HomeArtsMissed Bluesfest? The Charlatan has you covered
Bluesfest 2026 featured massive crowds brought in by Ella Langley and The Lumineers, unexpected fireworks and many more memorable moments captured by the Charlatan in a nine review series. [Graphic by Sophia Laporte/the Charlatan]
I’ve been going to Bluesfest annually since 2023, when my friend had a spare ticket for Weezer that led me to experiencing the iconic “Buddy Holly” guitar riff live. Last year, I managed to get so close to Hozier I thought I might have fainted when he started to play “Francesca” and I could see each string of his guitar.
Three years later, I never thought I’d be handling the Charlatan’s coverage of the festival in full – a task passed down from the paper’s arts editor to arts editor like a folkloric legend.
Our team – composed of 12 volunteers reviewing and photographing – covered all nine nights with enthusiasm, flair and colour that made the editorial side such a genuine pleasure. From photographers getting on the shoulders of attendees for the best shot to reviewers navigating crowds of tens of thousands of people for Ella Langley or The Lumineers, there was never a dull moment.
Ottawa natives know the city often tends to get skipped when big artists decide what tour stops they’ll give Canada, but Bluesfest is a beautiful reminder of how much love and enthusiasm the city has to give during concert season when given the chance.
Having seen how the city showed up firsthand and the gratitude expressed by the dozens of artists that made their way to LeBreton Flats for this year’s festival, I hope you’re able to take as much joy from the Charlatan’s Bluesfest reviews as I did. But if you’re in a pinch for time – much like Nayana when her set was cut for the suddenly viral Angine de Poitrine – here’s a roundup of some of the best moments from this year’s festival.
From me and our amazing team, thank you for choosin’ Charlatan for all your Bluesfest needs this year!
Sophia Laporte, Arts Editor, vol. 56
Ella Langley and Angine de Poitrine unite the biggest crowd of the festival
Ella Langley stands in front of a screen of dandelions, while she fittingly sings her hit song “Dandelion” at Ottawa Bluesfest on July 17, 2026. [Photo by Miriam Visser/the Charlatan]The star power of the seventh day of Bluesfest was vastly underestimated: genres clashed as attendee numbers peaked for southern belle Ella Langley and Quebec’s rising stars Angine de Poitrine. One audience came to enjoy top-charting country classics while the other sported black and white polka dots for the new, sensational French microtonal rockers.
The Lumineers play to a jam-packed audience of over 30,000
The Lumineers bring warmth, light and nostalgic folky music to Bluesfest on July 12, 2026 with a crowd spanning the entirety of the festival grounds. [Photo by Greg Kolz via Bluesfest]The Lumineers drew in a crowd of over 30,000 fans that could only be captured by drone shots, leading lead singer Wesley Schultz to declare the crowd the most people the band had ever played to in Ottawa. Jackie MacKay made sure to review and vlog it all on the Charlatan’s Instagram page, @thecharlatanlive.
Gwen Stefani and Shaggy declare Ottawa their favourite
Two lucky fans join Gwen Stefani on the RBC Stage, invited up for their banana costumes quoting the pop icon’s hit song “Hollaback Girl.” [Photo by Sophia Laporte/the Charlatan]Last Saturday was all joy, sunshine and ‘90s and early-2000s nostalgia when Gwen Stefani and Shaggy hit the RBC Stage. The stars made their love of the city clear as Shaggy declared Ottawa “the most awesome audience in Canada” and Stefani said it may have been “the greatest concert [she had] in Canada.”
Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst has been hyping up large crowds for decades, and he’s not stopping now as he performs at Ottawa Bluesfest on July 10, 2026. [Photo by Landon Entwistle via Bluesfest]Crowds may have actually been ready to “Break Stuff” when Limp Bizkit showed up the second night of Bluesfest to an audience able to scream every lyric of the band’s nu metal hits.
Conan Gray, Myles Smith and Natasha Bedingfield dazzle with a night of pop
Conan Gray sings “Wish You Were Sober” on the RBC Stage illuminated by all spectrums of light at Bluesfest in Ottawa on July 15, 2026. [Photo by Murray Oliver/The Charlatan]Conan Gray, Myles Smith and Natasha Bedingfield released all of Bluesfest’s inhibitions on the only Wednesday date of the festival to a crowd ready for a night of diverse pop tunes. Gray was particularly blessed by the Ottawa environment as a real moth landed on his hand during “Moths” and the Big Dipper was visible above him for “Astronomy.”
Cody Johnson pops off on the opening night with literal fireworks
Cody Johnson strikes a pose to bright lights and a packed crowd as he headlines the first night of Bluesfest 2026 in Ottawa on July 9, 2026. [Photo by Greg Kolz]The opening night of Bluesfest began with a bang as headliner Cody Johnson (“‘Til You Can’t”) surprised the city with leftover Canada Day fireworks at the end of his set on the RBC Stage.
Lord Huron, Lucy Dacus make for a night of indie-nostalgia
It’s hard to look away from Lucy Dacus as she performs songs off her newest album “Forever Is A Feeling” at Ottawa Bluesfest, bringing a longing to the RBC Stage on July 16, 2026. [Photo by Sophia Laporte/the Charlatan]Indie-rock took over the sixth night of Bluesfest with boygenius’ Lucy Dacus (“Night Shift”) and Lord Huron (“The Night We Met.”) The folk, pop and rock genres went beyond the main stage with artists like Billy Bragg, Jadea Kelly and Jamie Webster drawing in sizable crowds of their own.
Hardy, BigXThaPlug contrast country and rap audiences
Fans get a better glimpse of Hardy sitting on each other’s shoulders as the singer shows off an Ottawa Senators jersey at Bluesfest on July 11, 2026. [Photo by Sophia Laporte/the Charlatan]Hardy and BigXThaPlug had smaller but nonetheless enthusiastic crowds on the third night of Bluesfest. Hardy’s cowboy-filled audience still showed up energetically for BigXThaPlug’s opening rap set, leading to a humorous moment when the rapper brought a bunch of shirtless audience members wearing cowboy hats onto the stage.
The Guess Who leads a Canadiana takeover on closing night
The fashionable audience pushes to the front of the stage to get a better view of the Sheepdogs’ performance on the closing day of Bluesfest on July 19th, 2026. [Photo by Emma Fazakas/the Charlatan]The festival closed in partnership with the city to honour Ottawa’s 200th anniversary with Canadian and Indigenous artists, including Manitoba’s The Guess Who, Saskatchewan’s Sheepdogs and Inuk musician Elisapie.
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