2026 Ottawa Bluesfest — Thursday, July 16

Thursday, July 16, 2026 Lineup

Daily lineup at LeBreton Flats. Headliner: Lord Huron on RBC Stage.

RBC Stage

5:45 pm — Koko Love

6:45 pm — Royel Otis

8:15 pm — Lucy Dacus

9:45 pm — Lord Huron 🎤 headliner

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa Stage

6:15 pm — Jamie Webster

Jamie Webster, the folk troubadour from Liverpool, burst onto the scene with his debut album ‘We Get By’ in2020, earning a UK folk chart number one. His music, characterised by hard-hitting storytelling and anthems of unity, has resonated widely, especially during uncertain times. Despite his growing success, Webster remained grounded, using the pandemic period to craft his sophomore album, ‘Moments,’ filled with themes of escapism and self-belief.  Webster's breakthrough single, ‘Weekend In Paradise,’ epitomises his connection with the working class,amassing over 30 million streams on Spotify. However, for Webster, the real validation came from performing live. His post-pandemic headline tour was a triumph, selling out large venues and establishing a deep connection with new audiences across the UK.

The summer of 2022 was a landmark season for Webster, highlighted by a memorableperformance atGlastonbury’s Leftfield stage, personally invited by Billy Bragg. This experience, among others, solidified his place in the music scene and fueled his drive to continue evolving his sound.  Grounded by his roots and supported by his local community, Webster has become an unlikely hero. His sell-out performances at iconic venues, from London’s Shepherd's Bush Empire to Glasgow’s Barrowlands, underscore his widespread appeal. Looking ahead, Webster is preparing for two monumental shows atLiverpool’s Pier Head and working on new material at Rockfield Studios,promising even bigger and bolder sounds.  Webster's latest album, ‘10 For The People,’ released in February 2024, is a testament to his commitment to social commentary and community. Featuring stories of injustice and calls to action, Webster’s music aims to unite and inspire. As he gears up for his largest headline show to date at Sefton Park, Webster continues to embody the spirit of the everyman, championing the causes close to his heart while dreaming big, as shown at this year’s Other Stage at Glastonbury.

7:45 pm — Billy Bragg

In 2023 Billy Bragg is celebrating a remarkable 40 years as Britain’s favourite folk singer, songwriter and campaigner. To mark this significant landmark, he has released an acclaimed career-spanning box set ‘The Roaring Forty’ and has played to sell-out crowds across the world. In November he performed his most famous song ‘A New England’ on Later With Jools Holland almost exactly 40 years to the day that he debuted the song on The Tube (also presented by one Jools Holland!).  Galvanised in the late 70s by The Clash and an aversion to the austere policies of Margaret Thatcher, Billy set out to inspire political engagement and empathy. He has performed numerous benefit shows for the miners, the Labour party, CND, the jobless and many more, and has run the Left Field political stage at Glastonbury for the last 20 years.  Billy has released 11 solo studio albums, three albums of Woody Guthrie lyrics set to contemporary music by Billy and Wilco (the Mermaid Avenue albums) and one album with Joe Henry. He released a mini album Bridges Not Walls in 2017. His latest studio album, the acclaimed ‘The Million Things That Never Happened’ came out in 2021.  Billy Bragg added best-selling author to his CV with the success of his acclaimed 2017 book Roots, Radicals & Rockers – How Skiffle Changed The World. He has written two books of political analysis -  The Progressive Patriot: A Search For Belonging (2006) and The Three Dimensions of Freedom (2019).  Billy won the Outstanding Contribution To British Music Award at the prestigious Ivors Awards in 2018. Born and raised in Barking, East London, Billy has a street named after him in his home town – Bragg Close. This year Billy has been honoured with a pavement plaque on the Camden Music Walk Of Fame (previous recipients include Madness, Amy Winehouse, The Who, David Bowie, and The Kinks).

9:15 pm — Social Distortion 🎤 headliner

Orange County’s Social Distortion returns with its first album in 15 years with Born to Kill. Armed with 11 urgent songs, Mike Ness continues to build on the mystique that Social Distortion is more than just a punk band. Throughout the collection, Ness revisits the sounds of the 1970s, his formative adolescent years. Born to Kill is a continuation of the bar of excellence that Social Distortion and, in turn, Ness has long been praised for.

Born to Kill is a body of work that will live long in the Social Distortion catalog. Songs like the hard-charging title track that serves as the album’s mission statement, along with the riff-laden “Partners in Crime,” the nostalgic “The Way Things Were,” and rollicking “Tonight” are songs that fit in across any of Social Distortion’s various eras. Now nearly five decades into its career and with a remarkable catalog spanning nearly three generations, Social Distortion has no intention of slowing down any time soon.

LeBreton Stage

5:45 pm — Nico Little and The North Americans

7:00 pm — Thee Sinseers

8:15 pm — Dope Lemon 🎤 headliner

Barney Danson Theatre

6:30 pm — Jadea Kelly

8:00 pm — The Pairs

9:30 pm — Thee Sinseers 🎤 headliner

Spin Stage

6:00 pm — DJ Karyen

The Crazy Horse Saloon

5:30 pm — DJ Kwame