Ottawa's CityFolk festival wrapped its 2026 edition on September 20 having sold more full-event passes than in any previous year, organizers say, at a new site that gave the event room to grow.
A Record-Breaking Run
"We have set a record for the number of full-event passes sold," organizers said. The previous high was about 5,500 passholders, and this year's total came in "much greater than that." The festival ran September 16 to 20 at the RA Centre, 2451 Riverside Drive, its first year at that location.
Why CityFolk Had to Move
CityFolk's longtime home, the Great Lawn at Lansdowne Park, is now a construction site as crews build a new arena as part of the city's $420-million Lansdowne 2.0 renovation project.
The move continues a long pattern of relocation for the event. The RA Centre is the fifth venue overall since the Ottawa Folk Festival, CityFolk's predecessor, was founded in 1994, following stops at Britannia Park, Hog's Back Park and, most recently, Lansdowne's Great Lawn.
A Bigger Site for Bigger Crowds
The new grounds are about 30 per cent larger than the old Lansdowne footprint, and organizers said the site handled crowds of up to 15,000 people comfortably. That extra space showed up immediately: opening night alone drew an estimated 10,000-plus attendees, a strong start for a venue nobody in Ottawa had used for the festival before.
The festival also leaned into greener ways of getting there. More than 500 bicycles were parked in a supervised bike lot by the end of opening night, suggesting plenty of Ottawa residents rode in rather than drove to the new Riverside Drive location.
The Lineup, and One Late Change
This year's bill included Alice Cooper, Alabama Shakes, Third Eye Blind, Switchfoot and Of Monsters and Men, drawing a mix of classic rock and modern indie fans across the five days. The one wrinkle came when Marcus King Band pulled out of its scheduled set due to travel issues, a last-minute lineup change organizers had to work around on short notice.
What It Means for Ottawa
For a festival that has now called five different Ottawa venues home since 1994, this year's record turnout at the RA Centre suggests the new site isn't just a temporary fix while Lansdowne rebuilds, it may be a genuine upgrade in capacity for a festival that keeps growing. With Lansdowne's arena construction expected to continue for some time, Ottawa music fans should plan on the RA Centre being CityFolk's home for at least the near future.
As ottown's earlier report noted, CityFolk was just one part of a packed weekend lineup earlier this month that also included the One World Bazaar and Aero Gatineau's aerial shows. Before the festival even opened at its new home, ottown had reported that the venue change was still unconfirmed, making this year's smooth, record-setting run at the RA Centre a relief for organizers and festivalgoers alike.
Sources: Yahoo News Canada
