L o a d i n g

ACAO Festival brings Ottawa's communities together every year to celebrate the music, food and traditions of the world.

Get Update

Counting down to African Day On The Hill ‐ October 21, 2026

Days

:

Hours

:

Minutes

:

Seconds

thumb

About The Festival

Ottawa's Multicultural Celebration

Every year, ACAO Festival brings together Ottawa's communities to celebrate the music, food and traditions of the world. Three days of live stages, cultural workshops and encounters honoring the diversity that makes our city so rich.

  • Jane Odongo, Ottawa
  • Richard Abakah, Ottawa
quote

“An amazing experience - you can really feel the richness of Ottawa's cultures coming together in one place.”

Chief Hector Addison

About The Festival

Ottawa's Multicultural Celebration

shape
`

Live Stages

Live music and traditional drumming take over two stages, all day long.

Read More
shape

World Food Market

Sample dishes from a dozen cultures at our open-air world food market.

Read More
shape

Family Workshops

Hands-on crafts, dance and storytelling activities for kids and families.

Read More

Festival Program

African Day On The Hill

ACAO's annual gathering celebrating African heritage, culture and community in the heart of Ottawa. Hosted at La Cité, this distinct yearly event brings together community members, partners and guests for an evening of performances, tradition and connection.

Oct 21 - 24, 2026

5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Ottawa, ON

La Cité, 801 Aviation Pkwy

Program details for this day are coming soon.

Program details for this day are coming soon.

Program details for this day are coming soon.

Program details for this day are coming soon.

banner

Book Your Spot Now

Haven't Got Your Ticket Yet?

African Day On The Hill

Tickets from $5.00. Children under 12 get in free of charge.

Our Partners

The Organizations Behind The Festival

Proud to build this celebration together, year after year.

Official Partners
City of Ottawa
Government of Canada
Écoles catholiques Centre-Est
TD Ready Commitment
Ontario Trillium Foundation
Government of Ontario

Speakers

Meet This Year's Headliners

Music, dance and percussion from every corner of the world - live on our stages.

Richard Abakah

Afro-Fusion Music

Josephine Gitau

Traditional Drumming

Jane Odongo

Latin Dance & Song

John Emmanuel

Electro-Afrobeat Set

clients

What Our Visitors Say

“An amazing experience - you can really feel the richness of Ottawa's cultures coming together in one place.”

Sibylle Tsayem

Festival Visitor

Book Your Spot Now

Stay Tuned With Our Weekly Newsletter

Sign up to receive the program, early-bird tickets and all the festival news — straight to your inbox.