These are the best Ottawa live music venues
One of the nicest (and newest) spots in town to see an intimate performance, Red Bird was launched by Ottawa musician Geoff Cass in 2022 as a hybrid music school/coffee shop/folk club, and patrons can’t get enough of it. By day, it’s a music school with five teaching rooms, and in the evening it turns into a licensed showcase venue with excellent sound, no bad seats and a sputnik-style lighting fixture over the stage that has become a signature image in concert photos. The booking policy focuses on singer-songwriters of all stripes, from grassroots upstarts to established names, but, with a capacity of just 80 people, almost every concert sells out. Regular monthly features include Bluegrass Wednesdays, Tyler Kealey’s Urban Campfire, a ukulele jam and Celtic Celebration. There are open stages on Tuesday evenings and Friday afternoons, plus an acoustic coffee house on Sunday afternoons. The cafe has a small, but well-chosen selection of snacks and beverages, including non-alcoholic craft sodas. Residents in the Old Ottawa South neighbourhood are big supporters.
