Ottawa Children’s Festival de la Jeunesse 2025: A Magical 40th Anniversary Celebration

Ottawa, ON – June 11, 2025 – Last month, from May 8–13, the Ottawa Children’s Festival proudly celebrated its 40th anniversary with six spectacular days of music, theatre, joy, and discovery! Now, as we look back a month later, we’re still glowing from the unforgettable moments that brought thousands of families together at Lansdowne Park and Arts Court.

This year’s Festival turned our new location — the heart of Lansdowne Park and the Great Lawn — into an international playground of imagination.

From the electrifying energy of 1, 2, 3 ON Y VA avec Missy D (Canada) to the zany antics of BULLYBULLY (The Netherlands) and the tender friendship inPolar Bear & Penguin (Ireland), audiences of all ages were captivated.

Visitors stepped into a glowing dreamscape with Arborialis by Architects of Air (England), while A Show with Strings (South Korea)stunned with delicate marionette mastery and poetic storytelling. Where the Wild Things Are (Canada) brought Maurice Sendak’s classic tale roaring to life in a magical, memorable way.

At Arts Court, festivalgoers were treated to powerful, intimate performances: the touching puppet theatre of The Bench by Teater Refleksion (Denmark) and the evocative, musical journey of Story of a Day by Branar (Ireland). Young cinephiles delighted in Katzenkino Kids (Mexico), a charming collection of short films made just for children.

Imagineland returned in full force — a wonderland of hands-on fun. Kids planted wildflowers in A Meadow is a Neighbourhood, played pretend doctor and dentist at Little Medical School andLittle Lion Dental Clinic, met animal friends with The Zoo Crew, and built bird-friendly creations with the Wild Bird Care Centre. High-energy fun from Orbital Talent, Pin-City, Bubble Birthdays, andSoccer Shots kept everyone smiling from start to finish.

This milestone event wouldn’t have been possible without our incredibly talented performers, tireless volunteers, supportive vendors, generous hotel partners, and above all — our amazing audiences. Thank you for showing up, celebrating, and making our 40th anniversary unforgettable.

As May fades into memory, the laughter, wonder, and inspiration from this year’s Festival continue to resonate, thank you for being part of this magical moment in our history.

We can’t wait to welcome you back in 2026!!!