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Frequently Asked Questions

Check here for answers to our most common questions. If you still can't find the information you're looking for, please contact us and we'll do our best to help!

For Festival and Event Organizers

There are many reasons! Here are the big three:

 

1. Capacity building resources: OFN will connect you with fellow event producers in the region as well as suppliers and industry stakeholders - allowing for an easier and expanded exchange of ideas, resources and information. We offer regular networking and educational programming to bolster your professional development and support you through many operational processes involved in running a large event. We have the tools and expertise that can help you achieve your goals. 

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2. Power in numbers: The bulk of OFN's work lies in advocating for the industry, the larger and more representative our membership is, the better OFN can speak on behalf of the issues impacting this industry. By joining the network your organization gains an influential voice at the municipal, provincial and federal decision making tables, and you help the overall sustainability and growth of the events ecosystem in this city and beyond. 

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3. Increased exposure and promotion: As the hub for festivals and events, OFN has a large online audience. Our website and social media channels consistently reach tens of thousands of engaged visitors every month. Having your organization on our website and it's events listed on the calendar can lead to more attendees, more ticket sales, more followers, more volunteers, and increased brand recognition. 

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Head to our membership page to learn all the other benefits of membership.

If you are an event producing organization in the National Capital Region, you are welcome to apply! You can apply on our membership page.

Our event calendar is reserved for OFN Member events only. Please refer to our event submission guidelines to see what kind of events are eligible for the calendar. 

Basic membership with Ottawa Festivals is free! OFN created a barrier-free membership structure to be as inclusive as possible.

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For additional, more personalized support, there are add-on services OFN members can purchase at an affordable rate. We are happy to have a conversation about what add-ons might be the most effective to achieve your current goals.

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Visit our member benefits page to see what's included in the basic membership, and what add-on services are available.

For Current OFN Members

Contact us at, membership@ottawafestivals.ca with the add-on service you'd like to purchase and we'll set you up! 

We recommend using the Members Chat in the bottom right of your screen and reaching out to us directly. Alternatively you can contact us at, communications@ottawafestivals.ca with your question and we'll get back to you as soon as we can!

Head to our Industry Calendar to see what industry events OFN and other organizations are hosting.

Great, we'd love to hear it! Please send your feedback to, communications@ottawafestivals.ca.

You can submit your event to the calendar using your Member Portal account. Navigate to "My Organization" and then to "Submit Event Listing". Complete the event submission form. Once it's submitted our team will review it and approve the event. Once it's approved you'll see it listed under "My Active Listings". 

 

Once an event is approved you can make any adjustments and update the listing in real time by using the same submission form. Be sure to click "Save Changes" before you exit the page! 

If you've purchased an add-on service or the Festival Insider access, you will receive an invoice from Ottawa Festivals by email. That email will include a payment link. 

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If you can't find the invoice or have trouble making payment, contact us at finance@ottawafestivals.ca.

Login to the Member Portal and navigate to "My Organization". Make the required adjustments and click "Save Listing". Changes should be reflected on the website immediately. 

OFN's supplier directory is a benefit provided to members who opt-in to the Festival Insider membership level. Festival Insider benefits are available for $100/calendar year. To get set up as a Festival Insider contact us at membership@ottawafestivals.ca. 

Within your OFN Member Portal navigate to the Resource Hub. You can find the logo files in the OFN Logo Package folder. 

No, you can submit an unlimited number of eligible events as an OFN Member. 

Your membership with OFN will automatically renew at the end of each calendar year. Any add-on services that are offered at an annual rate (like the Festival Insider status) must be renewed at the end of each calendar year. For any questions related to membership status, invoicing or member fee payments, please contact membership@ottawafestivals.ca. 

For Everyone

Ottawa is Canada's Festival Capital. As of 2025, Ottawa Festival Network represents over 170 annual festivals, special events and fairs. There are hundreds more that occur across the National Capital Region every year.

Nope! OFN supports over 140 member organizations and their events in various ways, and advocates for the sector overall, but each festival is run by its own incredible team. You can see all the host organizations in our Member Directory.

If you have questions about festival programming, your tickets, or the logistics of an event (like parking, accessibility etc.) please contact the festival organizer directly. You can find the organizers and their contact information on the event calendar listing. OFN doesn’t sell tickets and does not provide festival-specific information to event-goers.

 

Ottawa Festivals has limited information about the specific festivals it advertises on its calendar and in most cases can only refer you to the organizers for information. 

If an event isn't on the OFN calendar, it's likely that one of the following is true: 

  • The event falls outside of the geographic area we cover. 

  • The type of event isn’t covered by our mandate. 

  • We’re aware the event is happening, but it’s not yet a part of our network (while our work benefits all festivals, fairs and special events, the vast majority of our coverage prioritizes our members and their events)

You can become more connected to by doing the following:

  • Bookmark the OFN calendar 

  • Follow @OttawaFestivals on social media 

  • Subscribe to the #OttFestLive newsletter for a regular digest of upcoming events, giveaways and more

  • Volunteer for a festival, special event or fair and be a part of the amazing community that makes all these events happen

  • Check out our job board for opportunities to work for a festival organization.

  • Attend events all year long​ and share the events with your friends​!

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You can find opportunities to volunteer with festivals on Volunteer Ottawa's Festival Portal.

Each individual festival will display where you can purchase tickets, merch or VIP experiences on their OFN Calendar event listing. Ottawa Festivals does not sell tickets, passes or merch on behalf of the festivals.

The National Capital Region is a fantastic place to visit! To see what festivals, fairs and special events are taking place during your visit check out the Ottawa Festivals Event Calendar. You can filter by your month of visit.

 

We also recommend you check out the following sites to make the most of your visit:

As the Festival Capital of Canada, Ottawa’s local culture is heavily shaped by festivals. Festivals contribute to the city's robust local economy, tourism, and common identity. On an individualized level, festivals offer more than entertainment, they're sites of shared annual traditions, sources of creative inspiration and expression, and important community gathering points. For these reasons and others, it’s crucial that festivals and events have an organization advocating on their behalf to ensure their well supported and positioned for longterm sustainability.

For Festival Vendors, Artists, Suppliers

If you are interested in performing at a specific event, please contact the organization directly. Each festival has their own artist selection process. Check out the Member Directory to discover festival organizations and their contact information.

If you are interested in vending at a specific event, please contact the organization directly. Each festival has their own vendor selection process. Check out the Member Directory to discover festival organizations and their contact information.

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We recommend reaching out as early as possible! Vendors often get confirmed well before the festival dates.

 

Ottawa Festivals does offer a special Festival Insider membership option for business owners. Festival Insiders are listed in a Supplier Directory, exclusively accessible to OFN Members. Within the directory you can include all the information about your business, services or products. Additionally, Festival Insiders get access to the OFN Member Portal with the ability to chat with festival organizers directly, post on our Member Forum and RSVP to OFN Member events. Lastly, you'll gain access to exclusive advertising opportunities and social media promotion to OFN audiences. If this interests you, please fill out the OFN Member Application or reach out to membership@ottawafestivals.ca 

Ottawa Festivals offers a special Festival Insider membership option for industry suppliers and business owners. Festival Insiders are listed in a Supplier Directory, exclusively accessible to OFN Members. Within the directory you can include all the information to promote your business, products or services. Additionally, Festival Insiders get access to the OFN Member Portal with the ability to chat with festival organizers directly, post on our Member Forum and RSVP to OFN Member events. Lastly, you'll gain access to exclusive advertising opportunities and social media promotion to OFN audiences. If this interests you, please fill out the OFN Member Application or reach out to membership@ottawafestivals.ca 

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