NAC Popular Music and Variety

Small stage,
big spotlight

Fourth Stage concerts and events

Pony Girl at the Fourth Stage © Curtis Perry

Join us at the Fourth Stage, the NAC’s home for emerging, inclusive and boundary-pushing artists. This relaxed, casual venue is Ottawa’s top spot to discover artists from across the country, across the globe, and those making waves on the local scene. Grab a drink from the bar, settle into the comfortable atmosphere and enjoy the show!

Upcoming events

  1. Sold Out Video
    Adam Baldwin en noir et blanc, dans un champ. © Adam Baldwin

    With his sophomore full-length, Concertos & Serenades, Adam Baldwin - born and raised “inside these imaginary lines” that denote Nova Scotia - offers an east coast testimony that challenges the typical tourism marketing gloss. Through eight masterful…

  2. Named for her native country, Bermuda grew up in Ireland and is now based in Sherbrooke. She is a graduate of the École nationale de la chanson (Granby, QC) and appears regularly in performance and at major voice competitions.  Bermuda delivers a mix…

  3. Get ready for an unforgettable evening of music as The Ottawa Jazz Festival and The National Arts Centre present: The Flat Earth Society Orchestra! Whether you're a jazz aficionado or just looking for a fun night out, this performance is sure to have you swaying…

  4. Catrin Finch and Aoife Ní Bhriain are bringing their album Double You to the NAC stage. Dublin native Aoife Ní Bhriain is one of her generation's most versatile and gifted violinists, a dazzling musician who commands both the classical world and her…

  5. BAIE is an Acadian pop and disco band renowned for their colorful stage performances. The group is made up of 3 members: Chloé Breault (bass and vocals), Matt Boudreau (keyboards, guitars and vocals) and Marc-André Boudreau (electric guitar and vocals),…

  6. Dennis Ellsworth is a songwriter, performer, sideman, and record producer from Charlottetown, PE, Canada. And in a few months, he will be making his way to the NAC! Over the years he has collaborated with Josh Finlayson and Andy Maize from Skydiggers, Gord Downie from…

  7. Joe Grass has dedicated most of his (relatively short) life to exploring sounds and songs. Since moving to Montréal from Moncton, he has become one of the city’s most sought-after musical partners. He has performed with Lhasa, the Barr Brothers, and…

  8. Carlos Alberto Santana is an active Latin Jazz pianist and composer in the National Capital Region. Carlos Alberto, originally from Mexico City, has led several musical projects for more than 20 years in Canada by promoting original works. In 2015, "Oye Latino" album…

  9. Janette King is a Caribbean-Canadian alternative RnB artist whose debut LP What We Lost landed her acclaim in, among others, Complex & Hypebeast as well as performance opportunities which include Montreal Jazz Fest, Ottawa Blues Fest, Noise Pop and support slots…

  10. Join the Primary Colours trio for an intimate night of jazz, discover the unexpected with their mixture of head-nodding grooves, soulful melodies, improvisation and virtuosity. Opening for the Primary Colours will be the legendary Cuban pianist Miguel De Armas alongside…

  11. Prepare for a captivating musical journey with One Guitar Woman, Sue Foley’s new solo acoustic tribute to female pioneers of guitar. Foley’s much-anticipated album on Stony Plain Records was released on March 29, 2024, and she’s bringing it to the NAC. …

  12. Feu de garde is not about devastation. Carefully tended by the bibis, the flames bring light, comfort, life. The embers transmit energy, and their warmth protects us against frostbite as a harsh winter finally comes to an end. Deep in the forest, near a river or beneath…

  13. The Ottawa Jazz Orchestra turns up the heat with a tribute to the great Harry James performed by an 18-piece big band featuring trumpeter Ed Lister and vocalist Diane Nalini. They’ll perform some of the popular tunes made famous by Harry…

  14. *This show has sold out for 9 seasons in a row so purchasing advanced tickets is highly recommended* Boasting dozens of appearances on TV, radio and comedy festivals worldwide (and one working laptop between them), Toronto’s best standup comedians bring their A…

  15. Take a jazz journey to foreign lands and fantastical places with a sextet from the Ottawa Jazz Orchestra as your global guides. In this programme they will explore some of the grooviest, evocative, and ethnically-inspired tunes from the jazz melting pot with contributions…

  16. Immerse yourself in the world of Ponteix, Mario Lepage's psychedelic-pop project. Le Canadien errant chronicles the experience of a minority Francophone settling in the heart of a major French-speaking city, and showcases Francophone cultures outside Quebec,…

  17. Mayday is the third LP by Montreal-based artist, Myriam Gendron, and she will be performing it at the NAC. It follows her earlier, critically acclaimed albums, Not So Deep As A Well (2014) and Ma délire – Songs of love, lost & found (2021). Prior to…

  18. Since the June 2024 release of his latest album, L’Osstidtour, D-Track has been preparing a unique new show that he’ll be performing across Quebec—and at the NAC, of course!  Known first and foremost for his writing, his authenticity, and…

  19. Duke Ellington’s landmark symphonic jazz composition, Black, Brown and Beige is perhaps the most significant work in the jazz repertory. Composed as a musical parallel to the history of the Negro in America, it tells the history of African Americans through…

  20. Pianist Tadd Dameron was one of the most influential and innovative composers in jazz during the swing and bebop eras. Although he wrote music for many other bands including those led by Count Basie, Artie Shaw, and Dizzy Gillespie, it is the magical music…

  21. Safia Nolin’s powerful political voice makes her a standout figure in today’s arts scene, with a career that explores identity, difference and life in the margins. As a racialized woman and a lesbian who takes an out-of-the-box approach to her art form, she…

  22. The Ottawa Jazz Orchestra concludes a smashing season with a show of musical mirth and mayhem featuring pianist Mike Manny and guitarist Magnus Paulson. These two giants of the Ottawa jazz scene have, incredibly, never performed together before. This makes…

  23. *This show has sold out for 9 seasons in a row so purchasing advanced tickets is highly recommended* Boasting dozens of appearances on TV, radio and comedy festivals worldwide (and one working laptop between them), Toronto’s best standup comedians bring their A…

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