Since the pandemic, numerous stakeholders have been looking for ways to revitalize Ottawa’s downtown by bringing more residents and amenities to the area. This summer, several BIAs and local organizations are helping to animate the downtown with live music, re-imagined spaces and nightlife. These initiatives, and others like them, are adding vibrancy and helping to […]
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Since the pandemic, numerous stakeholders have been looking for ways to revitalize Ottawa's downtown by bringing more residents and amenities to the area.
This summer, several BIAs and local organizations are helping to animate the downtown with live music, re-imagined spaces and nightlife. These initiatives, and others like them, are adding vibrancy and helping to increase foot traffic and encourage spending at nearby businesses.
Streets Seats back, new Snider Park makes debut
Following a successful pilot last summer, Centretown BIA is bringing back its Street Seats project and re-introducing a third space at Snider Park.
Last year, the BIA initiated Street Seats, a project that converted parts of Florence, Frank and McLaren streets into pedestrianized areas from mid-June to mid-October, adding vibrancy and connection to the area.
The project, conducted in partnership with Bloomberg Associates, was aimed at accelerating public realm and road safety improvements, according to a report published by the City of Ottawa in October 2025. The “Street Seats” spaces hosted 166 events, attracting more than 2,500 attendees by early September, the report said.
This year, SabriNa Lemay, executive director of the Centretown BIA, said the project is coming back in a new location.
“This year it’s on Waverley Street. We chose to switch because Florence was supposed to have construction, but that changed. We’re still excited about it because we’re also going to be doing a mural on Florence Street in the fall, where youth will be partnering with a mural artist to create it,” Lemay said, adding that the mural project will take place in partnership with Operation Come Home, raising funds to combat youth homelessness.
Between Laurier Avenue West and Slater Street, the BIA’s Uncommon space at Snider Plaza will be re-launching as a new urban park this weekend, Lemay said. With more emphasis on greenery, the space will still have a food and beverage outlet, seating, a stage and wi-fi access.
“We have Booj, who is a part of Urban Art Collective. He was at the Frank Street Street Seats location last year and he was such a huge success. There were lineups of people looking to try his drinks. He’s like a chemist, in terms of what he creates. It’s all alcohol-free mocktails and coffee,” she said.
Snider Park will also be a working art hub, with art installations rotating every quarter.
“The whole point of (Snider Park) is to disconnect to connect. We’re always so busy. We wanted to create a space where you could just be. Have a coffee, sit and support one of our local members,” she said.
Centretown is already seeing more buzz this summer compared to last year, Lemay added.
“Our streets are busier than they were last year. That’s what we’re hearing from our members. There’s more foot traffic. So I anticipate that, with people already knowing that this is here, there’s more of a reason to come down,” she said.
Ottawa Music Industry Coalition’s live music series
From June to October, the Ottawa Music Industry Coalition is bringing more than 100 live music shows to the city, with many happening in the downtown core and neighbouring areas.
The organization’s four initiatives are: City Sounds Live, a travelling outdoor concert series with BIAs and co-curators across the city showcasing local talent; Songs From the Shed, a daytime live music series on Sparks Street; Live from the Booth, a nighttime DJ series on Sparks Street; and taking over some of the Street Seats locations across Centretown and Chinatown.
Melanie Brulée, executive director of OMIC, said the organization is working with the Glebe BIA, Downtown BIA, Rideau BIA and others to bring animation to the main streets.
“That’s all part of the city-funded City Sounds Live to bring music to BIAs, to increase foot traffic, to increase the vibe. (This will) hopefully encourage people to spend (money at nearby businesses) by activating those spaces.”
The programs have real impact, she added. At the second iteration of the upcoming nightlife forum Canada After Dark on Oct. 7-8, Brulée said OMIC will launch a report showing the economic impact of live music in Ottawa. Preliminary results show that all programming, from festivals to live music pop-ups such as Songs from the Shed, are contributing hundreds of millions of dollars to annual GDP, she said.
This year’s summer programming puts an emphasis on co-curation, she added.
“We’re reaching out to (music) labels, community groups, organizers, music venues and different folks in the music industry so we can increase the amount of folks that are aware of these activations and make it citywide with more of a collaborative spirit.”
Also, by co-curating with local people and organizations, it makes people feel better connected to the areas they live in or visit, she said.
“Music is adding to someone’s experience. It enhances those spaces, your ‘running errands’ experience. And it adds community. It really is the intersection of where business meets music.”
Metcalfe Plaza programming extended
Metcalfe Plaza is also back for a second year, with an expanded timeline and lineup of events. Programming will last from June 18 to Sept. 26, every Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
At the Downtown BIA’s annual general meeting in March, executive director Kevin McHale said the expanded timeline and lineup of events “will continue to support the nighttime economies to work with this project.”
In its inaugural season last year, the plaza, a redeveloped vacant space at 151 Metcalfe St. near the corner of Metcalfe and Gloucester streets, attracted 8,700 attendees over 18 nights. The project is presented by Montreal-based event organization company Aire Commune, in collaboration with the City of Ottawa’s Nightlife Office, Downtown BIA, Ottawa Tourism and Ottawa-based event curator Amashowza.
ACE District launching next week
The arts, culture and entertainment (ACE) district is a project led by the Ottawa Art Gallery in partnership with the City of Ottawa. It was outlined as a key initiative in the Ottawa Board of Trade’s Downtown Ottawa Action Agenda in 2024 as a way to revitalize the city’s downtown core.
In February, OAG CEO Alexandra Badzak told OBJ that the project will connect artists with the small businesses and organizations that contribute to the cultural economy.
“By naming the downtown core as an ACE district, we’re basically saying, ‘Look, we’re paying attention to what already exists, which are amazing anchor organizations as well as small businesses, bars, restaurants that are supporting a creative economy.’ But the goal is ultimately to connect them from a marketing and storytelling perspective and then from a capacity-building perspective,” she explained.
Improving Ottawa’s arts and culture economy will increase foot traffic to the downtown core, which will in turn increase spending at local businesses, she said.
“It’s creating that ‘stickiness,’ where you may come (downtown) for one thing, but then you go discover something else and spend your whole evening in the downtown core,” she told OBJ in February. “When a city embraces culture at its core, you see the benefits – economic benefits, tourism benefits and social fabric benefits.”
ByWard Market vendor village
In an effort to spur downtown revitalization, the ByWard Market District Authority launched its vendor village last month. The project features local vendors selling a variety of products including giftware, gourmet foods, artisan craft and florals.
“This initiative reflects an intentional approach to how we manage and animate the public realm in the ByWard Market,” said Victoria Williston, executive director of the BMDA, in a news release in April. “Through curated vending, thoughtful placement, and a focus on quality and diversity, we’re enhancing the visitor experience while supporting economic resilience for local businesses.
“At the same time, we’re designing these spaces to encourage movement across the district, ensuring that increased activity benefits not just one location, but the area as a whole. This is a foundational step in our broader work to strengthen the district’s long-term vitality.”
Created in alignment with the ACE district, the vendor village will animate areas along George and York streets to drive foot traffic and encourage visitors to explore surrounding streets.
NCC brings waterfront activations to Ottawa River
This summer, the National Capital Commission is inviting residents to “enjoy cottage vibes without the drive” by rediscovering some of the region’s waterfronts.
Earlier this month, the NCC announced it was opening two new waterfronts for swimming; one at East Wharf, near the National Gallery of Canada, in mid-June and the other behind the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau in early July.
“The Capital’s waterfronts are among our most cherished public spaces. This summer, we are making it easier for people to enjoy these places in new ways, offering cottage vibes without the drive, right here in the heart of the region,” CEO Tobi Nussbaum said in a news release.
The NCC River House, Westboro Beach and Dow’s Lake dock are all returning this summer, with Dominion City and Gburger offering food and drinks at Commissioner’s Park for a second year. 
