Ottawa Grassroots Festival – Thurs. April 23rd – Sun. April 26th
The Ottawa Grassroots Festival returns in 2026 with four days of live music, workshops, and community‑driven fun. This family‑friendly celebration of folk, roots, and local talent brings artists and audiences together in a warm, welcoming atmosphere.
All daytime workshops at the Ottawa Grassroots Festival are completely free to attend, offering an accessible way to dive into music and community programming, while the evening live musical performances require a ticket.
Headlining Friday night is three‑time JUNO‑nominated songwriter, composer, and producer Alysha Brilla. A trailblazer in Canadian music, Brilla has collaborated with artists such as The Black Eyed Peas, Bedouin Soundclash, Digging Roots, No Doubt, and Grammy‑winning mastering engineer Emily Lazar. She was one of the first self‑produced female artists to earn a JUNO nomination and later won Producer of the Year at the 2018 Independent Music Awards for her album Rooted. Opening the Friday night performance is OK Naledi, a high‑energy Afro‑Fusion duo led by Naledi Sunstrum.
