Bluesfest adds Kardinal Offishall to July 17 bill
Ottawa Bluesfest organizers have added Canadian rapper Kardinal Offishall to the program of this year's festival, which runs July 10-20 at LeBreton Flats Park.
The Jamaican-Canadian artist known as Canada's hip-hop ambassador will fill the July 17 main-stage slot vacated by American rapper G-Eazy, who pulled out recently because of scheduling conflicts.
Offishall, whose real name is Jason Harrow, has been producing and rapping since the early '90s, emerging from the Toronto hip-hop scene when he was nominated for a Juno award in 1996.
He's since won multiple Junos, become a judge on Canada's Got Talent and is still going strong. A new track called Let Em Out came out last month, the first single from his long-awaited upcoming EP, Everyday, Sometimes.
The night of July 17 is shaping up to be an epic summer party on the RBC Stage, with Kardi's lyrical hip hop kicking things off for dancehall superstar Sean Paul, who also has Jamaican roots, plus a warm-up set by the groove-friendly local duo Dystoh, a new act made up of two members of the legendary Ottawa band, Souljazz Orchestra.
Day tickets, full-festival passes and pick-three packages are available at ottawabluesfest.frontgatetickets.com/
G-Eazy dropped from Bluesfest lineup over 'scheduling conflict'
Bluesfest 2025: Everything you need to know about Ottawa's biggest music festival
Love concerts, but can't make it to the venue? Stream live shows and events from your couch with VEEPS, a music-first streaming service now operating in Canada. Click here for an introductory offer of 30% off. Explore upcoming concerts and the extensive archive of past performances.
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