Ottawa’s Capital Punishment Festival has announced the first wave of performers for its 2026 edition, with The Creepshow, The Damn Truth and Beyond Creation among the Canadian acts scheduled to appear as the event expands across four venues in the city’s ByWard Market.
The four-night festival will run from November 26 to 29 and feature a mix of metal, punk, hardcore, rock, rap and other underground genres. Presented by Chord Productions and supported by Ottawa Tourism, organizers say the 2026 edition will be the festival’s largest to date.
Capital Punishment Festival Expands Across Four Ottawa Venues
Performances will be staged at four established ByWard Market music venues: the 27 Club, Dominion Tavern, Rainbow Bistro and Avant-Garde Bar.
The expanded format gives Capital Punishment additional capacity to showcase Canadian artists while bringing music fans into Ottawa’s downtown entertainment district. Full festival passes are priced at $50 and provide admission to shows across all participating venues.
Ottawa Tourism is supporting the event through its Nightlife Tourism Development Fund, which is intended to help strengthen the capital’s nighttime economy and attract visitors through cultural and entertainment programming.
“Events such as Capital Punishment play an important role in strengthening Ottawa’s profile as a dynamic cultural destination,” says Michael Crockatt, President & CEO of Ottawa Tourism.
Festival Expected to Support Ottawa’s Nightlife Economy
Organizers are positioning Capital Punishment not only as a showcase for Canada’s underground music community but also as an event capable of generating activity for downtown businesses, restaurants and entertainment venues.
“Ottawa Tourism supports this unique music experience through its Nightlife Tourism Development Fund for its efforts in attracting visitors, animating our ACE District, and drawing music enthusiasts from across the region and beyond to enjoy our diverse music ecosystem. By bringing together acclaimed underground artists and local talent, the festival creates opportunities for visitors to explore the city, discover local businesses and venues, and contribute to the economic activity that helps sustain a vibrant and welcoming downtown experience,” adds festival organizer Christina Kasper of Chord Productions.
The festival’s late-November schedule also gives Ottawa another entertainment-focused event during a period outside the city’s peak summer tourism season.
The Creepshow, The Damn Truth and Beyond Creation Lead First Wave
The initial 2026 roster draws performers from across Canada and covers a broad range of heavy and alternative music.
Among the announced acts are The Creepshow, Lost, The Damn Truth, Beyond Creation, Hellripper, Insurrection, DBC, Barf, Ghoulunatics, Global Holocaust, Entropy, Reanimator, Thunderkok, Guhn Twei, Gland, Scaffold, Peer Pressure, A Scar for the Wicked, Catastrophic Hemorrhage, Soulthief, Northwalk, This Hell With You and This Disaster.
Other confirmed performers include Dissentient, Last Retch, Hatred Reigns, Raider, Bitter, Stregoneria, Noor, Human Compost, Mortuary Slab, Duskwalker, Dr. Bob Wrestling, The Divetones, Drowning in Blood, Feral Union, Rising Flame, Refuse, The Space Between, Ratpiss, Jetsam, The Vanishing Act and Acid Rot.
Mindreader, Shroud, Warsenal, The Scepter, Dismal Aura, Touched Fables, Sociably High, Glom, BornBroken, Pop Culture Icons, Goat!, Insanity of Sorrow, Bury the Past, Rotual, Hempress, Drofnosura, Backyard Witchcraft, Nature Pleads Revenge, Ghost of a King and Dethrone are also part of the first announcement.
Additional Bands Still to Be Announced
Organizers say more performers will be revealed as the festival approaches, further expanding a lineup already designed to represent multiple corners of Canada’s underground music scene.
Festival passes went on sale September 9. The $50 full-event ticket provides access to programming at the Rainbow Bistro at 76 Murray St., Dominion Tavern at 33 York St., 27 Club at 27 York St. and Avant-Garde Bar at 135 Besserer St.
With an expanded venue footprint and a large cross-country lineup, Capital Punishment Festival 2026 is aiming to strengthen its place in Ottawa’s live-music calendar while generating additional nighttime activity for the businesses and venues of the ByWard Market.