Ottawa CityFolk wraps up biggest-ever edition at new venue

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeLocal ArtsTravel OttawaLifeNewsLocal News Ottawa CityFolk wraps up biggest-ever edition at new venue Record crowds descend on Ottawa CityFolk in its new site at RA Centre, with the biggest crowds in the festivals 30-year history. Author of the article: By Lynn Saxberg Published Sep 21, 2026 2 minute read Join the conversation Rock legend Alice Cooper and his band headlined the main stage on the final night of a record-setting edition of Ottawa CityFolk. PHOTO BY LANDON ENTWISTLE /CityFolk Photo Service Article content Fine weather, an eclectic program and strong support from passholders made the 2026 edition of CityFolk the biggest iteration in the three-decade history of the event formerly known as the Ottawa Folk Festival. Article content The outdoor music festival ran Sept. 16-20 in a new site on the grounds of the RA Centre on Riverside Drive, about four kilometres from its former home at Lansdowne Park, which is now under construction. Article content Article content Article content Early estimates indicate 35,000 to 40,000 people attended the event over the five days, said festival director Mark Monahan, a turnout that wouldn’t have been possible at Lansdowne’s Great Lawn. Article content The Evening Citizen The Ottawa Citizen’s best journalism, delivered directly to your inbox by 7 p.m. on weekdays. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content “The (RA Centre) site is bigger so it allowed us to set things up properly with lots of room. That was a big advantage,” Monahan said in an interview. “Honestly this edition of CityFolk would not have been able to fit at Lansdowne.” Article content B.C. country-pop sensation Cameron Whitcomb played to the biggest crowd of this year’s CityFolk, which took place for the first time on the grounds of the RA Centre in Ottawa. PHOTO BY GREG KOLZ /CityFolk Photo Service Article content With a mainstage program that ranged from rock legends Alice Cooper and Sex Pistols to TikTok sensations Cameron Whitcomb and Stella Lefty, the crowd spanned demographics, often including entire families spread out on blankets. Article content At the same time, the secondary Westside stage, under a huge tent, kept the folk fans happy with performances by the likes of Pokey Lafarge, the White…