29- August 15, 2026 (Saturdays and Wednesdays)
Ottawa International Buskerfest - August 7-9, 2026
Capital Pride - August 22-30, 2026
September
Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival - September 2-6, 2026
Latin Sparks Festival - September 5, 2026
Riverside Music Festival - September 11-13, 2026
Cityfolk Festival - September 17-20, 2026
Ottawa International Animation Festival - September 23-27, 2026
Asinabka Media and Film Festival - TBA
Ottawa Food Festivals and Cultural Events
Ottawa Chinatown Night Market
Date: May 29-31 2026
Location: Ottawa’s Chinatown, Gladstone St.
Cost: Free
https://ottawachinatown.ca/nightmarket
Enjoy one of the most vibrant, bustling and sensory stimulating events in Ottawa at the 3-day event featuring a melting pot of cultural foods from across Asia. Along with the delicious food, enjoy multicultural performances, dragon and lion dances, martial arts displays, and multiple street vendors.
Italian Week
Dates: June 11-21, 2026
Location: Little Italy, Preston St.
Cost: Free
Experience all things Italy at Ottawa’s longest running arts and cultural festival in Ottawa’s Little Italy. Take part in sporting events and cooking classes, enjoy film screenings, comedy shows, dance, music and of course authentic Italian food.
Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival
Dates: June 20-21, 2026
Location: Wesley Clover Parks
Cost: Entrance is free, with some additional cost for creative and culinary experiences
https://summersolsticefestivals.ca
Discover and learn about Indigenous culture through music, dance, traditional knowledge, cultural performances, movie screenings, creative workshops, and culinary experiences at this family-friendly festival. The highlight of the festival is the popular international Competition Pow Wow, and don’t miss the Indigenous marketplace selling amazing goods from Indigenous artists, makers and producers from the region.
Capital Pride
Date: August 22-30, 2026
Location: Various locations around Ottawa
Cost: Most events are free, with some ticketed performances
Although Ottawa’s Pride week is held later in the summer than most cities, the celebrations are just as entertaining! Don’t miss the annual Pride Parade and street festival, drag shows and musical performances, the Capital Pride Pageant, informative speaker series, plus over numerous community events throughout the city.
Ottawa Ribfest
Date: May 27-31, 2026
Location: Sparks Street
Cost: Free
https://www.sparkslive.com/about-ribfest
Devour award winning ribs from some of the best Ribbers in North America at this 3 block BBQ competition. Pick your favourite for the best of grill, and watch to see who wins the coveted prizes for best rib, chicken, sauce and best team. There are a variety of other food vendors onsite including poutine and fresh-squeezed lemonade, as well as live entertainment by local artists.
Orleans Craft Beer Festival
Date: June 5-6, 2026
Location: Centrum Plaza, Ottawa
Cost: Free entry with optional ticketed events
https://www.orleansfestivals.ca
Get your fill of amazing craft beers, including the best in local Ottawa breweries, plus wines, spirits, and a host of delicious food. Enjoy live entertainment and watch for the winner of the homebrew competition. Event takes places outdoors with a beer garden and eating tents available for inclement weather.
Ottawa Music Festivals
RBC Ottawa Bluesfest
Date: July 9-19, 2026
Location: Lebreton Flats
Cost: General admission day passes starting at $133
Check out some of the best names in International and Canadian music at one of the most popular musical festivals in the region. Dance your heart out to your favourite artists and famous headliners, and enjoy a wide range of food and drink vendors, plus a giant Ferris wheel!
Escapade Music Festival
Date: June 26-28, 2026
Location: RA Centre Grounds
Cost: General admission day passes starting at $125
Live it up at Ottawa’s biggest electronic dance music festival hosting some of the biggest names in Canadian and International EDM. Over 33,000 people attend the event annually, making it one of the biggest single events in any city across Canada.
Ottawa Jazz Festival
Date: June 19-28, 2026
Location: Main location is at Confederation Park, with other performances at venues throughout the city
Cost: Individual performance tickets, day passes and full festival passes available
https://ottawajazzfestival.com
Delight in all genres of jazz from local and international artists, at this popular Ottawa event. Enjoy concerts in a variety of jazz styles from pop and rock, to symphonies and solo instrumentalists. The festival usually overlaps with Canada Day programming where admission is free.
Ottawa Chamberfest
Date: July 23-August 2, 2026
Location: Various locations across the city
Cost: Ticketed
Revel in the sounds of the largest chamber music festival in the world, featuring over 120 concerts by solo artists and top international ensembles. Events take places in churches, museums, theatre, heritage site and galleries throughout the capital.
CityFolk Festival
Date: September 17-20, 2026
Location: Lansdowne Park
Cost: Ticketed
Revel in the sounds of CityFolk at this 5-day festival celebrating music, dance and community. The festival features an eclectic and varied mix performers on multiple stages, as well as plenty of food and beverage options. Don’t miss the free Marvest Festival which runs alongside CityFolk, offering free performances at various pubs and restaurants in the neighbourhood of the Glebe.
Family-friendly Ottawa Festivals and Events
Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival
Date: September 2-6, 2026
Location: Park La Baie, Gatineau
Cost: Ticketed
https://montgolfieresgatineau.com/en
As one of the most exciting festivals in the Ottawa region, the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival is hard to miss! Watch as colourful and uniquely shaped balloons take off on morning and afternoon flights and float across the city, and even take a ride in one yourself! Visit at night to catch the balloon lighting up festival grounds, and catch some cool concert performances, amusement rides, fireworks displays and an endless supply of delicious food and drink.
Les Grands Feux du Casino Lac-Leamy Fireworks
Date: July 29- August 15, 2026 (Saturdays and Wednesdays)
Location: Canadian Museum of History
Cost: General admission starting at $20 for adults
Be dazzled by 6 nights of amazing fireworks displays set to beautiful musical scores each August. Enjoy onsite activities and entertainment on the festival grounds including pyro-musical shows, art installations, roaming performers, and a plethora of culinary experiences. Purchase a seated ticket with an up-close view, or bring a chair or blanket and watch the show from your own cozy spot on the lawn. You can also see the fireworks from other locations throughout the city, however the festival grounds provide the best view and the musical accompaniment.
Great Glebe Garage Sale
Date: May 23, 2026
Location: The Glebe
Cost: Free
https://glebeca.ca/garage-sale-committee
Go treasure hunting at the cities largest garage sale stretching all throughout the entire neighbourhood of the Glebe. Browse blocks of garage sales all taking place on the same day, and search for bargains on clothes, shoes, accessories, canoes, skis, furniture, antiques and more. Pro tip is to have someone with a vehicle on standby nearby to collect your purchases as you go, as parking in difficult during this bustling event.
Canada Day in Ottawa
Date: July 1, 2026
Location: Lebreton Flats and various locations throughout the city
Cost: Free
https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/canada-day.html
Celebrate Canada Day in the nation’s capital with amazing celebrations throughout the city. Watch live musical and cultural performances, fly-pasts by the world-famous Snowbirds aerial flight team, interactive and family-friendly activities, free access to local museums, and of course the annual evening fireworks extravaganza.
Check out our guide to spending Canada Day in Ottawa
Ottawa International Busker Fest
Date: August 7-9, 2026
Location: Sparks Street
Cost: Free
https://www.sparkslive.com/buskerfest
Be entertained by world-class entertainment from street artists and performers from around the world including fire jugglers, magicians, acrobats and more. This is a great family-friendly event, and food and drink vendors are located all along the festival site.
Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival
Date: June 19-21, 2026
Location: Mooney’s Bay Park
Cost: Free
Watch as skilled teams of dragon boats compete for the top prize in this Dragon Boat Canada race series event. Along with the races, the festival hosts numerous live concerts featuring local and Canadian musical talent.
Doors Open Ottawa
Date: June 6-7, 2026
Location: Various locations around the city
Cost: Free
https://ottawa.ca/en/arts-heritage-and-events/doors-open-ottawa
Get exclusive access to more than 100 important and significant buildings around Ottawa, many not usually accessible to the public. Take a peek inside international embassies, research facilities, various museums and galleries. Entry is free, but some locations require advanced registration.
H.O.P.E. Volleyball Summerfest
Date: July 11, 2026
Location: Mooney’s Bay Beach
Cost: Free with ticketed concerts options
This well-recognized volleyball tournament is run by H.O.P.E.; a volunteer, not-for-profit event management organization that raises funds for community-based charities. If you’re not playing in the tournament, the H.O.P.E. Volleyball Summerfest is still a great place to enjoy a day out with friends, or to meet some new ones. Alongside a day of volleyball on the beach, and raising funds for great causes, the event also features concerts, live bands, entertainment and food.
