Shows
📍Lansdowne Park - 1525 Princess Patricia Way
The Great Lawn & Horticulture Building
Celebrate our 40th anniversary at the Ottawa Children’s Festival’s vibrant new main site at Lansdowne Park! Experience thrilling performances in the beautiful Horticulture Building and soak up the festival magic under a lively big-top tent on the Great Lawn. It’s a dynamic, family-friendly space bursting with energy, creativity, and unforgettable moments!
1, 2, 3 ON Y VA avec MISSY D
MISSY D, Canada
Bilingual (English/ French) | Ages 5+ | 50 minutes
Summary
Are you learning French ou tu parles déjà français couramment? This show is for you, c’est pour toi, nos ami(e)s bilingues ou francophones!
Music has a way to bring us together, helping us express our feelings, learn about each other and translate melodies into a universal moment.
Whether you understand every word, get ready to dance and sing along to the sounds of Missy D. 1, 2, 3 on y va, on y va! La Case Départ continue pour toi et moi.
Schedule
Friday / vendredi, May 9 mai
11:15 am / 11 h 15
6:00 pm / 18 h
Saturday / samedi, May 10 mai
10:30 am / 10 h 30
2:30 pm / 14 h 30
Sunday / dimanche, May 11 mai
10:30 am / 10 h 30
2:00 pm / 14 h
Monday / lundi, May 12 mai
11:45 am / 11 h 45
Tuesday / mardi, May 13
10:00 am / 10 h
1:00 pm / 13 h
Video Trailer
Tickets
ARBORIALIS
Architects of Air, England
All Ages | Non-Verbal | Continuous Showing
Summary
Architects of Air Arborialis luminarium is an encounter with the phenomenon of light. An encounter that is beautiful in its simplicity, which can nevertheless be profound in its effect. Once inside, visitors are immersed into a world of shifting subtle and saturated hues where they may wander, sit down, and lose themselves in sensory bliss – awakening the senses.
Arborialis has the natural world for inspiration and is designed to echo aspects of being lost in a forest – there are radiant canopies of leaves that stretch overhead, there are vibrant tree trunks rising from the ground beneath.
The visual world of Arborialis is enhanced by the natural and spiritual sounds of the Song of Danu created by Irish composer Dr Michael Morris.
Schedule
Thursday / jeudi, May 8 mai
5:00 pm / 17h – 7:30 pm / 19 h 30
Friday / vendredi, May 9 mai
9:30 am / 9 h 30 – 3:00 pm / 15 h
Saturday / samedi, May 10 mai
9:30 am / 9 h 30 – 3:00 pm / 15 h
Sunday / dimanche, May 11 mai
9:30 am / 9 h 30 – 3:00 pm / 15 h
Monday / lundi, May 12 mai
9:30 am / 9 h 30 – 3:00 pm / 15 h
Tuesday / mardi, May 13
9:30 am / 9 h 30 – 1:30 pm / 13 h 30
Video Trailer
Tickets
Architects of Air will present Abrorialis in Ottawa, ON, from May 8 to May 13 at Lansdowne Park, Great Lawn.
Tickets are available for purchase on SHOWPASS for $7.50+HST.
Tickets will be available for purchase in the Box Office Tent May 8 through May 13.
More
Accessible to wheelchair users and people with mobility difficulties.
Children under the age of 13 must be accompanied by an adult (minimum 1:4 ratio).
Shoes and bags must be removed before entry.
BULLYBULLY
Maas Theater en Dance, The Netherlands
English | Ages 4-8 | 40 minutes
Summary
What do a toddler and your average world leader have in common? Do some presidents throw fits in supermarket aisles? Or scream furiously until they get their own way?
This is a madcap musical about childish grown-up men featuring funny quarrels, songs, a bit of bickering and, eventually, a happy ending.
Video Trailer
Tickets
POLAR BEAR & PENGUIN
Paul Curley Theatre, Ireland
English | Ages 4+ | 45 minutes
Summary
Polar Bear and Penguin tells the tale of an improbable encounter between the two animals. The polar bear and penguin, very different characters, learn about each other and survival in a world melting away from them.
This contemporary fable is one full of humour, friendship, and (most importantly!) lots of fish.
Polar Bear & Penguin was originally developed by Paul Curley and Draíocht with the support of The Arts Council YPCE Project Award & Meitheal CPS – A Branar Initiative and is presented at Ottawa Children’s Festival de la jeunesse (OCF) with the generous support of Culture Ireland.
Schedule
Friday / vendredi, May 9 mai
10:00 am / 10 h
2:30 pm / 14 h 30
Saturday / samedi, May 10 mai
12:15 am / 12 h 15
6:00 pm / 18 h
Sunday / dimanche, May 11 mai
11:00 am / 11 h
2:45 pm / 14 h 45
Monday / lundi, May 12 mai
10:00 am / 10 h
Tuesday / mardi, May 13
12:00 pm / 12 h
Video Trailer
Tickets
A SHOW WITH STRINGS
Long & Short Company, South Korea
Non Verbal | Ages 5+ | 30 minutes
Summary
All the way from Seoul, South Korea, A Show With Strings has been taking the world by storm, inspiring audiences young and old across the world.
Become a super spy saving the world…
Enjoy a romantic evening at the Eiffel Tower…
Pilot a rocket ship to outer space…
You can do all this and more with a single piece of string.
A Show With Strings is a delightful puppet show that explores all the different things a string can do. In this playful interactive puppet show, create different worlds using only string. This clever puppet show encourages imagination, creativity and out-of-the-box thinking in all ages.
This puppet show is that it is designed for all ages to enjoy, no matter if you are a kid or a grandparent!
Schedule
Friday / vendredi, May 9 mai
1:30 pm / 1 h 30
6:00 pm / 18 h
Saturday / samedi, May 10 mai
11:30 am / 11 h 30
1:30 pm / 13 h 30
Sunday / dimanche, May 11 mai
10:15 am / 10 h 15
12:15 pm / 12 h 15
Monday / lundi, May 12 mai
11:15 pm / 11 h 15
2:00 pm / 14 h
Tuesday / mardi, May 13
1:30 pm / 30 h
Video Trailer
Tickets
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE
Presentation House Theatre, Canada
English | Ages 3+ | 65 minutes
Summary
Based on the classic novel by Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are is a journey to the land of the Wild Things. In this highly interactive adaptation, audience members are invited to join Max as he transforms his bedroom into the scene of a thrilling adventure.
Schedule
Friday / vendredi, May 9 mai
11:45 am / 11 h 45
6:00 pm / 18 h
Saturday / samedi, May 10 mai
10:00 am / 10 h
2:30 pm / 14 h 30
Sunday / dimanche, May 11 mai
1:00 pm / 13 h
6:00 pm / 18 h
Monday / lundi, May 12 mai
12:00 pm / 12 h
6:00 pm / 18 h
Tuesday / mardi, May 13
10:00 am / 10 h
Video Trailer
Tickets
📍Arts Court, 2 Daly Avenue
Theatre, Studio & Atelier
Arts Court (2 Daly Avenue) is the Ottawa Children’s Festival’s second location, offering a cozy, sensory-friendly space away from the hustle and bustle of the main festival site. Tucked right downtown near the Rideau Centre, it’s perfect for those who prefer a quieter, more intimate theatre experience. With darker, immersive settings and technically stunning performances, Arts Court creates a welcoming environment where everyone can enjoy the magic of live theatre at their own pace.
STORY OF A DAY
Branar, Ireland
English | Ages 5+ | 45 minutes
Summary
I’m awake I think… But what was it that woke me?
That tap tap on the window, that sliver of sun on the wall, my cold foot?
Or did my dream wake me?
So begins a music filled story of one child’s day that turns the ordinary into extraordinary with live music, vibrant storytelling and vivid animation.
Story of a Day – Scéal Lae is a live performance commissioned by Branar and performed by ConTempo Quartet in a collaboration between Branar and Galway Music Residency. Words and illustrations by renowned children’s author Mary Murphy and original score by award winning composer Tom Lane.
Schedule
Friday / vendredi, May 9 mai
10:00 am / 10 h
12:15 am / 12 h 15
2:30 pm / 14 h 30
Saturday / samedi, May 10 mai
11:15 am / 12 h 15
2:00 pm / 14 h
Sunday / dimanche, May 11 mai
10:30 am / 10 h 30
1:00 pm / 13 h
Monday / lundi, May 12 mai
10:00 am / 10 h
Video Trailer
Tickets
THE BENCH
Teater Refleksion, Denmark
Non-Verbal | Ages 6+ | 40 minutes
Summary
Benches can be found everywhere, from city streets to gardens, inviting visitors to sit and share their stories.
A woman sits on a bench in search of peace and quiet, only to encounter visitors with different plans. Performed with beautifully detailed puppetry, The Bench celebrates the simplicity of everyday life.
A moving and hilarious story about an ordinary day in a bench’s life.
Schedule
Friday / vendredi, May 9 mai
10:00 am / 10 h
2:25 pm / 14 h 25
Saturday / samedi, May 10 mai
10:00 am / 10 h
1:45 pm / 13 h 45
Sunday / dimanche, May 11 mai
10:30 am / 10 h 30
1:00 pm / 13 h
Monday / lundi, May 12 mai
11:15 am / 11 h 15
Video Trailer
Tickets
176 STEPS
Le Théâtre de l’Oeil, Quebec
Bilingual (EN/FR) | Ages 6+ | 60 minutes
Summary
A heartwarming story about facing anxiety and the power of friendship, 176 Steps follows two children: Octave, a remarkably talented piano player who is so afraid of the unknown that he rarely steps foot outside, and Delphine, an outdoorsy adventurer whose only fear is going to school.
When the two of them cross paths, an unlikely friendship blossoms.
Schedule
Friday / vendredi, May 9 mai
11:00 am / 11 h
3:30 pm / 15 h 30
Saturday / samedi, May 10 mai
10:00 am / 10 h
3:00 pm / 15 h
Sunday / dimanche, May 11 mai
11:45 am / 11 h 45
2:15 pm / 14 h 15
Monay / lundi, May 12 mai
10:00 pm / 10 h
1:15 pm / 13 h 15
Video Trailer
Tickets
2023 & 2024 Shows
© Curtis Perry
