Capital Cultures Day · open call
Host Multiculturalism Day 2027
Seven host community places are open for Canadian Multiculturalism Day in Ottawa.
- When
- Sunday 27 June 2027, 11 am to 6 pm
- Where
- Major's Hill Park, Ottawa
- Places
- Seven, by open call
Eight communities, seven places open.
Capital Cultures Day marks Canadian Multiculturalism Day 2027 in Ottawa with eight host communities. The Ukrainian Canadian community is the first; the other seven join through an open call and invitations from November 2026 to February 2027. Each host runs a table with two workshops, performs two 20-minute sets on the shared stage and sends a speaker to a conversation.
The day runs on Sunday 27 June 2027, from 11 am to 6 pm, in Major's Hill Park, between the ByWard Market and Parliament. Entry is free and open to everybody, with no registration, so the people at your table are the city's residents and visitors walking in off the street. The programme is in English and French.
The Ukrainian Canadian community holds the first host place (Ukrainian Ottawa). The seven open places are chosen so that the eight together include long-established and newly arrived communities, and at least two French-speaking ones.
What a host community brings.
Four parts, the same for all eight communities.
A table with two workshops
A maker or teacher from your community leads two 45-minute workshops at your table: a craft, a game or a language lesson. Children collect a stamp in their passport by learning a word, a game or a craft step there.
Crafts of Ottawa's communitiesTwo sets on the shared stage
The stage runs in blocks of two communities. Your group performs two 20-minute sets, and the block ends with both groups on stage in one song or dance you rehearse together. A bilingual host introduces every group.
How performers applyA speaker for a conversation
Twice in the afternoon, for 45 minutes, a newcomer and a long-time resident from different communities answer three questions: what your family brought to Ottawa, what surprised you here, what you would tell someone arriving this year.
A part in the closing piece
All eight groups close the day with one piece of music, rehearsed together in May and June. Hosts from the eight communities also answer visitors' questions at the Ask-Me table.
What the day gives every host.
A covered place
Every table and both conversations sit under tents, and the stage has a roof.
An audience walking in
Free entry, open to everybody, no registration, on a Sunday in the ByWard Market area.
A host on the microphone
A bilingual host introduces your group before each set.
An opening on Algonquin land
Algonquin landAn Algonquin Anishinaabe Elder or knowledge keeper is invited to welcome the day at 11 am.
A place beside seven others
One stage block with a partner community, one conversation with a speaker from another, one closing piece with all eight.
From the form to 27 June.
Apply through the community form, in English or French, and write «27 June host» in the box about what you would show. Applying is free, and a person answers within ten working days.
- 01The community form, «27 June host» in the last box
- 02A person answers within ten working days
- 03Open call and invitations, November 2026 to February 2027
- 04The closing piece rehearsed in May and June 2027
- 05Sunday 27 June 2027, 11 am to 6 pm
If Major's Hill Park is booked, the day moves to Marion Dewar Plaza at Ottawa City Hall, 110 Laurier Avenue West, with the same programme and the same eight hosts.
Short answers.
How can my community take part in Canadian Multiculturalism Day 2027 in Ottawa?
Apply for one of the seven open host places of Capital Cultures Day through the community form, and write «27 June host» in the box about what you would show. The open call and invitations run from November 2026 to February 2027.
How many host communities are there?
Eight. The Ukrainian Canadian community is the first host, and seven join through the open call and invitations.
What does a host community do on 27 June?
It runs a table with two 45-minute workshops, performs two 20-minute sets in a stage block shared with another community, sends a speaker to one of the two Neighbours' Conversations, and plays its part in the closing piece with the other seven groups.
Can a French-speaking community apply?
Yes. The eight host communities include at least two French-speaking ones, the day runs in English and French, and the form can be filled in either language.
Is it free for visitors?
Yes. Capital Cultures Day is free and open to everybody, without registration.
How is this different from a pavilion at the September festival?
Capital Cultures Day is one Sunday in June with a table, stage sets and a conversation. A pavilion is a community's own space for the two days of Capital Cultures in September 2027. Say in the form which one you are applying for, or both.
When do we hear back?
A person answers every application within ten working days.
Read with your board: the day's programme, start to finish, how pavilions work in September and how a group applies to perform.