Things to do in Ottawa this week: August 2–8

This week Ottawa gets soaked at both ends—heavy rain Sunday, thunderstorms Thursday—which means you should front-load outdoor plans for Tuesday's clear skies or save the stage shows for the wet stretch. The big cultural moment is Mamma Mia!, the ABBA jukebox musical wrapping its five-night run at the National Arts Centre with performances Sunday at 1 p.m. and one more show midweek; if you have not caught it yet, the touring production is the rare thing that genuinely plays to everyone in the room.

For live music, the week splits between the city and the suburbs. Royale Lynn, a Canadian musician who pivoted from country to heavy metal, plays two sets at Club Saw on Sunday starting at 7 p.m.—a solid choice if you are staying dry indoors while the rain hammers down. Tuesday clears completely, hitting 27 degrees with barely any chance of rain, which is the moment to catch Honeybear at The 27 Club at 7:30 p.m.; the Honeybear Horns bring brass-powered energy that lands harder on a clear night.

The metal acts are further out. Killswitch Engage, the Massachusetts metalcore band fronted by Jesse Leach, plays the Hard Rock Casino Ottawa in Gloucester (about 16 km outside the city) Wednesday at 6 p.m., the same night Nitro Circus—Travis Pastrana's action sport collective—takes over Ottawa Stadium downtown with stunts and dirtbikes at 6 p.m. as well. If you are chasing heavier sounds, Hollywood Undead, the Los Angeles rap rock band in their signature hockey-mask aesthetic, hits the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Ottawa in Gloucester Thursday at 7 p.m., right as thunderstorms roll in; the timing is grim for driving but the show is worth the trip if you are committed. Friday brings Wheatus to Overflow Brewing Company at 7:30 p.m.—the New York rock band that owns "Teenage Dirtbag" is a genuine draw, and a brewery setting beats a casino parking lot.

Beyond the stage, Somerset Street is reshaping itself into Ottawa's densest dining stretch. Arlo, the natural-wine-focused restaurant that opened in 2020, just landed on the prestigious 50 Best Discovery guide's inaugural list—a real international marker of taste. Kozhi, a new upscale fried chicken spot from a veteran chef, opened in Chinatown as part of a wave of nine new restaurants arriving this year; it is exactly the kind of place worth trying now while word is still spreading. If you want Sichuan heat with real depth, Spicy Man on Merivale, Amanda Shi's restaurant built around tiered spice levels and offal dishes, delivers authenticity that cuts through the usual fusion noise. For Friday night after Wheatus, The Shore Club or Luxe Bistro offer steak-house solidity if you want to linger over a proper dinner.

The Lansdowne Farmers' Market reopened with its usual chaos—artisanal soups, beeswax hand cream, quail eggs with shells tougher than expected—and it is worth a Tuesday morning walk on that clear day. The ByWard Market gained a new 22-storey Moxy Ottawa Downtown at 126 York Street, a Marriott that wraps a historic 1913 warehouse into its footprint; the integration of old and new is sharper than standard hotel architecture.

Comedy lands Friday night when Kam Patterson, the Saturday Night Live cast member and Kill Tony regular, performs at Algonquin Commons Theatre at 8 p.m. Patterson's stand-up carries the kind of precision that translates better live than on podcast clips.

If you have one night to spend, Wheatus at Overflow Brewing on Friday hits the sweet spot between weather (overcast but warm, and the storm threat has passed), venue (a brewery beats a corporate casino), and artist pedigree.