Ottawa announces lineup for 2026 CityFolk festival
[Ross MacDonald was there for the press conference. – AC]
Ottawa has two summer music festivals every year. July has Bluesfest, and closing out the summer is Ottawa CityFolk Festival from 16-20 September. It is a smaller affair, just two stages over five nights; and just like Bluesfest, the musical genres have evolved to much more than the folk name implies. However, there is no shortage of firepower as this year’s lineup knocks it out of the park!
One minute after midnight, early on Tuesday morning, CityFolk officially announced their 2026 lineup. Alt-rock and punk represent four of the five headliners, with some folk thrown in for good measure. In order, the main stage headliners are: Alabama Shakes, Cameron Whitcomb, Third Eye Blind, Of Monsters and Men , and Alice Cooper.
There is also significant alt-rock depth this year, including Sex Pistols (alas without Johnny Lydon), Switchfoot, and Ashley MacIssaac.
And this year marks a change in venue. Because Lansdowne Park is being renovated, CityFolk is moving to the front field of the RA Centre, south of downtown. The site is fully licensed.
“It’s another exciting turning point in our festival’s storied history,” says CityFolk Executive and Artistic Director Mark Monahan. “We feel confident that our varied fan base of all ages will love the new setup at the RA Centre, and the program speaks for itself.”
Tickets:
A one-day pre-sale begins Wednesday, May 13, from 10:00 am until 11:59 pm at cityfolk.frontgatetickets.com
$99 for five evenings of music is an excellent deal.
Full On-Sale Date: Thursday, May 14, at 10 a.m. cityfolk.frontgatetickets.com
For more information on CityFolk, go here.
