Festivals
Ottawa Bluesfest 2025 – July 10 Recap & Photos
Ottawa Bluesfest returned to LeBreton Flats Park on Thursday for the first of nine stacked nights, and the opening evening set the tone with a lively mix of country, ska, funk, and some actual blues.
First up on the RBC Stage was Rosewood Ave, a country duo from Timmins made up of high school sweethearts turned married couple. They leaned into their roots with a sweet, sincere set full of heartfelt originals and a lively cover of Shania Twain’s “(If You’re Not In It For Love) I’m Outta Here!” Their excitement about being on the big stage was clear and charming. Last summer, they said they visited Bluesfest as fans and dreamed of playing here.
Following them, The Red Clay Strays brought a rawer Southern edge to the stage. The Alabama band has picked up steam lately thanks to a viral hit and some word-of-mouth buzz around their high-energy live shows. They didn’t disappoint. Their sound is a gritty mix of blues, southern rock, and outlaw country. They also popped back up later in the night when frontman Brandon Coleman joined Lainey Wilson for a duet on Johnny Cash’s “God’s Gonna Cut You Down.”
Lainey Wilson was the day’s marquee name, and her set closed out the RBC Stage in style. She drew a massive crowd, many in cowboy hatsm and played a solid, crowd-pleasing set of radio-ready hits. Dressed in bell bottoms and her signature hat, Wilson connected with the crowd through stories and shout-outs to her small-town Louisiana roots. Highlights included “Country’s Cool Again,” and a stripped-down “Watermelon Moonshine.” She continued the tradition of crowning a young fan “Cowgirl of the Night,” handing over her cowboy hat to a young girl.
While the main stage leaned heavily country, things got groovier over on the other stages.
Ottawa-via-London singer DB Cohen kicked things off at the River Stage with a tight, funky blues set. His band (complete with a horn section!) kept the mood upbeat despite the early evening heat. Songs like “Dinner Party” and “Manchild” (no relation to the Sabrina Carpenter one, as Cohen joked) were a hit with the crowd.
Over at the LeBreton Stage, The Cat Empire delivered more horns and grooves. With a refined blend of funk, jazz, and world music, they had the tent bouncing through their evening slot. It was the kind of set that made you forget you were in Ottawa and feel like you’d wandered into a festival in another hemisphere.
The LeBreton tent also hosted the incredible Chambers DesLauriers. That’s powerhouse vocalist Annika Chambers paired with guitar virtuoso Paul DesLauriers. Their chemistry was undeniable, and the set was rooted in gospel-soaked blues, with Chambers belting out lines like she was preaching to the choir. “The Blues Got a Hold on Me” was a particular standout, with DesLauriers laying down smoky guitar lines underneath her soaring vocals.
Overall, Bluesfest’s opening day showed the fest still knows how to blend genres, big names, and local flavour. Whether you were line dancing on the lawn or skanking in the tent, there was something worth seeing at every turn. A promising start to one of Canada’s best summer festivals!
Stay tuned for more coverage of the festival in the coming days. In the meantime, head to Ottawa Bluesfest’s website for more info on the rest of the festival.
Check out our favourite photos of Day 1 below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
THE RED CLAY STRAYS
CAT EMPIRE
ROSEWOOD AVE
DB COHEN
CHAMBERS DESLAURIER
All Photo Credit: Kieran Delport, unless otherwise noted
Festivals
All Things Go 2026 Reveal Hayley Williams and Mitski Leading D.C. Lineup
All Things Go is rolling back out across multiple cities in 2026, and the Washington, D.C.–area edition is starting to take shape with two major names already locked in: Hayley Williams and Mitski.
The festival returns to Merriweather Post Pavilion from September 25 to 27, expanding into a three-day event with more than 40 artists expected across multiple stages. This year continues the festival’s steady growth from a D.C.-based event into a multi-city run, with stops in New York and Toronto happening.
So far, the early headliner reveal already sets a clear tone: big voices, emotionally heavy songwriting, and artists with cult-like fanbases.
For Mitski, the appearance stands out. She’s been selective about touring around her recent album The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We, and previously said she wasn’t planning a traditional, full-scale tour cycle. That makes a festival slot like All Things Go feel intentional.
Hayley Williams, meanwhile, is deep into what fans have been calling “The Hayley Williams Show” era. The Paramore frontwoman has been staging a series of special headline performances in 2026, pulling from her solo catalog (Petals for Armor, Flowers for Vases / descansos, and beyond) with a loose, unpredictable format that leaves room for deep cuts and one-off moments. Her All Things Go set will be one of a handful of these appearances, which have leaned more intimate and artist-driven than a standard tour run.
The pairing makes sense for All Things Go. The festival has built a reputation around female-forward and artist-first lineups, often spotlighting acts that thrive on storytelling and strong fan connection.
The rest of the D.C. lineup is expected to drop May 4, with a presale starting May 6. A New York lineup announcement is set to follow around the same time, keeping the festival’s multi-city rollout tightly synced. Head to All Things Go’s website for more information
If the first two names are any hint, this year’s edition is leaning into artists that pull people in and keep them there.
Festivals
Governors Ball 2026 Release Daily Schedules
The set times are in. Governors Ball Music Festival just dropped its daily schedules for June 5–7, and the usual game begins: mapping your day, picking your battles, and accepting you can’t see everything.
Friday, June 5
Day one leans indie-pop into rap by night. Lorde closes the main stage at 8:30, opposite the tail end of Baby Keem(7:30–8:30). That’s your first big call: polished pop spectacle or Keem’s high-energy set.
Earlier, things get messy in a good way. KATSEYE (6:35–7:30) overlaps with Pierce the Veil (5:30–6:30) bleed, and The Beths (6:00–7:00) sit right in between. Indie fans will feel that pinch.
Midday conflicts are lighter, but The Dare (4:00–4:45) vs. Arcy Drive (3:30–4:15) creates a small fork in the road.
If you’re pacing yourself, the cleanest run is late afternoon into Mariah the Scientist (4:45–5:30), then pick your lane.
Saturday, June 6
Saturday is the most chaotic on paper. Stray Kids headline at 8:30, directly after Kali Uchis (7:30–8:30). That transition is smooth if you stay put.
The real trouble hits earlier. Major Lazer (6:30–7:30) collides with Blood Orange (5:30–6:30) and the start of Amyl and the Sniffers (7:30–8:30). Dancehall vs. alt-R&B vs. punk. Pick a mood and commit.
Mid-card is stacked with clashes: Ravyn Lenae (4:00–4:45) overlaps with Jane Remover (3:30–4:15), and Snow Strippers (4:45–5:30) runs right into Wet Leg (4:45–5:30). That last one is a true coin flip, two buzzy acts at the exact same time.
Sunday, June 7
Sunday might be the strongest day top to bottom. A$AP Rocky closes at 8:45, opposite the end of JENNIE (7:45–8:45) and Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist (7:45–8:45). That’s the toughest final hour of the weekend.
The lead-up is just as tight. Dominic Fike (6:45–7:45) overlaps with Clipse (5:45–6:45) and Hot Mulligan (6:15–7:15). Three different crowds, same window.
Earlier, Japanese Breakfast (4:00–4:45) and Holly Humberstone (3:15–4:00) form a nice back-to-back if you stay mobile, but Between Friends (2:30–3:15) cuts into that flow.
The takeaway
Friday is manageable. Saturday is conflict-heavy. Sunday is stacked late.
If you hate missing songs, plan short splits. If you want full sets, accept you’ll miss something big. That’s part of the deal, and honestly, half the fun.