What to know
- HISTORY Ottawa, a new 2,000-capacity music venue, opens Thursday in the ByWard Market.
- The venue is a partnership between Drake and Live Nation, following the success of HISTORY in Toronto’s east end.
- The Wallflowers will headline the venue’s opening night, with dozens of artists already scheduled to perform.
- The new venue features two levels, flexible standing and seated configurations, and premium seating options.
Ottawa is getting a brand new music venue this week, and it comes with a Toronto connection.
HISTORY Ottawa, the sister venue to Toronto’s popular east-end music venue HISTORY, officially opens its doors Thursday in the ByWard Market, bringing a new 2,000-capacity concert space to the capital.
The venue is a partnership between Live Nation Canada and Toronto rapper Drake, who was also involved in the original HISTORY venue, which opened in Toronto in 2021.
Drake took to social media ahead of the opening to share what the expansion means to him.
“These venues are where our stories are born, elevated, shared, and hopefully revisited. I will be there to drop off my personal touch to Ottawa soon,” Drake wrote.
He also said the project is intended to create a better experience for emerging artists.
“In creating this I think about every artist that had to play a venue and ask themselves ‘is this what making it feels like’ because I know we respect all the heritage and all the years of inheritance but hope to create a better experience for our budding artists moving forward.”
What to expect
Located at 47 Rideau Street in the ByWard Market, HISTORY Ottawa spans two levels and is designed to accommodate both standing and seated shows. The ground floor features a convertible general admission area, while the upper level includes reserved seating and premium options.
The venue has a capacity of about 2,000 people, making it a mid-sized space aimed at bringing more touring acts to Ottawa without requiring them to play a much larger arena.
The first shows
The Wallflowers will officially take over the new venue Thursday night, kicking off a lineup that already includes some major touring acts.
Among the artists scheduled to perform at HISTORY Ottawa in the coming months are Houndmouth, KALEO, The Pretty Reckless, Blackberry Smoke, UB40, Sabaton, Gogol Bordello, Two Door Cinema Club, Modest Mouse, Thundercat, Marianas Trench, Bahamas, Wolf Parade and more.
The venue’s opening marks a major new addition to Ottawa’s live music scene, with the goal of giving both established and emerging artists another stop on their Canadian tours.
