Are you ready to shape the future of Ottawa’s festivals?
Develop a winning proposal to produce a fully-funded one-day festival in Ottawa!
NextFest is your chance to jump in, get creative, and make your mark on the city’s vibrant festival scene.
Designed for young people aged 18 to 25, this new program gives you hands-on experience in festival planning and production — from big ideas to real events. You’ll connect with mentors, collaborate with other young creatives, and bring fresh energy to Ottawa’s cultural landscape.
Whether you’re passionate about food, dance, music, design, community, or storytelling, NextFest is your low-barrier way into an exciting industry. It’s all about learning by doing, building new skills, and helping shape the future of festivals in Ottawa.
NextFest Overview
December 2025
January 2026
February 2026
September 2026
Submit your Interest
Assemble your team, brainstorm your dream for a one-day festival and submit an expression of interest for a chance to participate in NextFest.
Learn the Ropes
Take part in 4 free working sessions to learn what it takes to be successful in festival production and management.
Pitch your Plan
Incorporating the lessons learned from the program, submit a final proposal for a chance to win a fully-funded opportunity to turn your dream festival into a real live event!
Make it Happen
The winning team will receive direct financial support, in-kind contributions from partners, and hands-on mentorship to produce their inaugural one-day festival in Ottawa.
Teams of up to four (4) members, all between the ages of 18 - 25, are eligible to apply.
Team members may include:
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Post-secondary students or recent graduates
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Individuals interested in arts, design, music, or festival and event production
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Incorporated not-for-profit organizations where 100% of staff are aged 18–25
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Indigenous community members
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Members of marginalized communities
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Residents of the National Capital Region
Not Eligible
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For-profit organizations
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Not-for-profit organizations where less than 100% of staff are aged 18–25
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Individuals residing outside the National Capital Region
All teams will be required to:
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Submit an expression of interest by December 1, 2025, including:
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Online Application form
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Project summary document outlining:
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A creative, innovative, and unique to Ottawa festival concept
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Estimated capacity of 500–1,000 attendees
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One-day festival format
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Bios or resumes for all team members, outlining roles and responsibilities and reflecting the skill sets relevant to the working sessions below
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Take part in all four facilitated working sessions to be held 5 - 8pm (location to be confirmed)
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Session 1 – Programming & Logistics
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Wednesday, January 7, 2026
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Session 2 – Marketing & Communications
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Wednesday, January 14, 2026
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Session 3 – Finance & Budgeting
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Wednesday, January 21, 2026
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Session 4 – Working with the City
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Wednesday, January 28, 2026
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Submit their final festival proposal for judging before February 16, 2026
What's in it for you?
NextFest isn’t just about ideas — it’s about action. Here’s what’s in it for you:
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Get real experience bringing a festival idea to life — from concept to celebration
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Team up with other young creatives and make something unforgettable together
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Learn from industry pros who’ll mentor you every step of the way
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Build skills in event planning, design, marketing, and production
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Get insider access to Ottawa’s vibrant festival scene and creative community
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Grow your network and your portfolio with hands-on festival experience
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Learn by doing — not just talking about ideas, but actually making them happen
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Gain confidence and leadership skills while working on something meaningful
Win big: the top team will receive full funding and professional support to produce their very own one-day festival event!
Frequently Asked Questions
Before reaching out, take a moment to read through the FAQs below — your answer about NextFest might already be here!
We’ll update this section as the program unfolds, so always check back!
We’ve recruited three team members who are between 18–25, but our fourth member is outside that age range. Can we still apply?
We love that you’re building your team — however, the age range is part of the program’s core criteria and we’re not able to make exceptions. You’re welcome to apply with the three members who do meet the age requirement.
Some of our team members live in Gatineau. Are we still eligible?
Yes! Teams from across the National Capital Region are welcome to apply — including residents of Gatineau. Bienvenue!
Can we submit our Expression of Interest and Project Proposal in French?
We value and celebrate our bilingual community and therefore have recruited members of our team and jury that are able to review submissions in both official languages, English and French.
Will the NextFest January training sessions be held in both official languages?
As much as we would like to be able to present in both english and french, all training sessions will only be offered in English.
What if someone on our team can’t attend one of the four in-person sessions (due to work, family, illness, etc.)?
We know life happens! Each session is in-person and covers key learnings, so it’s important that everyone attends. If someone on your team needs to miss a session, just have your team leader reach out to the Manager of Special Projects as early as possible so we can support you.
Is there a fee to participate in NextFest?
No, there is no cost to submit an Expression of Interest, attend the training sessions, or pitch your festival idea. This opportunity is designed to be accessible.
If our festival idea is selected, will we be compensated for our work?
Yes! Each member of the winning team can be paid. Up to 20% of the festival’s total project budget can be allocated toward contract fees and salaries — and we’ll go over exactly how that works during the training sessions in January.