We’re bringing Motel Chelsea’s LOVE TO FOLK Prime series of Big Acts, Up Close to other venues in your neighbourhood. The same quality you’ve come to expect of legendary acts in an intimate setting, but now in venues taylored to the band. Our first curated experience kicks off with a beloved group, The Barra MacNeils in the perfect setting St. Brigid’s Centre for the Arts home of the National Irish Canadian Cultural Centre in downtown Ottawa. Tickets go on sale to the public

Last Thursday of Every Month | FREE ENTRY | Sign up at 7:00PM - Music starts at 7:30 Join us for a magical evening of music, community, and creativity at Motel Chelsea’s Open Stage, happening on the last Thursday of every month. Whether you're a seasoned performer or just want to enjoy great local talent, you're welcome here. All talent is welcome — singer-songwriters, instrumentalists, poets, cover artists, and everything in between. Bring your songs, your stories, and your

Get ready for a powerhouse night of comedy hosted by Ottawa favorite Jordan Angus, featuring award-winning comic Bobby Knauff, and headlined by viral sensation and Top 10 Funniest Canadian Rory Gardiner. Purchase advanced tickets on SHOWPASS  HERE  ($25 plus tax and fees) OR at the door while quantities last ($30 plus tax) Dinner is available with our kitchen open until 9pm. Reservations are strongly suggested—make yours HERE . We are an intimate 85-seat venue, so every seat

J.P. Cormier is a powerhouse Canadian bluegrass, folk, and Celtic artist—an award-winning multi-instrumentalist and electrifying entertainer whose jaw-dropping musicianship, masterful storytelling, and genre-defying performances leave audiences amazed and asking how one person can do it all. Purchase advanced tickets on SHOWPASS  HERE  ($40 plus tax and fees) OR at the door while quantities last ($45 plus tax) For Sunday shows the kitchen will be open until final call - at th

Join us at Motel Chelsea for an unforgettable night of luminous indie-folk as 3-time Juno nominee Suzie Ungerleider (formerly Oh Susanna) takes the stage with special guest Darren Roy Clarke, bringing heartfelt songs, vivid storytelling, and award-winning artistry to life. Purchase advanced tickets on SHOWPASS HERE  ($30 plus tax and fees) OR at the door while quantities last ($40 plus tax) Dinner is available with our kitchen open until 9pm. Reservations are strongly suggest

With boot-stomping energy, soaring harmonies, and a country-rock edge, Union Duke returns to the road in 2025 with their fourth album—produced by Aaron Goldstein and loaded with the heart, grit, and charm that made them a beloved force in Canadian roots music. Purchase Advanced tickets on SHOWPASS   HERE  ($25 plus tax and fees) OR at the Door while quantities last ($30 plus tax) Dinner is available with our kitchen open until 9pm. Reservations are strongly suggested—make you

Award-winning kora player and singer-songwriter Sophie Lukacs brings her spellbinding blend of Mandingue tradition, Hungarian folk, and contemporary songwriting in four languages to Motel Chelsea for an intimate, immersive performance with her acclaimed trio. Purchase advanced tickets on SHOWPASS   HERE  ($25 plus tax and fees) OR at the door while quantities last ($30 plus tax) Dinner is available with our kitchen open until 9pm. Reservations are strongly suggested—make your

Wakefield Writers Festival des Écrivains and Motel Chelsea present: An Afternoon with Gillian Deacon: A Love Affair with the Unknown ~ Leaning Into the Uncertainty of Modern Life Purchase Advance Tickets HERE ($18). Brunch & lunch from 8:00 AM to 2:30 PM. What if uncertainty isn’t something to fear… but something to fall in love with? Join us for An Afternoon with Gillian Deacon, celebrating the launch of her brand-new book A Love Affair with the Unknown: Leaning Into the Un

Live & Local  is a free, community-centered music series celebrating the artists who live and create right here at home, with select Thursday evenings hosted by a different local musician bringing their own sound, collaborators, and creative vision to the stage. Each night features a full set from the host followed by an open, collaborative jam—no two nights the same, always free, always local, always live. This is a pass-the-hat  event—please help support and show your appre

Born into a musical legacy but blazing his own trail, Sam Polley leads The Old Tomorrows with a vibrant blend of rockabilly, country twang, and Motown swing—captivating crowds from sold-out Toronto beginnings to coast-to-coast tours, a dynamic debut album, and a sound guaranteed to get you up and dancing. Purchase advanced tickets on SHOWPASS  HERE   ($30 plus tax and fees) OR at the door while quantities last ($35 plus tax) Dinner is available with our kitchen open until 9pm

Live & Local  is a free, community-centered music series celebrating the artists who live and create right here at home, with select Thursday evenings hosted by a different local musician bringing their own sound, collaborators, and creative vision to the stage. Each night features a full set from the host followed by an open, collaborative jam—no two nights the same, always free, always local, always live. This is a pass-the-hat  event—please help support and show your appre

Experience The Artichoke Hearts’ sweeping indie folk-pop—layered harmonies, lush instrumentation, and raw emotional depth—live at Motel Chelsea for their 2nd annual Valentine’s Day show, joined by special guest Annie Martel, whose unforgettable “sad-lady folk” turns heartbreak into something beautifully human. Purchase advanced tickets on SHOWPASS   HERE  ($25 plus tax and fees) OR at the door while quantities last ($30 plus tax) Dinner is available with our kitchen open unti

With Healing Power , Terra Lightfoot unleashes a career-defining, critically lauded pop-rock tour de force that spotlights her exceptional songwriting, powerhouse vocals, and electrifying trio chemistry—cementing the JUNO-nominated, globally toured artist as one of today’s most charismatic and compelling rockers. Purchase Advanced tickets on SHOWPASS   HERE  ($40 plus tax and fees) OR at the Door while quantities last ($45 plus tax) Dinner is available with our kitchen open u

Irish Mythen (they/them) is a globally acclaimed, JUNO-nominated artist whose raw vocal power and magnetic live performances—from Glastonbury to the Sydney Opera House—have captivated audiences worldwide, with a new album set to further their celebrated, award-winning legacy in Spring 2026. Purchase advanced tickets on SHOWPASS  HERE   ($40 plus tax and fees) OR at the door while quantities last ($45 plus tax) Dinner is available with our kitchen open until 9pm. Reservations

Last Thursday of Every Month | FREE ENTRY | Sign up at 7:00PM - Music starts at 7:30 Join us for a magical evening of music, community, and creativity at Motel Chelsea’s Open Stage, happening on the last Thursday of every month. Whether you're a seasoned performer or just want to enjoy great local talent, you're welcome here. All talent is welcome — singer-songwriters, instrumentalists, poets, cover artists, and everything in between. Bring your songs, your stories, and your

For over three decades, The Grievous Angels have delivered gritty, politically charged Canadian roots music—led by Charlie Angus’s blue-collar songwriting, fueled by a powerful six-piece band, and captured on their 10th album Revolution , a soundtrack of resistance for uncertain times. Purchase advance tickets on SHOWPASS  HERE  ($30 plus tax and fees) OR at the door while quantities last ($35 plus tax) For Sunday shows the kitchen will be open until the end of the show inter

Motel Chelsea’s   LOVE TO FOLK Prime  presents a special performance by  The Barra MacNeils , one of Canada’s most respected Celtic folk bands with a long and celebrated career. Wednesday | March 4 | 7:30 PM  @ St. Brigid’s Centre for the Arts 310 St. Patrick Street, Ottawa Building on Motel Chelsea’s own  LOVE TO FOLK  live music series,  LOVE TO FOLK Prime  brings world-class Canadian and international artists into intimate settings like  Motel Chelsea  and beyond! Bringing

Live & Local  is a free, community-centered music series celebrating the artists who live and create right here at home, with select Thursday evenings hosted by a different local musician bringing their own sound, collaborators, and creative vision to the stage. Each night features a full set from the host followed by an open, collaborative jam—no two nights the same, always free, always local, always live. This is a pass-the-hat  event—please help support and show your appre

Following a sold-out debut last year, Women in Folk  returns to celebrate International Women’s Day with an unforgettable evening of music, storytelling, and community. Join us as we shine a spotlight on talented local women in the folk music scene—artists whose voices, stories, and songs deserve to be heard. This special showcase brings together intimate live performances, collaboration, and honest reflections on life and artistry, all in a warm and welcoming space. Advance

Live & Local  is a free, community-centered music series celebrating the artists who live and create right here at home, with select Thursday evenings hosted by a different local musician bringing their own sound, collaborators, and creative vision to the stage. Each night features a full set from the host followed by an open, collaborative jam—no two nights the same, always free, always local, always live. This is a pass-the-hat  event—please help support and show your appre