The much-anticipated live music venue History Ottawa will open its doors this week, and members of the media got to view the space Monday. The 35,000-square-foot venue includes a general admission area, three bars, an upper-level mezzanine with 162 reserved seats and a VIP lounge. The project was first announced in early 2025, after the […]
Get Instant Access to This Article
Become an Ottawa Business Journal Insider and get immediate access to all of our Insider-only content and much more.
The much-anticipated live music venue History Ottawa will open its doors this week, and members of the media got to view the space Monday.
The 35,000-square-foot venue includes a general admission area, three bars, an upper-level mezzanine with 162 reserved seats and a VIP lounge.
The project was first announced in early 2025, after the National Capital Commission purchased the space at 47-57 Rideau St. in 2023. The space was formerly occupied by Chapters bookstore from 1996 until it closed in 2022.
Ali Shafaee, regional vice-president of Live Nation Canada, said the space is the perfect place for a mid-sized live music venue in Ottawa.
“When we first came up with the concept of History in Ottawa, (it was) important, as we were going through all the different spaces and options, to find something that really made sense for Ottawa as a whole … So when this space came about, it kind of checked off all the boxes. We're on, arguably, one of the most important intersections in Canada, with the ceremonial way, Rideau (Street) and Sussex (Drive). We're directly across the street from two light rail stations, so you can take the train from all over the city and walk out 50 feet to our front doors,” he said.
Bronwyn Campbell, general manager of History Ottawa, said the team is excited to open the venue this week. Coming to Ottawa from Vancouver, Campbell said she’s been working to get the venue up and running since moving to the city in March.
“(There is) certainly some pressure, just from an operational perspective because we don’t want to let people down. Luckily, we’re surrounded by a bunch of people that really know what they’re doing. Steve Biasutti, who’s the GM at History in Toronto, has been working side by side with me on this,” Campbell said.
Though History Ottawa is similar to its sister location in Toronto, Shafaee did point out a few unique Ottawa features, such as a larger stage, a “premium loge” and a 200-person VIP lounge.
The lounge, which has its own bar, seating area and DJ booth, is available to premium ticketholders on show days and is available to rent for special events on non-show days, Shafaee said.
“It was important for Ottawa because we do think that there are a lot of special events in the Market. We do get a lot of that type of business that comes through. Obviously, we see that with the success of all the different venues around us. So, as a premium ticketholder, I'm able to access this lounge for pre-drinks, post-drinks, snacks,” Shafaee said of the upper-level VIP lounge.
He added that Live Nation worked with Ottawa Venues, the company that runs local restaurants such as Lowertown Brewery, Raphael Peruvian Cuisine, Barrio and Giulia, to curate the lounge’s menu.
“(Ottawa Venues) has curated the menu to feature some of their best bites from (its) restaurants,” he said.
The design of the lounge space was done together with Canadian rap artist Drake, who is a partner with the History brand.
“(Drake’s) team would have almost handpicked everything within this lounge from a detail perspective to finishings to the sound system and the design element of it. They were actively involved in the programming of this lounge,” Shafaee said.
Shafaee added that the venue was designed with accessibility in mind, with accessible washrooms, elevators and seating on the upper level.
When it comes to ticket sales, Shafee said History Ottawa is performing at or over expectations, but Campbell said she expects sales to pick up once people have the chance to see the space.
“We’re seeing Ottawa hold its own, if not outperform other markets … We’re obviously a strong music market. We know that festivals this year had great success in Ottawa,” Shafaee said. “The interesting thing with us is that we're creating a segment in Ottawa … This doesn't exist, so there's a lot of that buyer who isn't sure what History is.”
When speaking with neighbouring businesses, Shafaee said he’s heard encouraging things about the venue’s role in revitalizing the area.
“Everybody we’ve spoken to in the ByWard Market is super-excited for us to be here. Generally speaking, if we’re doing 150 shows with 2,000 people, that’s 300,000 new clients to the ByWard Market. When we talk about the ByWard Market and revitalization, what does 300,000 new people do? It brings life. And what does life do? It brings more safety, security (and) reason to come.”
The venue has already hired 100 front-of-house staff, Campbell said, and will see how operations go before hiring more.
The venue opens its doors Thursday with a sold-out performance by American rock artist The Wallflowers.
-
The facade at 47 Rideau St. Photo by Marissa Galko.
-
The Live Nation team thought of how to make the fan experience better for Ottawa, which includes the general admission coat check. Photo by Marissa Galko.
-
Fans will be greeted by a large “H” wall, the perfect photo op spot. Photo by Marissa Galko.
-
The lower level has two bars and the upper level has one bar for general admission ticketholders. Photo by Marissa Galko.
-
Premium ticketholders will ascend a private staircase to the concierge desk, where they will be shown their seats and have questions answered. There is also a dedicated coat check for premium ticketholders. Photo by Marissa Galko.
-
The VIP lounge DJ booth. Photo by Marissa Galko.
-
The VIP lounge has a menu curated by Ottawa Venues. The space is available to rent on non-show days. Photo by Marissa Galko.
-
The upper level has three rows of reserved seats for premium ticketholders. There is standing room behind the reserved seats for general admission ticketholders. Photo by Marissa Galko.
-
The headliner’s dressing room is the largest of the three artist green rooms. Photo by Marissa Galko.
-
The headliner’s dressing room has a bathroom. History Ottawa has focused on improving the artist experience. Photo by Marissa Galko.
-
The blue artist’s staircase is an amenity brought over from the Toronto location. It became a favourite photo op for artists playing in Toronto. Photo by Marissa Galko.
-
The premium loge’s green room, part of a reserved space on the upper level for groups of up to 20. Photo by Marissa Galko.
-
Behind the stage, there is a 40-foot LED screen. Photo by Marissa Galko.
-
A merchandise booth is part of the fan experience. Photo by Marissa Galko.
