TLDR: YOWFEST Ottawa 2025 is bringing two epic days of music to Lansdowne Park, with Canadian stars and international headliners like NorthsideBenji and Kranium.
The nation’s capital is about to get loud. YOWFEST Ottawa 2025, a brand-new two-day music festival, is turning Lansdowne Park into a sonic playground on August 28 and 29, and it’s not pulling any punches. Divided into two curated experiences—Urban English Day and International Day—the event is shaping up to be a huge initiative for the city.
Presented by ALLCAPYOW and Set-A-Card Entertainment, YOWFEST is built like a love letter to Ottawa’s underdog energy and Canada’s richly diverse music scenes. Day 1—Urban English Day—spotlights Canadian heat: Toronto’s poetic prodigy NorthSideBenji, viral phenom Bankrol Hayden, 3MFrench, SwaVy, and Ottawa’s own rising voice, Xav Trudeau (yes, son of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau). It’s a melting pot of regional sounds and street-certified bars.
But Day 2 is where things go fully global. Headlined by dancehall king Kranium, International Day promises pulse-racing sets from Afro-R&B standout Nonso Amadi, French drill star Youka, and Montreal’s bilingual rap force Shreez. It’s international flair meets Canadian grind, and the lineup just keeps stacking: budding star Taz Bentii, Duava, Friyie, Klausy Baybee, and more will all grace the stage.
“Ottawa continues to evolve year after year, and YOWFEST 2025 is a reflection of that growth,” said Nathan “Thrilla” Gravelle, owner of one of the festival’s sponsors, CapitalCityHipHop.
“Bringing together international, Canadian, and local Ottawa talent on one stage sends a strong message about where the city is headed. At CapitalCityHipHop, we’re proud to support platforms that build with purpose and shine a light on the culture coming out of the capital.”
YOWFEST 2025 Tickets
Tickets for YOWFEST are already moving fast. One-day passes start at $65, with weekend options available at $115 via yowfestival.com. Gates open at 4 p.m. and performances kick off by 5. Expect food trucks, fashion vendors, giveaways, and maybe even a few surprise guests.
ALLCAPYOW, the Ottawa-based engine behind YOWFEST, has been helping reshape the city’s hip-hop narrative since 2019, and this festival is its biggest statement yet. If the capital ever needed proof it could hang with Canada’s cultural powerhouses, YOWFEST 2025 might just be it.
