Getting Here

The festival takes over Sparks Street, the pedestrian mall in the heart of downtown Ottawa, running between Elgin Street and Kent Street — one block south of Wellington and the Parliament precinct. The new World Exchange Plaza stage sits just south of the mall, at Queen and Albert at Metcalfe.

The mall is car-free, so transit drops you almost on top of it.

  • O-Train Line 1 — Parliament station comes up on Queen Street, in the middle of the festival and a short walk from every stage including World Exchange Plaza. Lyon station, at the Queen and Lyon end, is a few steps from the west end of the mall. Both are underground, with elevators between the platform and street level — check OC Transpo for live elevator status before you travel.
  • Bus — many OC Transpo routes serve the downtown core along Albert and Slater Streets, a couple of blocks south of the mall.
  • Plan a trip at octranspo.com.

By bike

Sparks Street is bike-friendly and connects to the downtown cycling network. There is bike parking around the downtown core — please walk your bike on the mall itself during the festival, as the crowd forms circles around the acts.

By car

Several downtown parking garages are within a few minutes’ walk, including the one at World Exchange Plaza, plus others in the surrounding blocks. Street parking downtown is metered and limited, and the mall itself is closed to traffic — transit is genuinely easier on a festival weekend.

Rates and accessible-parking spaces vary by operator; check signage or the operator’s website before you park.

Site map

The festival site map shows where the stages sit along the mall — Canada, hello Downtown and Hot 89.9 between Kent and Metcalfe, the Circus Factory workshop site at the Elgin end, and World Exchange Plaza off Queen.

2026 festival site map of Sparks Street between Kent and Elgin, showing the Canada, Hello Downtown, Hot 89.9 and Circus Factory sites, plus the World Exchange Plaza stage south of Queen Street.
Where the stages sit along Sparks Street — Canada, hello Downtown and Hot 89.9 between Kent and Metcalfe, Circus Factory's workshop site at the Elgin end, and the new World Exchange Plaza stage off Queen.