Ottawa's CityFolk festival is turning a page, and it's doing so in style. The long-running local music festival has officially revealed its lineup for its debut season at the RA Centre, the Riverside Drive venue that organisers are calling the festival's new "semi-permanent" home — and the bill is anything but modest.
Headlining the newly relocated event are rock legend Alice Cooper and the critically acclaimed Alabama Shakes, whose soulful blend of blues, rock, and R&B has earned them a devoted following since bursting onto the scene in the early 2010s. The pairing signals CityFolk's intent to balance classic rock royalty with modern critical favourites, catering to the wide range of music lovers who have made the festival a fixture on Ottawa's cultural calendar.
A New Chapter for a Festival Institution
CityFolk has been a staple of Ottawa's summer arts scene for decades, previously calling Lansdowne Park home for several years. The move to the RA Centre represents more than just a change of address — it's a deliberate repositioning. Festival organizers describe the RA Centre as a better fit for the intimate, community-driven atmosphere CityFolk has always prided itself on.
The RA Centre, located in Ottawa's east end, already hosts a variety of arts and cultural events throughout the year, making it a natural partner for a festival of CityFolk's calibre. Its grounds offer a mix of indoor and outdoor spaces that give organizers more flexibility to build stages, vendor areas, and the kind of immersive festival environment that draws tens of thousands of attendees each year.
The Full Lineup
Beyond Alice Cooper and Alabama Shakes, the full lineup features a diverse mix of artists spanning folk, indie, and roots music — genres that have always been central to CityFolk's identity despite the headline acts leaning toward mainstream rock. That breadth is part of the festival's charm: you might catch a legendary arena rocker in the evening and discover your new favourite local singer-songwriter earlier in the afternoon.
Details on additional acts, set times, and stage assignments are expected to roll out in the coming weeks as the festival date approaches.
What to Expect
For longtime Ottawa festival-goers, the shift to the RA Centre will mean getting familiar with a new layout and transit options. The venue is accessible by OC Transpo, and organizers are encouraging attendees to plan ahead given the expected crowds that headline acts like Alice Cooper will draw.
Tickets are expected to go on sale soon, with both single-day and multi-day passes likely available. If past CityFolk editions are any guide, passes tend to sell quickly once the lineup drops — so fans are advised not to wait.
With a bold lineup and a fresh venue, CityFolk's RA Centre era is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated chapters in the festival's history. Ottawa music fans, mark your calendars.
Source: Ottawa Citizen
