Ottawa's underground concert scene, quite literally, has a new favourite spot: Plaza Bridge, tucked beneath the Rideau Canal between the Chateau Laurier and Parliament Hill. According to a post from @ottawaisnotboring, the SoundScape concert series is hosting its third event there on Saturday, September 26, following two earlier parties that have already built some buzz.
Who's Playing
The lineup leans heavily into homegrown and Indigenous talent. Bytown Sea Shanty Collective, Layla Staats, Amanda Fox, Randy Kakegamick and the SpiritWolf Singers all feature, alongside a set from Ryan Stec and Lucas Verreman. Headlining the night is Hollerado, the Ottawa-formed indie rock band known for their high-energy live shows and hits like "Americanarama" and "So It Goes."
It's a lineup that mixes genres and traditions in a single afternoon and evening, which seems to be part of the point: SoundScape has positioned itself as a showcase for a broad cross-section of the city's musicians rather than a single-genre bill.
Free, But Register Anyway
Admission to SoundScape is free, but organizers are asking attendees to register in advance. Details on how to do that are being shared through the event's own account, soundscapeottawa, rather than through @ottawaisnotboring's post. If you're planning to go, that's the account to follow for updates closer to the date.
Finding Plaza Bridge
If you've never been to Plaza Bridge, it's easy to miss. It sits under the bridge along the Rideau Canal, between the Chateau Laurier and Parliament Hill, one of those spots plenty of Ottawans walk past without realizing it's there. There are a few ways in: the pathway that runs along the canal, the stairs down to the Ottawa Locks, or the stairs near the National War Memorial, facing the National Arts Centre.
The location itself is part of the draw. It's rare to catch a concert series happening in a space that doubles as one of downtown Ottawa's most walked-through pieces of infrastructure, with the canal on one side and Parliament Hill practically visible from the stage.
Why It's Worth Catching
With two SoundScape events already behind it, the series appears to be finding its footing as a recurring, free option for live local and Indigenous music in the downtown core, the kind of event that doesn't always get the spotlight next to Ottawa's bigger festivals. For anyone looking for a low-cost way to spend a September Saturday downtown, catching a rising local band and a Canadian indie mainstay under a canal bridge is a pretty distinctly Ottawa way to do it.
Mark your calendar for Saturday, September 26, and keep an eye on soundscapeottawa for registration details.
Source: Instagram @ottawaisnotboring
