Festivals
Ottawa Bluesfest 2025 – July 17 Recap & Photos
Day 6 of Ottawa Bluesfest 2025 brought a full-body workout disguised as a music festival. Between the relentless grooves, chilled-out jams, and occasional downpour, Thursday night at LeBreton Flats Park was a ride. Dancehall king Sean Paul made sure it ended in a sweaty, joy-filled mess.
Sean Paul took the RBC Stage under a Jamaican flag, hypeman in tow, and made it very clear: Ottawa still knows how to party. Even as the rain returned midway through his set, the crowd didn’t flinch. Armed with decades of hits like “Get Busy,” “Temperature,” “Baby Boy,” and “Like Glue,” he spun a high-energy, nostalgia-filled set that kept the crowd bouncing. The vibe was somewhere between high school dance and full-blown Caribbean carnival.
He shouted out the “sexy ladies” at least a dozen times but also gave a nod to moms because “they bring forth life… and they sexy too.” A true gentleman. At one point, he asked if Ottawa was ready to show the world it could still party, and judging by the jumping and screaming in the pit, the answer was yes. Newer songs didn’t land quite as hard but the diehards up front held it down.
Earlier in the night, Kardinal Offishall took his warm-up duties seriously with a lively main-stage set that was added after G-Eazy pulled out. Kardinal brought the fun, dropping hits like “Dangerous” and “Numba 1” while poking fun at Americans and questioning whether Ottawans had rhythm. He brought out Karl Wolf and even premiered a new track “SOAK, which had a sultry, summer-night energy that might’ve hit harder if the weather hadn’t cooled off so much. Still, it was a big win for the festival to have a Canadian hip-hop legend fill in.
Opening the RBC Stage was local duo DYSTOH, who set the tone early with a blast of rhythm, horns, and Afro-Latin fusion. Ray Tabana on baritone sax and Phil Motion on percussion were locked in from the first beat, blending soulful grooves and electronic textures into something that felt both deeply rooted and totally fresh. They even dropped a few SoulJazz Orchestra tracks, a nod to their shared musical past, but DYSTOH is very much its own thing.
Across the grounds, there was plenty more to catch. Over on the River Stage, Toronto’s LILYISHTHATYOU brought punchy alt-pop and Gen Z energy to her early set. She broke out with “FMRN” on TikTok back in 2021, but her newer songs like “No Favors” showed off a more confident, layered sound that’s built for big stages.
Alicia Moffet followed with something more reflective. The Quebec singer and former reality TV star leaned into the emotional material off her new album No, I’m Not Crying. Her smooth vocals and synthy ballads were a nice cooldown before the storm.
Peach Pit closed the River Stage with a jangly, lowkey set that pulled a massive crowd, including, apparently, Prime Minister Mark Carney, who tweeted that he was there. The Vancouver band mixed fan favourites like “Tommy’s Party” and “Alrighty Aphrodite” with newer material from Magpie. They’ve always walked the line between indie slacker charm and big-stage confidence, and on Thursday, they leaned into both. A few technical hiccups didn’t throw them off. They laughed them off, cracked a couple of dry jokes, and kept going.
At the LeBreton Stage, things took a more atmospheric turn. Harry Manx returned to the festival 20 years after his first Bluesfest appearance, and his set was just as hypnotic as ever. Blending Indian ragas, blues, and a bit of gospel, his performance was meditative. He was joined by singer and keyboardist Geneviève Jodoin, whose vocals added an ethereal texture. Between songs, Manx cracked jokes with deadpan delivery.
Moontricks followed with a much different kind of fusion: folk instrumentation paired with electronic beats. They’ve been refining this sound for years, and their set on Thursday showed how far they’ve come. Fans swayed, some danced, others just stood there soaking it all in. It was a vibe.
After nearly a week of sweltering heat, the cooler breeze and occasional drizzle felt like a gift. And despite the rain, Thursday might’ve been one of the most energetic days yet. From DYSTOH’s opening grooves to Sean Paul’s full-blown dance party, Day 6 of Bluesfest thrived in the weather.
Head to Ottawa Bluesfest’s website for more info on the rest of the festival.
Check out our favourite photos of Day 6 below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
SEAN PAUL
KARDINAL OFFISHALL
DYSTOH
LILYISHTHATYOU
ALICIA MOFFET
PEACH PIT
HARRY MANX
MOONTRICKS
All Photo Credit: Kieran Delport
Festivals
The Strokes, Pitbull, and Alanis Morissette To Headline Innings Festival 2027
The Strokes, Pitbull and Alanis Morissette will headline the ninth edition of Innings Festival, making its return February 26-28, 2027 to Arizona’s Tempe Beach Park & Arts Park. The grand slam lineup includes Pierce The Veil, The Neighbourhood, 5 Seconds of Summer, Train, Death Cab For Cutie, Interpol, Yellowcard, Hot Mulligan, 4 Non Blondes, Spoon, Shaggy, Passion Pit and many more for three days of no overlapping sets. Fans can enjoy interactive baseball activities at the festival, plus appearances by Major League Baseball legends Darryl Strawberry, Dexter Fowler, David Justice, Nelson Cruz, Rollie Fingers, Joe Kelly and more, plus Olympic medalist and ESPN analyst Jessica Mendoza. All-Star Jam hosted by Jake Peavy returns, along with Off the Mound with Ryan Dempster returning for live interviews and special performances from surprise guests including artists from the festival lineup.. Fans can sign up now for the festival SMS list at InningsFestival.com to receive an access code for the presale beginning Thursday, October 29 at 10AM PT, with access to guaranteed lowest-price GA tickets for one hour. Any remaining tickets will go on sale to the public following the presale.
1-Day and 3-Day GA, GA+, Center Field Bleachers, Left Field Reserved, VIP and Platinum tickets will be available, along with 2-Day GA tickets. GA+ tickets include access to the GA+ Lounge for a private bar with drinks for purchase, air-conditioned restrooms, relaxed seating and more. Center Field Bleachers offer all amenities of GA+ along with guaranteed bucket seats with prime views of Home Plate Stage. Left Field Reserved tickets also include all amenities of GA+, plus a reserved bucket seating at the dedicated elevated viewing deck overlooking Home Plate Stage. VIP tickets include a dedicated seated viewing platform at Home Plate Stage, plus on-field viewing areas at both stages, unlimited access to the VIP Lounge with air-conditioned restrooms, complimentary beer, dedicated Festival Merch Store and more. Platinum tickets offer exclusive front-of-stage viewing, complimentary full-service bar, coffee service and all-day dining, golf cart transportation between stages, complimentary Tempe Town Lake boat rides on the Platinum Clubhouse Cruiser and more. For more information on all available ticket types and the amenities included in each, visit InningsFestival.com/Tickets.
Festivals
Iron Maiden, Korn, Bad Omens to Headline Boardwalk Rock 2027
Iron Maiden, Korn, and Bad Omens will headline the glorious return of Boardwalk Rock 2027, along with Alice In Chains, Breaking Benjamin, Good Charlotte, Marilyn Manson, The Prodigy, Judas Priest, Cypress Hill, and many more. View the entire lineup and by-day breakout here.
The Presale begins Thursday, October 22, at 10AM ET with access to lowest-price GA tickets for one hour, followed by the General Onsale at 11AM ET, with any remaining tickets.
Boardwalk Rock ticket types include 1-Day and 3-Day General Admission, GA+, VIP, and Platinum. GA+ Tickets grant entry to the festival alongside access to a private lounge with shade and seating, air-conditioned restrooms, concierge service, complimentary water, and a private bar with drinks for purchase. VIP Tickets provide dedicated viewing areas at every stage, including a viewing platform at Main Stage with elevated sightlines, access to two VIP Lounges that both include a private bar with drinks for purchase, air-conditioned restrooms, relaxed seating, lockers and mobile charging units for rent, and more. Platinum Tickets offer front-of-stage viewing at all stages, access to two Platinum Lounges that include complimentary full-service bars and all-day dining, air-conditioned restrooms, complimentary lockers and mobile charging, a dedicated festival entry lane, all the amenities of VIP, GA+, GA, and more. For the full list of ticket offerings, and to purchase tickets, visit www.boardwalkrockfest.com/tickets.
In addition to three full days of live music, Boardwalk Rock will offer festivalgoers access to the iconic Jolly Roger at the Pier amusement park, located within the festival grounds, as well as a variety of festival food vendors. Attendees can also explore the many businesses along the Ocean City Boardwalk, including restaurants, bars, shops, and more.
Sign up for the e-list to receive festival information first at www.boardwalkrockfest.com, and also follow Boardwalk Rock on Instagram, TikTok, X, and Facebook to stay in the loop on all announcements.