National Arts Centre

About the National Arts Centre

The National Arts Centre (NAC) — known in French as the Centre National des Arts (CNA) — is Canada's foremost performing arts centre, located on Confederation Square between Elgin Street and the Rideau Canal. Opened on May 31, 1969, and designated a National Historic Site in 2006, the NAC in Ottawa hosts theatre, dance, music, and variety programming in English, French, and Indigenous languages.

The building was designed by architect Fred Lebensold in the Brutalist style — poured reinforced concrete with Laurentian granite aggregate, featuring a distinctive hexagonal motif. A $225-million rejuvenation by Diamond Schmitt Architects, completed in 2017, added three glass-walled public wings including the iconic Kipnes Lantern — a three-storey hexagonal glass tower featuring the largest transparent LED screen in North America.

Performance Venues

NAC Orchestra

The National Arts Centre Orchestra (NACO) is one of Canada's leading orchestras. John Storgards is the incoming Music Director.

NAC Box Office & Tickets

The NAC box office sells tickets for all NAC events — NAC Orchestra concerts, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, Dance, and visiting tours. You can buy in person at the Elgin Street entrance, by phone at 1-844-985-ARTS (2787), or online at nac-cna.ca. Browse upcoming NAC events through the venue's discover calendar; ticket holds, exchanges, and accessibility seating requests are also handled by the NAC box.

Box office hours: Tuesday–Friday 12:30 PM–5 PM, Saturday 1 PM–7:30 PM. The box opens 90 minutes before a performance on show days.

Dining

1 Elgin is the NAC's restaurant, offering Canadian contemporary cuisine with local and seasonal ingredients. The restaurant overlooks the Rideau Canal and features a seasonal patio. Pre-theatre dining is popular — reservations strongly encouraged ([email protected]).

Parking

The NAC has an underground parking garage accessible from the Elgin/Slater entrance (open 24/7):

• $3/half hour. After 4 PM: $12 max. Weekends: $12 max
• EV charging available on Level 3
• Clearance: 6'4" (193 cm)

Getting There

• By O-Train: Rideau Station (~550m, 7-min walk) or Parliament Station (~650m, 8-min walk) on Line 1
• By Bus: Multiple OC Transpo routes on Elgin, Slater, and Albert streets
• By Car: Underground parking via Elgin/Slater entrance
• By Bike: On the Rideau Canal multi-use pathway (Capital Pathway)
• Box Office Phone: 1-844-985-ARTS (2787)