Bluesfest kicks off at Lansdowne: Here's what you need to know about the festival
Ottawa Bluesfest returns to the stage this weekend for the first time in two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It's the second weekend of the Ottawa Fall Festivals, put on by the organizers of RBC Ottawa Bluesfest and CityFolk. Three nights of music are set for the Great Lawn at Lansdowne Park Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
The 2020 and 2021 Ottawa Bluefest events at LeBreton Flats were cancelled due to COVID-19 and the public health measures restricting crowd sizes.
For the next three nights, Canadian singers Jann Arden, Barenaked Ladies, Half Moon Run, Tokyo Police Club, MonkeyJunk and Tom Cochrane and Red Rider are among the acts set to perform at Lansdowne.
COVID-19 restrictions include only fully vaccinated fans allowed to attend the festival, all patrons must wear a mask at all times except while eating and drinking and capacity is capped at 5,000 people a night.
"We were pleasantly surprised that people were ready to show their proof of vaccination," said Bluesfest executive director Mark Monahan about last week's CityFolk.
"There were no extensive lineups at the gate. It was really just a lot of positive comments about coming out again and listening to live music outside."
With rain in the forecast for the next three days, Ottawa Fall Festivals says the event will go on "rain or shine." Announcements on any delays will be made through social media channels and at the festival.
Musician Lauryn Macfarlane is looking forward to performing at Bluesfest.
"This is definitely the biggest gig with my own tunes that I'm playing," said Macfarlane. "And it's just me and my guitar so I'm like, OK, excited."
Macfarlane adds, "I’m gonna be like, just stay in your body, it’s just you in your body, don’t freak yourself out too much about it. But I am very excited."
Here is a look at what you need to know about RBC Ottawa Bluesfest.
OTTAWA BLUESFEST LINE-UP
Thursday
- Lauryn Macfarlane
- Aysanabee
- Tokyo Police Club
- Half Moon Run
Friday
- Ryland James
- Barenaked Ladies
- Jann Arden
Saturday
- MonkeyJunk
- April Wine
- Tom Cochrane and Red Rider
TICKETS
Tickets are only available online for RBC Ottawa Bluesfest. There will be no box office onsite to purchase tickets.
Visit Ottawa Fall Festivals to purchase tickets.
NO CASH
Ottawa Fall Festivals are completely cashless for all purchases on the site, including drinks, food and merchandise.
You can use Apple Pay, Google Pay, tap to pay and all major credit cards at RBC Ottawa Bluesfest.
ATTENDANCE ON THE GREAT LAWN
Attendance will be capped at 5,000 patrons each night during RBC Ottawa Bluesfest to ensure enough space for physical distancing.
Organizers say this is below 50 per cent of the Great Lawn's full capacity.
COVID-19 VACCINATION POLICY
Only fully vaccinated COVID-19 fans will be allowed to attend RBC Ottawa Bluesfest this weekend.
"There are no exemptions (religious or medical reasons) without proof and (patrons) will be required to prove status at the gates either through a digital or printed copy," says a message on the website.
Attendees must comply with the Festival Fan Health Pledge.
Everyone must wear a mask onsite at all times. Organizers say the removal of a mask is allowed as per provincial guidelines when you are eating, drinking, or for other medical reasons.
TRAVELLING TO THE FESTIVAL
OC Transpo service is free to and from the festival. Show your ticket to board transit from three hours before gates open and three hours after the final performance of the night.
Parking is available at Lansdowne Park.
There will be no supervised bike parking at Ottawa Bluesfest.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Ukrainian child asylum seekers in St. John’s get class of their own
Roughly 50 children will gathered in a St. John’s classroom for the first time on Saturday for unique lessons on Ukrainian language, culture and history.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.