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