Canada After Dark

Speakers and Canada After Dark delegates are invited to a pre-event networking mixer at FONO Hi-Fi Listening Lounge from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, followed by a book talk and DJ set with Ways of Listening author, Polaris Prize-winning artist Cadence Weapon (2021) – co-presented by First Crush.

• Location: FONO Hi-Fi Listening Lounge, 473 Bronson Ave., Ottawa, ON

In 2018, Ariel Palitz was appointed to lead New York City’s first Mayor’s Office of Nightlife.

Collaborating across various city departments, she spearheaded multi-agency and community support for programs that are successful to this day. In this keynote, she shares solutions and meaningful guidance to navigating change management and creating nighttime economy strategies that last.

Speakers

• Ariel Palitz, Founding Director, New York City Mayor’s Office of Nightlife 

Nighttime Governance & Hospitality Advisor, All Hours NYC (U.S.A.)

Despite growing global interest in the nighttime economy (NTE), there’s relatively little internationally comparative evidence available on its scale and characteristics. This keynote presents ongoing OECD work to measure nighttime employment across European countries, shedding light on who the workers are, where they are located, and the sectors where they are active. Broadening common perceptions, this keynote makes a case for why NTE matters for local development, and how data can support better policies.

Speakers

• Celia Benhocine, Policy Analyst, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

What’s next for night studies? Three of the world’s leading night studies scholars and nighttime urban governance experts reflect on their emerging field and exchange the latest evidence, research and preoccupations that are moving the nighttime economy needle across the globe.

Speakers

• Luc Gwiazdzinski, Doctor of geography, Professor at ENSA (école d’architecture et formations supérieures) Toulouse, Jean Jaurès University, Toulouse (FR)
• Andreina Seijas, Founder, Night Tank, expert in nighttime urban governance (ES)
• Will Straw, James McGill Emeritus Professor of Urban Media Studies, McGill University (QC)

What is at stake when a city loses live music spaces? This panel reflects on practitioner experience, policy, new research, and ways of protecting places that sustain creative ecosystems. Learn about Venue Trusts, new commercial and partnership models, and ways to acquire and sustainably manage cultural spaces.

Speakers

• Shulie Smolyanitsky, Operations & Education Manager, Wavelength Music (TO)
• Marc-André Robertson, Co Founder, HocheLab (QC)
• Jon Weisz, Founder & Executive Director, Les SMAQ (QC)

Brian Block literally wrote the book on planning for entertainment-related sound.

A deeply-experienced resource on land-use and zoning levers, nightlife districts, and solving conflicts between entertainment and residential uses, Brian comes to CAD26 with proactive solutions that support vibrancy, while mitigating noise complaints.

Speakers

• Brian Block, President, Sound City Planning, Austin (U.S.A.) and

Board Treasurer, Nighttime Economy Culture and Policy Alliance (NITECAP)

Coexistence between live music venues and residents is a chronic nightlife tension felt around the world. As a result, cities have developed different ways to manage noise issues. Learn about the approaches taken by various city officials, stakeholders and other experts who modernized sound bylaws, developed mediation programs and used zoning and land planning tools (and more).  

Speakers

• Farid Dagher, Founder, CITY AT NIGHT, ANNX & GRIDWRKS (ON)
• Ariel Palitz, Founding Director, New York City Mayor’s Office of Nightlife, Nighttime Governance & Hospitality Advisor, All Hours NYC (U.S.A.)
• Corey Poole, Music Sector Development Coordinator, City of Mississauga (ON)
• Cathy Wong, Borough Mayor, Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, City of Montreal (QC)

Romain Dumoulin specializes in architectural and environmental acoustics, assessing acoustic environments in music venues and cultural spaces across North America. Through immersive, real-time listening demonstrations, he will sonically illustrate the impact of nightlife activities on nearby indoor and outdoor soundscapes and demonstrate how these environments relate to measured sound levels and various entertainment noise bylaw criteria.

Speakers

• Romain Dumoulin, Acoustician and Project Director, WSP Canada (QC) 

Bringing together a nightlife braintrust from coast to coast to coast, this interactive, roundtable discussion tackles the most pressing issues in nightlife. A moment for solidarity and national, interdisciplinary exchange, we invite our speakers and spectators to share their regional developments, challenges and creative solutions to build connections between nightlife hubs across Canada.

Speakers

• Tashiina Buswa, Artist & Nonprofit Professional, (QC) 
• Chrissy Dicks, Executive Director, Lawnya Vawnya Festival (NL) 
• Nate Sabine, Director of Business Development, Blueprint (BC) 
• Travis Van Wyck, Project Manager, Night Economy, City of Toronto (ON)

Ontario Music Cities boat cruise 

Canada After Dark delegates and pass holders are invited to join a memorable evening boat cruise featuring showcases by artists from Ottawa, Toronto, Mississauga, Kingston, and Hamilton. Refreshments will be provided. This boat cruise will run until 8:00 PM. 

LIGHTBAHN x RASC Ottawa: Guided night sky observation
Join us outside on the National Arts Centre terrace to experience Natural Nights Ottawa through a free introductory night sky observation led by astronomers from RASC Ottawa. Weather and sky conditions permitting, participants will have the opportunity to observe Saturn through a telescope while learning how astronomers interpret the night sky from an urban environment. 

• Please note: If conditions are not optimal on Oct. 7, the ‘raincheque’ event will take place Thursday, Oct. 8.
• Location: National Arts Centre, terrace, 1 Elgin St., Ottawa, ON

What does a thriving music economy mean for a city? This keynote will share findings from the National Capital Region’s Economic Impact Study, exploring music’s contribution to jobs, GDP, tourism and the nighttime economy. The session looks beyond the numbers to consider what the data tells us about music as an economic driver and the role it can play in building vibrant, competitive cities.

Speakers

• Melanie Brulée, Executive Director, Ottawa Music Industry Coalition (ON)
• Megan Lynch, Senior Manager, Nordicity (ON)

New research confirms that nightlife plays a role in a city’s capacity to attract and retain highly-skilled professionals, acting as a hard economic driver of urban competitiveness. Professor Jean-François Ouellet shares his data and insights on core determinants of where the next generation of workers will choose to live, identifying opportunities that help partners plan to entice (and keep) world-class talent.

Speakers

• Jean-François Ouellet, Professor of entrepreneurship and innovation, HEC Montréal (QC)

What is the true economic and cultural potential of nightlife? This panel brings together local and national experts to explore the data, opportunities, and growing value of the nighttime economy.

Speakers

• Erin Benjamin, Executive Vice President, Advocacy and Strategy, Ottawa Board of Trade (ON) 
• Veronica Farmer, Chief Marketing Officer, Wesley Clover International (ON) 
• Xavier Roy, Senior Vice President, Membership Engagement and Advancement, Canadian Chamber of Commerce

Both Montréal and Vancouver successfully extended their licensing hours. In this conversation, key actors and civil security experts share how they managed it, what needs improvement, and offer a path forward for the rest of Canada.

Speakers

• Nate Sabine, Director of Business Development, Blueprint (BC) 
• Maude Théroux-Séguin, Borough Mayor of Ahuntsic-Cartierville & Associate Councillor for Citizen Engagement, Gastronomy and Nightlife, Ville de Montréal (QC)
• Rachel Weldon, Director, Debaser (ON)

Aire Commune shares the results, lessons learned and key success factors from nearly a decade of placemaking projects across Canada. Offering a practical framework for launching initiatives that support economic development and vibrant, safe public spaces, this keynote explores how placemaking can move from pilot projects to long-term strategies for city building.

Speakers

• Marie-Pier Tessier De L’Étoile, Co Founder and General Director, Aire Commune (QC)

This panel reflects on the impact of large, institutional events on the nighttime economy. What did host cities learn from welcoming the World Cup to Canada, and what is FIFA’s legacy here? What should municipal governments, tourism agencies, and city planners think about when bidding for, and spending on, mega events?

Speakers

• Kelleagh Alexander, Director of Experience Development, Ottawa Tourism (ON) 
• Sarah Hill, Senior Project Manager, Culture Business Development, City of Hamilton (ON)
• Sarah Jarvis, Community Engagement, Destination Toronto (ON)
• Jane Talbot, President and CEO, Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Area (Downtown Van) (BC)

Beyond a city’s artificial lighting, public space, and cultural programming exists an inherited night that features natural darkness, seasonal rhythms, and nocturnal ecologies. Ottawa is one of the few capital cities that still has access to both. At a time when natural darkness is in decline globally and becoming an increasingly valuable asset, this keynote explores how the stewardship of Ottawa’s nightscape and natural night experiences can become part of its nightlife identity.

Speakers

• Chetna Misra, Founder & Principal, Lightbahn 

Guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Canada’s five UNESCO Creative Cities join forces to explore how targeted support for cultural stakeholders, spaces, and infrastructure creates opportunities to extend economic and social activity beyond traditional business hours. Offering insight into the policy frameworks, partnerships, and investments that have enabled each city to build on its unique UNESCO designation, this panel showcases distinct approaches to shaping resilient, vibrant and sustainable nighttime economies across Canada.

Speakers

• Cory Crossman, Music Industry Development Officer, London Creative City of Music Focus (ON) 
• Barbara Filion, Program Officer for Culture, Canadian Commission for UNESCO 
• Anthea Foyer, Sector Development Officer, City of Toronto (ON) 
• Jenn Goodwin, Focal Point, Kelowna City of Gastronomy (BC)

Music Week Proclamation VIP Mixer  
Canada After Dark delegates and pass holders are welcome to join this exclusive event presented by Downtown BIA, 49 North, and ASA Live at the historic Fairmont Château Laurier. Mix and mingle as we celebrate Capital Music Week with Capital Music Awards nominees, performers, presenters, sponsors, partners, and media. This event will run until 8:00 PM.

• Location: Fairmont Château Laurier, 1 Rideau St., Ottawa, ON

October 7 and 8, 2026 during Capital Music Week (CxMW)

National Arts Centre – Fourth Stage (1 Elgin Street, Ottawa ON)

• Two full days of programming at the National Arts Centre
• Actionable takeaways from industry experts and keynote speakers
• Panel discussions, collaborative conversations and workshops to exchange best practices, solutions and inspirations for nightlife in your city
• Networking opportunities with professionals from across Canada and beyond
• Lunch included with Day 1 and Two-Day passes
• Free live music showcases and other activities as part of Capital Music Week

Access panel discussions, workshops, networking opportunities and more at Canada After Dark 2026!

Flexible ticketing options are available for Day 2 and Two-Day Passes. If cost is a barrier, and you are a student, a nightlife professional, or a non-profit worker, please contact ticketing@ottawamic.com to learn more.

• Day 1 Pass (includes lunch)
• Day 2 Pass
• Two-Day Pass

Make the most of your Canada After Dark experience with exclusive preferred rates from our official hotel partners, Alt Hotel Ottawa Downtown, Le Germain Hotel Ottawa, Arlo Hotel, Fairmont Chateau Laurier and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

Alt Hotel Ottawa Downtown
Book your stay using promotional code C2060463 to access the preferred Canada After Dark rate.

Le Germain Hotel Ottawa
Book your stay using promotional code C2060463 to access the preferred Canada After Dark rate.

Arlo Hotel Ottawa
Book your stay using promotional code 2M5PS2K4 to access the preferred Canada After Dark rate.

Fairmont Chateau Laurier
Book your stay at our newest official hotel partner and enjoy convenient access to Canada After Dark.

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa
Book your stay at our official hotel partner and enjoy convenient access to Canada After Dark.

Room types, rates and availability may vary. We recommend booking early to secure your preferred accommodation and rate.