A power outage in Ottawa’s west Centretown area cast a shadow over Bluesfest at LeBreton Flats Park, including the Canadian War Museum, lasting approximately three hours on Sunday evening.
The outage struck just before 6 p.m., plunging most of the festival site into darkness. Despite the setback, quick action saw generators swiftly deployed, ensuring that performances continued at the main stage. The opening act, Ottawa hip hop collective Training Season, kicked off the evening’s entertainment without delay.
Scheduled headliner, rapper Nas, was set to take the main stage at 9:30 p.m., with preparations proceeding amid the outage.
Efforts were made to distribute generators to other stages, allowing most scheduled shows to proceed as planned. However, shows at the museum’s Barney Danson Theatre were briefly paused around 8 p.m. due to the outage.
The situation remained tense until around 8:45 p.m., when power was successfully restored, much to the relief of festival organizers and attendees alike.
Earlier in the evening, young musicians participating in the Blues in the Schools and Be In The Band programs awaited their performances at the SiriusXM stage, dedicated to showcasing their talents. Despite the outage, the event continued after a generator was deployed to ensure uninterrupted festivities.
Hydro Ottawa’s online outage map indicated that the outage affected 846 customers in the Lett Street, Bay Street, and Holland Avenue area, with the cause under investigation as of the initial advisory.
The incident, while disruptive, highlighted the resilience of the Bluesfest community and the effective response of organizers in ensuring minimal disruption to the festival’s final night.
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