Ottawa marks 200 years with block party, Nuit Blanche, and free transit Saturday
Marion Dewar Plaza hosts all-ages celebration from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. September 26 with Indigenous performances, live music, interactive art and Jamie Fine headlining at 8:15 p.m.
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Ottawa turns 200 this Saturday with a citywide celebration anchored by a free, all-ages block party at Marion Dewar Plaza outside city hall.
The Ottawa 200 Block Party runs Saturday, September 26, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Opening ceremonies begin at 10:45 a.m. with territorial welcome, speeches and performances by Awema Tendesi (pow wow drumming and singing), hoop dancer Makhena Rankin-Guerin with DJ MKWA, and jingle dancer Amanda Fox. The official Ottawa 200 anthem, Heart of This Place | Adàwe c'est ma ville, will be performed at the opening.
Daytime programming features Izzy Rose, The Blind & The Beautiful, Jessy Lindsay, Mehdi Cayenne, Brad Lafortune and Propeller Dance. Comedian Jonathan Dion will emcee and lead trivia sessions on Ottawa's history and sports.
Evening programming shifts at 5 p.m., with drag performers Sunshine Glitterchild, Saltina Shaker, Kiki Coe and Manny Dingo taking the stage at 5:30 p.m. Duava performs at 6:45 p.m., Cody Coyote at 7:45 p.m., and Ottawa singer-songwriter Jamie Fine — a five-time Juno nominee and one half of Elijah Woods x Jamie Fine — headlines at 8:15 p.m. NO DEF Collective and guests close the night at 9 p.m.
The plaza will feature live mural and wood-carving demonstrations, interactive art installations including Ricardo Rodriguez's Arbre des Arrivées, food vendors and games. A vintage OC Transpo bus will be available to explore.
Nuit Blanche will keep parts of downtown and the ByWard Market active until sunrise. Organizations holding bicentennial programming include Pique, SoundScape, the Bytown Museum and Ottawa Art Gallery. Saturday marks exactly 200 years since the founding of Bytown, the military settlement along the Ottawa River that became Canada's capital.
Before you go
When and where is Ottawa's 200th anniversary block party?
The Ottawa 200 Block Party takes place Saturday, September 26, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Marion Dewar Plaza outside city hall.
Who is the headlining performer?
Jamie Fine, a five-time Juno nominee and one half of Elijah Woods x Jamie Fine, headlines at 8:15 p.m. on Saturday, September 26, 2026.
Is there a cost to attend?
The block party is free and all-ages.
What else is happening for the bicentennial?
Nuit Blanche will keep parts of downtown and the ByWard Market active until sunrise on Saturday, September 26, 2026, and free transit runs citywide that day. The Bytown Museum, Ottawa Art Gallery, Pique and SoundScape are also holding bicentennial programming.
