2025 Summer Ottawa Jazz Festival FAQ

All tickets and passes are final sale and non-refundable or exchangeable
Tickets and passes can be upgraded to a higher tier (subject to availability, and by paying the difference in price) by contacting our box office

Full Festival Passes

We offer three types of full festival passes to the 2025 Summer Ottawa Jazz Festival, Gold, Bronze and Youth (Please see our ticketing pages for more information).
All passes include guaranteed access each and every day of the festival to our Main Stage at Confederation Park and the OLG Stage at Marion Dewar Plaza. Indoor shows are subject to availability and type of pass purchased.
Passes are transferable, day to day.
Please choose either a digital pass or a physical pass upon checking out.
Your physical pass includes an embedded RFID chip which will allow you to tap your pass on our readers upon entering each venue.
If you lose or damage your physical pass, you may visit us at our on-site box office during the festival and purchase a replacement for $10.
Physical passes will be available to be picked up beginning mid May 2025. You will receive an e-mail notification with more details once your passes are ready to be picked up.
Digital passes are sent as a QR code PDF attachment and your QR code is scanned for entry at each venue.

Single Tickets and Single Day Passes

Single day passes are available in two tiers: General Admission and VIP front stage access (Formally Platinum).
Single Day Passes (Digital only) – Includes access to both our Main Stage at Confederation Park and the OLG Stage at Marion Dewar Plaza for a day of your choice. Single Day Passes do not include access to indoor shows at the National Arts Centre.
Single tickets (Digital only) – Includes first come, first seated access to a show of your choice at the National Arts Centre.
Please note, to see a Main Stage headliner at Confederation Park, you MUST purchase either a Day Pass OR Full Festival Pass; we do not sell single tickets for each Main Stage headliner.

Latecomers and show start times

Latecomers MAY NOT be accomodated, so please arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the start time of your show.
Doors typically open 30 minutes prior to the show start time.
Doors open to the Main Stage at Confederation Park approximately 30 minutes prior to the opening act.
Seeing a Main Stage headliner at 8:30pm? Come early and enjoy the opening act to save your seat!

Venues

Confederation Park
Elgin St at Laurier Avenue
Ottawa, ON K1P 5J2

Marion Dewar Plaza
Ottawa City Hall
Laurier Avenue
Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1

NAC Fourth Stage
1 Elgin St
Ottawa, ON K1P 5W1

NAC Azrieli Studio
1 Elgin St
Ottawa, ON K1P 5W1

General Policies

Children and Youth

Children 10 and under are free when accompanied by an adult to shows at both Confederation Park and at the OLG Stage.
Youth aged 11-21 may purchase a Youth Day Pass or Youth Full Festival Fass at a discounted rate which provides general admission access to shows at Confederation Park and the OLG Stage.
All children attending shows at the National Arts Centre must have a valid ticket.

Food and Beverages

Outside Alcohol is NOT permitted at ANY Ottawa Jazz Festival event.
Bars will be available throughout the festival grounds to purchase both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages (credit card or tap, no cash)
Non-alcoholic beverages, including coffee, water, juice, etc. are allowed to be brought into the festival.
Outside food is permitted in Confederation Park, so feel free to pack a lunch and enjoy it on the lawn.
A variety of local food trucks will be available on-site at Confederation Park for your convenience.

Parking

Ample parking is available at the National Arts Centre, Ottawa City Hall, World Exchange Plaza and at the Rideau Centre.
Street parking is also typically available downtown on evenings and weekends.
We do not offer bicycle parking on site. Those looking to park their bicyles will find various options downtown, including bicycle racks at Ottawa City Hall. Please see the following link on the City of Ottawa's website for more info: https://ottawa.ca/en/parking-roads-and-travel/cycling/bike-parking-and-repair-stations

Animals

Service animals are permitted in all venues; however, pets are NOT permitted.

Accessibility

Accessible restrooms will be available on site.
Para Transpo pick up and drop off locations are at the CAA Member Entrance – Gate 5 for Confederation Park, or at the Drill Hall off of Queen Elizabeth Drive for shows at the OLG Stage.
Both the Azrieli Studio and the 4th Stage at the National Arts Centre have accessible, barrier free seating available.
The National Arts Centre also offers accessible parking and restrooms.
If you need someone to accompany you as an attendant to a show at Confederation Park or at the OLG Stage, please let one of our friendly volunteer ticket scanners know and they will provide your accompanying guest with complimentary entry into the event.
Please reach out to us with any specific accessibility requests and we will do our best to accommodate.

Inclement Weather

The show goes on rain or shine, so please dress appropriately.
No refunds will be given due to inclement weather.
If it is deemed unsafe to go on with a show, a temporary pause may occur to allow weather to pass.
If a show needs to be canceled for any reason, affected customers will be contacted and refund or exchange options will be provided.
Stay up to date on show delays by downloading our app and enabling notifications or checking social media channels such as Instagram, Facebook and X (formally Twitter).

Seating

General Admission access to Confederation Park does not include a seat, so feel free to bring a folding chair or a blanket along if you’d prefer to sit than stand.
Most shows at Confederation Park will have both a standing zone and a zone for those who prefer to sit.

Merchandise and artist interactions

Festival merchandise will be available for purchase on-site during the festival at both our main Merchandise tent in Confederation Park AND at our Box Office at Marion Dewar Plaza.
Artist merchandise for Main Stage performers, when available, is available ONLY on the day of their performance and will be available at the main Merchandise tent in Confederation Park.
Artist merchandise for performers at the National Arts Centre, when available, is available ONLY on the day of their performance and will be sold at a table outside of the respective venue (NAC Fourth Stage or Studio).
Artist merchandise for performers at the OLG Stage at Marion Dewar Plaza, when available, is available ONLY on the day of their performance and will be sold at the tent next to the bar.
Artist signings or meet and greets are never announced in advance and are completely spontaneous! If an artist chooses to sign their merchadise or meet and greet with fans, they usually do this at the merchandise booth or table of their respective venue.

Misc.

Professional photography and recording equipment are prohibited. Only official festival approved photographers are permitted to take photographs.
Staff and Management reserve the right to inspect personal effects at any time.
Staff and management reserve the right to refuse entry or service to any individual or party.
Individuals demonstrating signs of intoxication will not be allowed to enter our festival or will be refused service and escorted from the premises.
"Why the change in name from Platinum to VIP?" The name VIP better aligns with our vision for this section. These are arguably the best seats at our summer festival and we will continue to improve the benefits and perks that come with these tickets!

If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us:
Email: contact@ottawajazzfestival.com
Website: www.ottawajazzfestival.com
Phone: 613-241-2633

Enjoy the festivals!