Save the Date
Mark down September 26 for the Ottawa 200 Block Party, a free, all-ages celebration unfolding right at Ottawa City Hall. Doors open at 10 am and the festivities run well past sundown, with two stages and programming scattered across the site all day long.
This isn’t a party that comes around every year. It’s a once-in-a-generation milestone celebration marking 200 years of Ottawa’s story, and the lineup reflects it.
A Mystery Worth Waking Up For
Here’s the part that has us most excited: a surprise headliner will be announced the morning of the event. Details are being kept close to the chest for now, but it’s shaping up to be the kind of reveal that gets Ottawa talking before the first note even plays.
Whoever it turns out to be, they’ll be joining a stacked slate of homegrown talent that’s already been confirmed.
The Local Lineup You Can Count On
The confirmed roster reads like a love letter to Ottawa’s music scene. Look for 2025 Ottawa Awards Hip Hop Artist of the Year Cody Coyote, francophone singer-songwriter Mehdi Cayenne, and Franco-Ontarian pop artist Jessy Lindsay, alongside Ottawa-born pop and R&B performer Duava and acoustic duo The Blind & The Beautiful.
Drag duo Sunshine Glitterchild and Saltina Shaker will bring the theatrics, while NO DEF Collective closes things out with a DJ-driven evening finale. The day will also include a special performance of Heart of This Place (Adàwe c’est ma ville), the official Ottawa 200 anthem, plus interactive trivia, fireside chats, and immersive dance performances.
More Than a Concert
Marion Dewar Plaza is being transformed into an open-air art gallery for the occasion, complete with interactive installations, live demonstrations, games, and prizes courtesy of local organizations and community partners. It’s the kind of setup where you could wander for hours and still find something new around the next corner.
Hungry or thirsty? The vendor lineup leans heavily on Ottawa favourites, including Dominion City Brewing Company, Beyond the Pale, 1818 Cidery, Merry Dairy, Beavertails, Whalesbone, No Go Coffee, SuzyQ Doughnuts, and Kisisam Pattisserie, among others.
Plan Your Day
The Ottawa 200 Block Party runs all day on September 26 at Marion Dewar Plaza, and it’s free to attend. For the full artist lineup, site map, and updates on that headliner reveal, head to ottawa200blockparty.ca or follow @ottawa200feteparty on Instagram.
Whether you’re coming for the music, the food, or just to soak up 200 years of local pride in one place, this is shaping up to be a day worth clearing your calendar for.
