May 2026 Events (623 events)
Browse festivals, concerts, cultural events, sports, and more in Ottawa during May 2026.
Bilingual Family Storytime - Contes en famille bilingue
Stories, rhymes and songs for children of all ages and a parent or caregiver. Drop-in program.Contes, comptines et chan…
Satuday Family Storytime | Contes en famille le samedi
Stories, rhymes, and songs for children of all ages and a parent or caregiver. Join us after the stories for a simple cr…
Stay ‘n’ Play | Jouons à la biblio
Join us in our children's area to play and chat! There will be self-directed activities and toys for parents/caregivers…
EXPERIMENTAL AMBIENT NIGHT with ARDEA and PARTYGIRL
Doors at 5:30PM, Show at 6PM Tickets: CAD $12 on Sairyo.
Babytime | Bébés à la biblio
Stories, rhymes and songs for babies 0 -18 months and a parent or caregiver. Feel free to stay after the program to play…
Teen Zine Workshop | Atelier de zines pour ados
A zine is a small, self-published booklet filled with whatever you want to share with the world.Learn to design, make, a…
Main English Book Club
Join us at the Main Branch for a monthly book club session! Sessions take place mid-month at 6:30 p.m in room B125. Book…
The Reverb Syndicate presents “Twenty Years of Tuesdays” 20t…
Presented by The Reverb Syndicate
An Evening with Fran Lebowitz
Fran Lebowitz comes to Southam Hall for an evening of sharp social commentary, humour, and conversation.
Les lundis des tout-petits: French story time with Luana
Join us on Mondays for story time with Luana. Delight in tales that will sweep you away on journeys through magical worl…
Bilingual Family Storytime / Contes en famille bilingue
Stories, rhymes and songs for children of all ages and a parent or caregiver. Followed by 30 minutes of "stay and play"…
Youth Creative Writing Group
Come meet fellow writers and flex your creativity in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Monthly writing prompts will be…
Ariel Posen - The Bannatyne Tour
Presented by spectrasonic with the support of Ontario Creates, SAW and Collective Arts
Saturday bilingual Family Storytime and Stay ‘n’ Play / He…
Stories, rhymes and songs for children of all ages and a parent or caregiver. Followed by 30 minutes of "stay and play"…
Stories Start Here: a free workshop for Beginners
The Ottawa StoryTellers is hosting a free beginner workshop for anyone interested in exploring the art of storytelling.…
Royal Tusk
Presented by spectrasonic with the support of Ontario Creates, SAW and Collective Arts
Adult Craft Night: Pressed Flower Bookmarks
Join us for a fun evening of crafting! We will be making pressed flower bookmarks with real dried flowers. Each piece wi…
Armchair travel: Newfoundland
Photos and narration from multiple car trips around this wonderful province. Sights from north, south, east and west coa…
Get The Shot
Presented by spectrasonic with the support of Ontario Creates, SAW and Collective Arts
Family Crafternoon
Join us for an afternoon of crafting fun! We will be making seasonally themed crafts. All materials will be provided.W…
Cat Clyde
Presented by spectrasonic with the support of Ontario Creates, SAW and Collective Arts
Les lundis des tout-petits: French story time with Luana
Join us on Mondays for story time with Luana. Delight in tales that will sweep you away on journeys through magical worl…
Powwow Workout with Amanda Fox
Amanda Fox leads a 45-minute powwow-inspired workout blending dance, music, movement, and cultural learning at the NAC.
Creation Station | Station de création
Come craft and create at the library! A variety of craft supplies will be available and ideas will be provided, but feel…
Menstrual Health Day
Join us at the National Arts Centre to mark Menstrual Health Day, a global movement dedicated to breaking taboos, raisin…
The Sunnyside Adult Book Club
Join in stimulating discussions on selected titles in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere on the last Friday of the month.
Lego Party/Fête en blocs
Create and build with Lego®! Drop-in. For ages 6-12. Last Friday of every month. 3:30pm – 5pm. Architectes en herbe,…
Royal Oak Trivia
Think you’ve got what it takes to be trivia champ? Join us for Trivia Nights at the pub! Bring your friends, grab a drin…
EEPMON
Come to the Jackson Café to discover two large murals, featuring the digital artwork of Eric Chan (aka eepmon)! In Futur…
Visions and Views
The Firestone Collection of Canadian Art is a significant art collection that spans the modern period and includes work…
Chaos Bloom – Tidal Wave
In the digital realm, EEPMON merges code and creativity, crafting intricate compositions exploring the micro and macro.…
Qikiqtait ᕿᑭᖅᑕᐃᑦ
The Qikiqtait exhibition in the Polar Knowledge Canada Northern Voices Gallery celebrates Inuit knowledge and innovation…
Toddler Tuesdays at National Arts Centre
Interactive performing arts program for children aged 18 months - 5 years. Singing, dancing, games, story time and creat…
Sylvia Safdie: TERRA
Sylvia Safdie: TERRA examines the decades-long career of Montreal-based artist Sylvia Safdie through a selection of her…
Life onto Land: The Devonian
Find out how life took its first steps onto land. Discover Tiktaalik, an iconic fossil that helps us understand how fins…
Digital Worlds: The Generative Art of EEPMON | EEPMON展：デジタルア…
EEPMON makes generative artworks—pieces produced through computer programs that introduce chance, iteration, and interac…
Threshold
Created by Ottawa-based artist Jennifer Macklem with studio assistance from Faezeh Maleki, these three large dragonfly w…
Diatom Rose Window
In this work, Ottawa-based artist Jennifer Macklem draws inspiration from an enlarged image of a diatom – microscopic je…
Women Carvers on the Northwest Coast
Organized by the Audain Art Museum, Women Carvers on the Northwest Coast sheds light on and celebrates women's contribut…
What’s in a Frame? 200+ Years of Community Portraits
Our upcoming temporary exhibition, What’s in a Frame? 200+ Years of Community Portraits, officially launches on May 15th…
Flightpaths: Initiations
This interactive artwork encourages visitors to handle, move, and stack magnetic shapes – moths, butterflies and childre…
becoming|un|becoming: deepening relations
The artworks by Leah Decter, a white settler artist and scholar, offer an opportunity to reflect on repair and care of r…
Contact Zones: Gerald McMaster and the Reshaping of Canadian…
An accomplished artist, author, curator and educator, Gerald McMaster has had a profound impact on how contemporary Indi…
Sàgàbigonì
This banner combines detailed images from artist Stephanie Tenasco’s beaded deer hide work Kìwàbandamogoban “he/she had…
SoulRhythms
A bilingual Afro-Caribbean movement and dance class at the NAC led by Cultural Arts Studio facilitator Suzan Richards.
The Creativity of Plants
The Forget For A Moment Foundation and the Ottawa Art Gallery are proud to present and invite you to visit The Creativit…
Diego Rivera Meets Henry Moore
Diego Rivera Meets Henry Moore pairs an international loan with a work from the Gallery’s collection to tell new stories…
Intertwined
In a time marked by our increasingly complex relationship to the natural world, Intertwined brings together artists for…
Frame of Mind: 10 Years of Creative Space
Celebrating its 10th year and 9th exhibition, Creative Space is an ongoing program and part of a well-established partne…
Morning Babytime
Stories, rhymes and songs for babies and a parent or caregiver. 0-18 months.
Babytime / Bébés à la biblio
Stories, rhymes and songs for babies and a parent or caregiver, followed by Stay and Play. 0-18 months. Contes, comptin…
Metcalfe Book Club
Meet your neighbours and discuss great books in a relaxed atmosphere. All are welcome!Drop-in every last Thursday of the…
Groupe de conversation en français- Jeudi soir
Profitez de notre groupe de conversation afin d'améliorer vos habiletés en français l'oral. Join our free French Conve…
confinement (2024-2025)
This exhibition explores the artist’s experience under the shadows of the pandemic. During her almost daily walks, Roxan…
Rideau Friday English Conversation Group
Do you already have some basic English language skills, and are you looking for a casual, friendly environment where you…
Groupe de conversation en français | French conversation gro…
Rejoignez notre groupe de conversation pour pratiquer le français dans une atmosphère détendue.Join our French conversat…
Beaded Vamp and Moccasin Workshop: with Colleen Nolan
The Vamp and Moccasin Workshop with Colleen Nolan offers a unique opportunity for individuals to learn the art of crafti…
Groupe de conversation en français- Mercredi matin
Profitez de notre groupe de conversation afin d'améliorer vos habiletés en français l'oral. Join our free French Conve…
Memory Café
An open house for persons with dementia, their care partners and families. Fun and stimulating mental activities are pla…
Vernon Book Club
Everyone is welcome to join Vernon’s book club!Visit with your friends and neighbours to discuss great books.First Thurs…
French Conversation-Intermediate, Groupe de conversation- ni…
Améliorez votre français parlé et rencontrez des gens dans une ambiance décontractée et conviviale. Niveau intermédiaire…
Helen McNicoll: An Impressionist Journey
Helen McNicoll: An Impressionist Journey invites audiences to rediscover the career of a pioneering Canadian artist, who…
The Sunnyside 2nd Friday Book Club
Meet new people and join in discussions on selected titles in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere every second Friday of t…
Canada at War Against Japan, 1941–1945
Marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, this exhibition explores different aspects of Canada’s…
Canada’s Unknown Soldier
Discover the history behind one of Canada’s most powerful symbols of remembrance. Marking 25 years since the repatriatio…
Portraits – Stories of Black Canadian Military Service
Recognizing a proud tradition through compelling accounts of service and sacrifice. Black Canadians have had an enduring…
Winners of the National Youth Remembrance Contests 2025
Each year, students across the country submit artwork, poetry, essays and videos to the National Youth Remembrance Conte…
Collage Club
Come join us for a fun collage session! Explore your creative side and piece together something beautiful. Collages make…
Wild Colour
Through nearly 200 specimens, audio stories, and immersive colour zones, Wild Colour reveals how living things use colou…
The Sunnyside Mystery Book Club
Do you enjoy reading mysteries? Share the enjoyment of good mysteries in a relaxed atmosphere. Join us for discussion us…
Teen Book Club
Calling all bookworms! Come meet new friends and expand your literary horizons at the Sunnyside Teen Book Club. We meet…
Close to Conflict – Canada and the American Civil War
Explore the ways that the American Civil War (1861-1865) shaped Canadian society, politics and military - and why its le…