Together under the sun: Spend your summer with us at the National Arts Centre

Introducing the NAC's third summer programming season with exciting new offerings  

April 9, 2024 – OTTAWA (Canada) – The NAC welcomes locals and visitors alike to gather 'Together under the Sun' from July 2nd to August 30th, 2024, for its third summer programming season.  

Visitors are invited to enjoy interactive exhibits, music, dance, and theatre performances, as well as children’s summer camps and more. Our 2024 summer programming offers audiences the opportunity to participate in over 70 shows and events, featuring free and accessibly priced programs. These events take place in a variety of indoor venues, as well as outdoors, including the rooftop wooden terrace and along the picturesque Rideau Canal. 

Whether you are looking for a family-friendly event or strolling downtown on a summer night, there will be something for everyone, every day of the week at the NAC. 

"Bring your family, friends, and your summer visitors to experience a wide variety of family friendly programming in dance, theatre, and music.  You'll discover Canadian artists, many who have never performed at the NAC before, and artists from around the world, many who are performing in Canada for the first time. We also have an exciting new immersive adventure created right here at the NAC, beginning in July called MYÜZ - be sure to watch for more details.” 

- Heather Gibson, Executive Producer of NAC Popular Music and Variety  

SUMMER PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS 

Stage Series  

Indulge in a sing-along to beloved Broadway musicals or immerse yourself in the intimate settings of the Babs Asper Theatre, Azrieli Studio, or the Fourth Stage, where you can connect with a diverse array of Canadian, Indigenous, Latin, and international artists. Feel the rhythm of Argentina with Social Tango Project, get to know the Gilsons, an MPB musical trio, experience São Paulo's intense indie music scene with Passarim, a tribute project to the godfather of bossa nova Tom Jobim, or the soulful fusion style of French Cameroonian singer Valérie Ekoume, there's something for everyone to enjoy! Finally, take a seat in Southam Hall with the NAC Orchestra presenting the world premiere of Canadian Métis composer Ian Cusson’s latest work, 1Q84: Sinfonietta Metamoderna

The Feeling of Free   

From June 27 to July 27, join us Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 4:30 p.m. for separate performances by Miguel de Armas and members of the NAC Orchestra aboard a boat cruising down the Rideau Canal. The boat will make a stop at Lansdowne Park. For the detailed schedule, please check our website. Weather permitting.  

Take your lunch to the Atrium and enjoy live musical performances starting July 2nd, at noon, on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, you can hear performances from Ottawa Chamberfest artists, including 2 shows from their “bring the kids” series, our very own NACO musicians, and Diyet, among other artists who will also be performing on our wood terrace.  

Wood Terrace  

The public can access the NAC’s wood terrace and its iconic view from Elgin Street or the Mackenzie King Bridge. Every Tuesday and Wednesday night at 7:30 pm, audiences can enjoy a variety of live music from across Canada, including Quique Escamilla, Okavango African Orchestra, Moneka Arabic Jazz, Turkwaz, Beauxmont, Les Fireflies and more! These performances are also free. 

$8 Plays  

We are thrilled to be able to offer 3 productions for our 8$ play series. Each play runs for a week.  

MixTape (Crow’s Theatre) – From Neil Diamond to Kate Bush, from show tunes to Mozart, and from squeaky oven doors to the thwap of a heartbeat, Sadiq curates the ultimate mixtape for life; part memoir, part scientific inquiry, and part love affair with listening. In English, 16+, from July 16 to 20. 

The Written Note (L’Écrit, D'Ubus Théâtre) - is an Ode to happiness. A fragile thread along which the meeting between young Célestine Olivier Myata and her great-aunt Murasaki Chizuko is drawn. In French, ages 6+, from July 29 to August 3.  

Renard Doux (de Sylvie Gosselin) - A precious moment of tenderness, humor and creativity between a child, Renard Doux, and her grandmother. In French, ages 4+, from August 5 to 8. 

About MYÜZ 

Find yourself in a house of dreams! Stay tuned for more details on this exciting new immersive adventure, created right here at the NAC, set to launch in early July. 

TICKETS AND INFORMATION 

Tickets are on sale as of April 9, 2024. Find the full lineup and ticket info on our website

ABOUT THE NAC    

The National Arts Centre is Canada’s bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams — the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety — and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.   

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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: 

Anicée Lejeune 
Communications Strategist, Programs and Special Projects 
National Arts Centre 
514 237-9553 
anicee.lejeune@nac-cna.ca 

Jennifer Payette 
Marketing Strategist, Audience Engagement 
National Arts Centre 
613 668-5958 
jennifer.payette@nac-cna.ca  

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