Friday, October 16 to Sunday, October 18, 2026
Fall is settling in, and Ottawa is answering with a weekend that leans heavy on music and spectacle. From Friday, October 16 to Sunday, October 18, 2026, the city packs in 12 dated outings, and the lineup is the kind that makes you open your calendar fast. Candlelight: Coldplay & Imagine Dragons turns First Baptist Church into a glowing concert hall, Cirque du Soleil's Luzia brings its surreal acrobatics to St. Laurent Shopping Centre, and Forge FC takes on Atletico Ottawa at TD Place for anyone craving some Saturday night energy in the stands. Add a dinner theatre classic and a couple of history stops, and you get a weekend that mixes culture, sport and a bit of spectacle without ever feeling thin on options.
If you prefer to skip the schedule altogether, Ottawa's anytime activities, including ghost-story walks and themed dinners downtown, let you build your own itinerary on your own clock. Either way, this is a solid stretch for things to do in Ottawa, the kind of weekend where shows and plans come easy. Scroll down, pick your favorites, and book before your weekend fills up on its own.
First Baptist Church Ottawa · Ottawa, ON
Candlelight concert at The Gladstone Theatre on Gladstone Avenue in Ottawa, devoted to Coldplay and Imagine Dragons. A string quartet performs Yellow, Viva la Vida, Believer, Radioactive and other staples, in a hall lit…
First Baptist Church Ottawa · Ottawa, ON
Candlelight concert by candlelight at Ottawa's First Baptist Church, devoted to the best of Joe Hisaishi, composer for Studio Ghibli films (My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away). A string quartet performs his most beloved…
Oh Canada Eh? Dinner Theatre · Ottawa, ON
Canada's longest-running dinner musical, staged in a log-cabin-style room at 330 Kent Street in Ottawa. A 2-hour family-friendly show with 70+ songs by Canadian artists (Paul Anka, Celine Dion, Shania Twain, Avril…
St. Laurent Shopping Centre · Ottawa, ON
A performance of LUZIA, the Cirque du Soleil circus production playing under the big top at the St. Laurent Shopping Centre in Ottawa. The show travels through an imagined Mexico and marks the Montreal company's first…
The Arena at TD Place · Ottawa, ON
Atlético Ottawa host Forge FC at TD Place on October 17, 2026, for a Canadian Premier League (CPL) fixture. Two of the league's strongest sides meet late in the season, in a setting that often carries real standings…
The Arena at TD Place · Ottawa, ON
Ottawa Rapid FC take on Vancouver Rise FC at TD Place in a Northern Super League fixture, Canada's professional women's soccer league. Vancouver knocked Ottawa out in the semifinals of the league's inaugural season…
2 Rideau St · Ottawa, ON
One-hour guided tour aboard the Lady Dive amphibus, departing from 2 Rideau Street in Ottawa. The vehicle rolls through the heart of the capital, then splashes into the Ottawa River for the water portion. More than 75…
Canadian War Museum · Ottawa, ON
Admission to the Canadian War Museum at 1 Vimy Place, Ottawa. Canada's national military history museum spans the colonial era to modern peacekeeping: the two World Wars, Korea, armoured vehicles, military art and…
65 Sparks St. · Ottawa, ON
A two-hour guided city bike tour of Ottawa, leaving from Sparks Street downtown. The route covers the headline stops: Parliament Hill, the Rideau Canal, ByWard Market, embassy row and lookouts on the Ottawa River. Bike,…
Canadian War Museum · Ottawa, ON
Skip-the-line entry to the Canadian War Museum at Vimy Place in Ottawa. Canada's national museum of military history traces the country's conflicts from early wars to present-day missions, through galleries, artifacts…
Gray Line Ottawa Meeting Point · Ottawa, ON
Explore Ottawa from an open-top double-decker bus, with unlimited hop-on hop-off access at the capital's main stops. Smartphone audio guide available in 8 languages. A flexible way to combine Parliament Hill, the ByWard…
2 Rideau St · Ottawa, ON
A self-guided bike rental to discover Ottawa on your own terms, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. You map your own route along the canals, riverside paths and landmarks of the nation's capital. A good fit for combining an easy ride…
GG35+MG Ottawa · Ottawa, ON
If you love nature, wildlife and turtles most of all, this outing is made for you. Grandmaître Ecological Reserve is quite simply a remarkable place to paddle, so exceptional are the peace and tranquility that reign…
46 Sparks St. · Ottawa, ON
The Ghosts of Christmas Past are calling! Step into the shadows of the festive season, where lantern light flickers, snow falls softly and stories linger through the long nights. From chilling winter folklore to ghostly…
Ottawa Sign, ByWard Market · Ottawa, ON
The best restaurants of the ByWard! Let our guide take you on a culinary adventure through some of the finest tables in Ottawa's most historic and most visited neighbourhood: the ByWard Market! This restaurant crawl…
957V+VM Ottawa · Ottawa, ON
Explore the rich history and breathtaking scenery of Ottawa from the water on this captivating rafting outing. For 2.5 hours, you glide along the majestic Ottawa River, tasting the thrill of rafting while passing iconic…
Fairmont Château Laurier · Ottawa, ON
If a trip to Ottawa is on your horizon and you want to come home with a truly memorable keepsake, our Flying Dress photoshoot is likely to become the experience that stays with you. Picture yourself spinning in the…
35 George St · Ottawa, ON
Discover the sights and flavours of the ByWard Market, one of our most sought-after walking tours. When British Colonel John By was tasked with building the Rideau Canal, his mission also took in the planning of the…
