Ottawa Bluesfest has shuffled its lineup, moving the Quebec duo Angine de Poitrine to the RBC Main stage on July 17, where they will join headliners Ella Langley and Sheryl Crow. The change comes after the band's meteoric rise, including a record-breaking crowd at the Montreal Jazz Festival.
Viral success prompts stage upgrade
Bluesfest director Mark Monahan said the decision was driven by the duo's explosive popularity. “Obviously the problem is that when people buy tickets to one day, we don’t know exactly who they’re coming to see,” Monahan said in an interview. “But the popularity of Angine de Poitrine is phenomenal, and we are trying to avoid a situation where people buy a ticket and can’t see them because the stage is too small.”
Originally scheduled for the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Ottawa Stage, the band was moved to the main stage to accommodate larger crowds. Angine de Poitrine had been booked in the middle slot before Death From Above 1979, but their recent viral performance video—featuring their signature polka-dot costumes and prog-rock style—catapulted them to fame.
Record-breaking Montreal Jazz Festival show
The duo's free performance at the 2026 Montreal Jazz Festival on June 27 drew such a massive audience that organizers closed the site more than an hour before showtime, declaring it full. It was reported to be the festival's biggest crowd since Stevie Wonder in 2009. The Quebec musicians, known for performing in oversized papier-mâché masks and polka-dot costumes, have kept their real identities secret since forming.
Angine de Poitrine also sold out a string of Quebec club dates, including a stop at Gatineau's Bar Minotaur on April 26. “The fever shows no signs of letting up,” Monahan noted.
Bluesfest ticket sales surge
July 17 is not the only night driving strong sales. Monahan said Cody Johnson on opening night, Limp Bizkit on July 10, and the Lumineers on July 12 are also selling well. Several shows are on track to sell out in advance, with nightly attendance estimated at 30,000 to 35,000.
To accommodate the expected crowds, the festival site has been reconfigured. Food vendors have been relocated to the overflow area on Kichi Zībī Mīkan, moving them out of the main concert bowl. “We want to maximize the experience for everybody,” Monahan said, “and it didn’t really make sense to have them in the prominent spot they were, right when you come in the gates.”
Bluesfest runs over two extended weekends from July 9 to 19 at LeBreton Flats Park on the grounds of the Canadian War Museum.
