Balloons are about to take over the sky again just across the river. The Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival returns for its 39th edition from September 2 to 6, bringing five days of concerts, balloon flights, and family-friendly programming to Parc de la Baie, just minutes from downtown Ottawa.
A Lineup Built for Nostalgia This year’s headliners lean heavily into early-2000s nostalgia. Smash Mouth takes the stage Thursday, September 3, bringing along GRAMMY-nominated classics like “All Star,” “Walkin’ on the Sun,” and “I’m a Believer,” alongside new material from their upcoming album. The following night, Friday, September 4, belongs to Simple Plan, the Montreal-bred pop-punk act behind hits like “I’m Just a Kid” and “Welcome to My Life,” with a catalogue that’s sold more than 10 million records worldwide. The rest of the lineup rounds out with performances from Matt Lang, Half Moon Run, Fredz, Émile Bilodeau, Sara Dufour, Zachary Richard, Koriass, and DJ Mike Demero, covering everything from country to indie rock to club energy across the festival’s five evenings.
More Than Just Music As always, the festival’s namesake balloons remain the centrepiece of the experience. Evenings feature the Night Glow, when illuminated balloons light up the park after dark, alongside a fireworks display and the usual mix of amusement rides and creative workshops for families. General admission and access to activities are free for kids 10 and under, with the exception of the Beauce Carnaval amusement park. For anyone looking to catch the whole event, five-day passes are currently available at a reduced price of $74.99, working out to less than $15 a day for full access to the lineup.
Worth the Short Drive Considered the biggest summer event in the Outaouais region, the festival typically draws visitors from well beyond Gatineau, and with its combination of headline concerts and the kind of hot air balloon spectacle that’s hard to find anywhere else nearby, this year’s edition is shaping up to be one of the last big outdoor events of the season before fall settles in.