Organizers say more people than ever are planning to attend the 2026 edition of Ottawa’s CityFolk festival, even though some of them may not be quite sure where they’re headed.
The annual music festival runs Sept. 16-20 in a new location at the RA Centre, 2451 Riverside Dr., with a rock-centric lineup that features Alice Cooper, Alabama Shakes, Third Eye Blind and more.
“Ticket sales are going extremely well,” said Mark Monahan, executive and artistic director of CityFolk, and its big-sister festival, Bluesfest .
“We have set a record for the number of full-event passes sold,” he added, declining to give the exact number. “Our previous record was about 5,500 passholders, and it’s much greater than that.”
But at the same time, his staff are fielding dozens of questions on the new location. “Where is it? How do I get there? Why can’t we go to Lansdowne Park anymore?”
We’re here to help. Read on for details on the new site, the 2026 lineup and transportation options.
Why the move to a new site?
The RA Centre is the second site for CityFolk and the fifth for the event formerly known as the Ottawa Folk Festival. For the past decade, it’s been happening on the Great Lawn at Lansdowne Park, but that’s now a construction site as workers erect a new arena, part of the city’s $420-million Lansdowne 2.0 renovation project .
If you’re not a sports fan, you may not be familiar with the RA Centre, a mere four kilometres south of Lansdowne on Bank Street. The multi-sport recreation facility is owned by the Recreation Association of the Public Service of Canada.
What’s good about the RA Centre location?
The best feature of the new site is the size of its empty field, Monahan said, estimating it’s about 30 per cent bigger than the Lansdowne site, making it “quite comfortable” for crowds up to 15,000 people.
“It gives us a lot more flexibility,” he added, recalling the throngs that clogged the secondary, tented stage at Lansdowne that was crammed into a basketball court. “When it was busy, it was difficult to access. It was hard to get to the other side of the tent. This time we’re using a much bigger tent, and people will be able to access it from three sides.”
How do I get to the RA Centre?
The RA Centre is situated near Billings Bridge station, which is a major hub on the transitway, making it easy to get there aboard an OC Transpo bus.
There is no festival parking on site, but several hundred paid parking spots are available at the office building at 875 Heron Rd., a short footpath away. They’re $29 (including taxes and fees) each per day, available at cityfolkfestival.com .
Another transportation option is a rideshare. The pick-up and drop-off point is on Riverside Drive.
Or, to arrive by bicycle, you can travel along the Rideau River pathway and lock up at an outdoor rack at the RA Centre.
What’s not so great about the site?
It’s not a grand destination like Lansdowne Park with countless shops, bars and restaurants within a stone’s throw. As mentioned, it is close to Billings Bridge Shopping Centre, but the mall closes by 8 p.m.; the Walmart Superstore by 10 p.m.
It’s also possible that traffic may be an issue. During previous events at the RA Centre, such as Escapade, the traffic on nearby streets was congested, and rideshares only added to the chaos. In that case, consider biking or taking public transit.
What else is happening at CityFolk this year?
In addition to the two stages (one in a tent), Monahan said other “activations” are planned, including the festival’s first Vintage Village, presented in collaboration with 613Flea, the popular Lansdowne Park biweekly vintage market. The CityFolk version runs from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. each night.
Returning to the festival is the Thirsty Dog, a British-style pub that was created last year to salute the British acts on the program and show off some vintage Ottawa bar fixtures. The on-site watering hole will serve draft beer and mixed drinks.
Who’s playing the TD Main Stage at CityFolk 2026?
Sept 16: Alabama Shakes; Marcus King Band; Steph Strings
Sept. 17: Cameron Whitcomb; Stella Lefty; Sam Drysdale
Sept. 18: Third Eye Blind; Switchfoot; The New Hires.
Sept. 19: Of Monsters and Men; Angus & Julia Stone; Ken Presse.
Sept. 20: Alice Cooper; Sex Pistols (with Steve Jones, Paul Cook, Glen Matlock and featuring Frank Carter); Bad Nerves.
Where’s the folk at CityFolk?
While there are a handful of folk acts, including singer-songwriter Stella Lefty and Australian phenom Steph Strings, among the rockers on the TD Main Stage, most of the folkier fare can be found on the Westside secondary stage.
Here’s a selection of daily highlights:
Sept. 16: Cape Breton fiddler Ashley MacIsaac, 7:50 p.m.
Sept. 17: Deep-voiced, dark folk singer-songwriter The White Buffalo, 7:45 p.m.
Sept. 18: California’s emotional folk songstress Jensen McRae, 7:45 p.m.
Sept. 19: Canadian multi-instrumentalist and folk traditionalist Teilhard Frost, 6:30 p.m.
Sept. 20: Modern folk troubadour Amigo the Devil, 7:45 p.m.
Remind me: What happened to the Ottawa Folk Festival?
Founded in 1994, the Ottawa Folk Festival was facing a significant budgetary shortfall when it was bailed out by the Bluesfest team in 2010. The following year, they moved the event from its longtime home at Britannia Park to a new site at Hog’s Back Park, where it stayed for four years. The Great Lawn at Lansdowne Park became available in 2015, and the festival moved to the Glebe. With the shift to Centretown, organizers changed the event’s name to CityFolk.
Lynn Saxberg is the arts reporter at the Ottawa Citizen. For years she has been covering music festivals like Bluesfest, performances at the National Arts Centre and Canadian Tire Centre, as well as art exhibitions, comedy shows, the club scene and more. Sign up to receive weekly updates from Lynn Saxberg.
