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Join House of PainT as they kick off their 2026 festival with Ottawa’s largest and most competitive poetry slam, the OG500. This intense head-to-head competition hosts some of the city’s most talented poets facing off in a three-round competition for a grand prize of $500.

No props, no musical accompaniment, no costumes. Just pure poetry! The event is judged by the audience for a few rounds and then goes to a guest judge.

Join us this year as we collaborate with the NAC to host this revered event in the Fourth Stage. 

Every September, Cranium Arts Project hosts the best live music festival with local and international artists in Hip-Hop, R&B, Soul, AfroVibes.

This year the festival takes place Wednesday, September 9 to Sunday, September 13 in venues across downtown Ottawa.

The festival is made possible with the generous support of individuals who dedicate their time and labour to ensuring the music is well experienced by lovers of the culture. Join us in the crew at https://TinyUrl.com/VolunteerCranium.

ABOUT Cranium Arts Project is an incorporated not-for-profit professional music presenter and industry support organization, we engage our community year round via live music presentations, professional development, networking, and learning activities acting as a bridge to connect Ottawa based music professionals to others around the world. Our annual programming includes the Cranium Conference and Showcase, The Cranium Festival, The Recognize Awards and our online Barcode series.

https://craniumfestival.com