When the CE Centre opened its doors for the first time, it also opened Ottawa’s doors to more touring artists.
Electronic DJ Deadmau5, who headlined the CE Centre’s inaugural event Dec. 27, will hopefully be the first of many big name artists drawn to Ottawa’s newest concert venue, located in the city’s south end.
The CE Centre fills a hole for specific musical genres and mid-level bands in Ottawa’s arts scene.
Musicians often stop in Montreal and Toronto, but completely skip over Ottawa. They cite the smaller population as a reason, but also the lack of viable venues.
Many artists aren’t able to fill Scotiabank Place, but wouldn’t make enough money performing in bars and clubs. The CE Centre, with a capacity of up to 15,000, strikes a good balance between stadiums and smaller venues.
There are several other Ottawa venues in the in-between range, but they aren’t big enough or aren’t well-equipped. Longtime staples like the Bronson Centre and Barrymore’s house less than 1,000 people. The only venue that comes close in capacity is the Ottawa Civic Centre, which still can only hold about 10,000 people and hasn’t been as focused as the CE Centre on bringing in artists.
Although the CE Centre had some technical difficulties with Deadmau5’s set, the acoustic kinks can be worked out with time. More than a venue, it bills itself as a centre that will draw people from outside Ottawa into the city for big shows.
The CE Centre has a tall order to fill in terms of arts, culture, economics and tourism, but if the nearly sold-out show headlined by one of the biggest names in electronica is any measure, the outlook seems promising.
