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Across all departments, we are committing to a higher standard of service — with more predictable costs, earlier invoicing, greater transparency, and improved efficiency. With that spirit, here are the initiatives that will move forward as a result of this Summit:

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• Event Central, together with SEAT partners, will continue to review the event permitting process to identify redundancies, and clarify administrative frameworks on both festivals and City staff — ensuring a more streamlined, supportive experience. City Services, including OC Transpo, will provide invoice estimates at least 30 days prior to an event and will assign dedicated resources to SEAT.

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• The Ottawa Festival Network will develop a Sponsor Match program to strengthen relationships with the private sector and help reduce dependency on public funding. We will also create an Innovation Hub to support festivals in developing more financial literacy, building sustainable practices, strengthening skills for the next generation of festival producers, and guiding newer festivals through the permitting process — easing some of the load on Event Central.​

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• The City of Ottawa and Ottawa Tourism will, subject to budget approval, launch a two-year pilot program to increase financial support to Ottawa’s larger, tourism-generating festivals. The Major Festival Fund will provide an additional $1 million per year to our festivals with the largest tourism and economic impact. The fund will be administered by Ottawa Tourism.​

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• The City of Ottawa will further leverage its development of a Special Constable Unit to support the traffic management needs of festivals and events. This initiative, primarily focused on the City’s own traffic management requirements at construction sites, will help alleviate pressure on the Ottawa Police Service while lowering costs for festivals that rely on traffic control.

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• Ottawa Tourism's Festival Strategy Refresh has pinpointed several industry challenges. To address these, Ottawa Tourism is dedicated to advocating at all government levels and modernizing our festival tools and resources, ensuring they are updated and digitized to facilitate seamless collaboration with our partners.

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• We will continue working with our festivals to advance green initiatives through partnerships with ReUse Ottawa, Tablée des Chefs, EnviroCentre, and other local leaders in sustainability.

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• We will also continue to monitor the cost of City services and facility rentals for festivals and events, working to identify opportunities for savings that can be passed on to event producers — as well as exploring the development of a shared inventory program.

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Do these initiatives solve everything? No, not yet. But we are off to a great start. Now it’s up to us — together — to protect and sustain the incredible and unique festival ecosystem we have in our Nation’s Capital.

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All festivals in this city matter, each in their own way. Our cultural and community festivals create belonging, spark creativity, strengthen neighbourhoods, and weave the social fabric that holds us together.

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Our major festivals amplify that impact — driving economic vitality, bringing global visibility to Ottawa, igniting cultural vibrancy, and inspiring a shared sense of pride that lifts the quality of life for residents and visitors alike. With the announcement of the Major Festivals Fund, the City of Ottawa and Ottawa Tourism are committing to supporting their sustainability.

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For 30 years, all of our festivals have cultivated a complete and interdependent ecosystem — one where grassroots creativity, neighbourhood connection, large-scale visibility, and economic impact work in harmony to strengthen the city’s social fabric, fuel its creative industries, and elevate Ottawa’s identity at every level.

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Today, we set the tone for the next 30 years.