Ottawa Festival Summit
Collective action to champion festivals, fairs, and special events as critical cultural and creative infrastructure for Ottawa's future.
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Ottawa’s festivals, fairs and special events are more than celebrations. They are part of the essential cultural and creative infrastructure of a thriving, competitive city — driving economic activity, animating public spaces, strengthening communities, and shaping how residents and visitors experience Canada’s capital.
This year, the conversation moves forward: from optional to essential, from permitting to enabling, and from simply supporting festivals to recognizing and championing them as critical infrastructure for Ottawa’s future.
Registration Open for 2026
69 days to the event
The 2026 Ottawa Festival Summit brings together festival and event producers, city leaders, tourism partners, BIAs, funders, and community stakeholders to move from shared vision to shared action.
Together, we will examine what is working, confront what is not, and identify practical ways to reduce barriers, strengthen collaboration, and ensure festivals have the governance, services, and funding they need to thrive.
If Ottawa is to fully take its place as an innovative cultural leader and the vibrant capital of a G7 country, its creative industries cannot be treated as optional extras. Like roads, transit, parks, and public spaces, they are foundational to the social, cultural, and economic life of the city.
Our festivals contribute so much to our community. They improve quality of life for our residents. They help attract tourists and employees to our city. They drive economic activity. And they create great memories. I'm grateful to the Ottawa Festival Network for their terrific work, and to all our festival organizers for their creativity and ingenuity.
Mark Sutcliffe, Mayor of Ottawa
