Ottawa Bluesfest takes over LeBreton Flats this weekend, with concerts from Thursday, July 4 to Sunday, July 7 and Tuesday, July 9 to Sunday, July 14. Residents and visitors travelling in the area can expect increased traffic and pedestrian activity throughout the festivities.
Take transit to and from Bluesfest
Travel on OC Transpo is free for event ticket holders. Customers can travel on O-Train Line 1, buses or Para Transpo up to three hours before and two hours after the event on the date their Bluesfest pass is valid. Simply show your wristband or pass to the bus or Para Transpo operator or use the video-chat function on ticket machines at Line 1 stations to request access through the fare gate.
O-Train Line 1 will operate more frequently in the evenings when event attendees are returning home. Service will be extended by one hour to midnight on Sunday, July 7 and Sunday, July 14. For nearby service to and from the event area, customers can use Line 1 at Pimisi, Bayview, and Lyon stations.
Para Transpo customers will be picked up and dropped off on Booth Street, north of Vimy Place, next to the War Museum.
Getting home after the show
- Going east: Take O-Train Line 1 to connect with buses at Hurdman, St-Laurent or Blair stations.
- Going west: Take O-Train Line 1 to Bayview or Tunney’s Pasture stations, or take bus routes 57, 61, 62, 63, 74 or 75 from Albert Street at Booth Street.
- Look out for signage to find your queue line on Booth Street after the show.
Transit service detours
From Thursday, July 4 to Sunday, July 7 and Tuesday, July 9 to Sunday, July 14, some OC Transpo bus routes will be detoured from 4 pm until the end of the service day due to the Booth Street closure.
For more information or to plan your trip, visit octranspo.com(link is external) or call 613-560-5000. You can also connect with OC Transpo through Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram.
Street closures and parking restrictions
The following streets will be closed throughout the festival:
- Wellington Street between Lett Street and Vimy Place
- Reduced by a single lane in each direction on Tuesday, July 2 at 6 am until Friday, July 19 at 6 pm.
- Closed nightly, 5 pm to midnight
- Kichi Zībī Mīkan between Vimy Place and Slidell Street
- Booth Street between Wellington Street and Albert Street
- Nightly 5 pm to midnight
- Kichi Zībī Mīkan eastbound between Parkdale Avenue and Booth Street
- Kichi Zībī Mīkan westbound between Vimy Place and Slidell Street
- Thursday, July 4 and Friday, July 5, 5 pm to midnight
- Tuesday, July 9 to Friday, July 12, 5 pm to midnight
- Saturday, July 6 and Sunday, July 7, 8 am to midnight
- Saturday, July 13 and Sunday, July 14, 8 am to midnight
Local street parking restrictions are in effect throughout the festival, please refer to on-street signage. Major restrictions include:
- North and south side parking lanes on Wellington Street, between Vimy Place and Lett Street, are closed until midnight on Monday, July 22
For updates on construction and roadwork activity across Ottawa, or for information about traffic and travel planning, visit the City’s traffic map or follow the City’s traffic account on Twitter.
