Ottawa Bluesfest

Ottawa Bluesfest
Aerial view of the 2007 Bluesfest
Genre	Blues,Hip Hop,Rap,Jazz,Latin,Lounge,Pop,R&B,Rock,Electronic Dance Music
Dates	July (4–14, 2024) (10 days)
Location(s)	Ottawa,Ontario, Canada
Years active	1994-2019, 2022-present
Attendance	1,300,000 (2024, 10 days total)
Capacity	116,000+ (all stages combined)

TheOttawa Bluesfest(currently known asRBCBluesfestunder anaming rightssponsorship) is an annual outdoormusic festivalthat takes place each July in downtownOttawa,Ontario, Canada. While the festival's lineup historically focused onbluesmusic at its inception, it has increasingly showcased mainstreampop,hip hop, reggae,rockandEDMin recent years. Bluesfest has become the third largest music festival in Canada and the fourth largest music festival in North America.

There was a hiatus in 2020–21.

Organization

Since its inception, the festival has been managed by executive and artistic director Mark Monahan. The organization also managesCityFolk Festival(2011-) and the Ontario Festival of Small Halls.

In 2002, Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest won the Best Event Award from the Ottawa Tourism and Convention Authority and in 2003 the organization received the Keeping the Blues Alive (KBA) award for arts education from the Memphis Blues Foundation. Mark Monahan is a past recipient of the Toronto Blues Society's Blues with a Feeling award. In December 2011, Bluesfest reached a five-year sponsorship deal withRBC Royal Bankto ensure its financial stability. Henceforth, the event will be known as RBC Bluesfest.

History

Bluesfest crowds during the 2011 festival

The festival was first held in 1994 atMajors Hill Parkwith the performance ofClarence Clemons,attracting a 15,000 spectators. The following year the festival attracted larger crowds with entertainers likeJohn HiattandBuddy Guy.In 1996, 250,000 fans attended the 10-day Bluesfest to seeRobert Cray,Los Lobosand others. It was then that theMitelcorporation became the first major sponsor of the event. In 1997, the festival was moved toConfederation Parkto provide more space for the increasing number of fans to see musicians such asDr. JohnandLittle Feat.In 1998, over 800,000 people showed up for the festival in 10 days, which coincided withCanada Day.Bell MobilityandCIBC Wood Gundyjoined the list of sponsors. In 1999, the festival was moved toLeBreton Flats.Bluesfest became a registered charitable organization while attracting over 950,000 fans in 10 days. TheRoyal Canadian Mintbecame a sponsor.Cisco Systemsbecame the Bluesfest Title Sponsor in 2001, while theOttawa Citizenand theNational Postbecame Presenting Sponsors. In 2002, Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest moved to Festival Plaza in downtown Ottawa and 1,200,000 fans in 10 days.

In 2003, the festival expanded to eight stages to celebrate its tenth anniversary with 1,220,000 people in attendance.2005 saw the festival further diversify its offerings, reaching out to a younger audience as well as those interested in more than just blues. The 2006 edition saw continued growth with increased crowds and the move of the MBNA stage to Lisgar Collegiate Institute to provide more capacity. In 2007, Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest relocated to LeBreton Flats Park, a move from the site at Festival Plaza the previous year. The new site offered five stages in and around theCanadian War Museum.The stage set-up featured twin main stages akin to theAustin City Limits Music Festival,which allowed audiences to transfer between headlining acts.

The festival continues to be held in July annually for 10 days. Headliners such asB. B. Kingand theDixie Chicks(2013),Blake SheltonandLady Gaga(2014),Kanye West(2015),Red Hot Chili Peppers(2016), andFoo Fighters(2018) attracting approximately 1,500,000 attendees each year.

Along with showcasing international musical talent, Bluesfest is a non-profit charitable organization with year-round music education initiatives such as Blues in the Schools, Be in the Band, and the Bluesfest School of Music and Art, augmenting a focus on developing local artists in the Ottawa region.

Accident

On July 17, 2011, just 20 minutes intoCheap Trick’s set, a thunderstorm blew through the festival area. The band and crew narrowly escaped the collapse of the stage's 50-ton roof. It fell away from the audience and landed on the band's truck which was parked alongside the back of the stage, breaking the fall and allowing everyone about 30 seconds to escape. Sandy Sanderson, Cheap Trick's truck driver, was treated for a laceration to the abdomen and released from hospital the same day. An investigation by the Ministry of Labour concluded the stage was poorly constructed, and though the report recommended criminal charges, none were filed due to building codes for temporary structures not covering staging that lasted less than 30 days.

Nesting Killdeer

A beautiful view of the closing night of Ottawa's RBC Bluesfest 2018, as taken by a Bluesfest volunteer.

During preparations for the 2018 festival, a pair ofkilldeerwas found nesting on some cobblestones, which help camouflage the eggs. It was right where the main stage was about to be constructed. Killdeer and their nesting grounds are protected under theMigratory Birds Convention Act.With permission fromEnvironment and Climate Change Canada,and help from theWoodlands Wildlife Sanctuary,the nest was successfully moved 25 meters, one meter at a time, to a protected area behind the stage site, and stage construction was allowed to continue after a 12-hour delay.It marked a first for successful killdeer nest relocation.

Setting

• The main RBC Stage onLeBreton Flats(Capacity of 100,000)
• The SiriusXM Stage nearBayview station(Capacity of 10,000)
• The River Stage outside theCanadian War Museum(Capacity of 5,000)
• The Accora Village Big Chill & Spin Stage (Capacity of 1,000)
• The Barney Danson Theatre inside the Canadian War Museum (Capacity of 250)

See also

• List of festivals in Ottawa
• List of festivals in Canada
• Music of Canada
• List of blues festivals
• List of folk festivals

External links

• RBC Bluesfestofficial website
• Ottawa Festivals website