(Ottawa, Ontario, February, 2026) – Gil’s Hootenanny announced today that its 2026 sing-along concert on May 1st will be its last concert in this format. This farewell show will mark the 17th year of this engaging and entertaining May Day sing-along of songs of hope and songs of protest that thousands of Ottawans have participated in over the years.
“It’s a good time to wrap up what has been a remarkable and successful series of wonderful sing along concerts”, said Hootenanny Team Member Mark Evenchick. “We felt that the concert, in its current iteration, has run its course.” The Gil’s Team is currently discussing what shape future endeavours might take.
Gil’s Hootenanny, first presented in 2010, was inspired by the legacy of Gil Levine, who spent his life working for social justice and was the founding Director of Research at the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). When Gil died at age 85 in 2009, three words in his obituary, “… plan a hootenanny”, were the beginning of Gil’s Hootenanny. Gil was a lover of folk music and an enthusiastic supporter of folk musicians. He and his wife Helen hosted hootenannies and May Day celebrations at their home for decades.
Gil Levine’s daughter and Hootenanny Team Member Tamara Levine expressed her “heartfelt gratitude to our many cherished sponsors, volunteers and dedicated participants for their continued love and support for Gil’s Hootenanny over the years and we look forward to seeing many of them at this last event of this wonderful adventure.” She added that a portion of the proceeds from the 2026 concert will be donated to the Spirit of Rasputin’s Arts Society, an organization that Gil supported, to help fund its work in promoting folk musicians and folk music in the National Capital Region.
Over the years, Gil’s Hootenanny has seen increasingly larger audiences who join the headliner and other featured artists in singing along with new and traditional songs of hope and protest. The many artists who have performed at Gil’s Hootenanny include Sharon & Bram, James Keelaghan, Eve Goldberg, Rebecca Campbell, Coco Love Alcorn, the Moonfruits, Maria Dunn, Maria Hawkins, Tony Turner, Arthur McGregor, Chris White, Mark Evenchick and other fine musicians too numerous to mention.
The Gil’s team is hoping to reshape Gil’s Hootenanny with sing-along events in smaller venues. Details will be announced in the fall of 2026.
Gil’s Hootenanny 2026 will take place at 7:00 pm on Friday, May 1st at the campus of the First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa, 30 Cleary Avenue. Tickets will once again be $20. As always, kids are welcome to attend free of charge.
Stay tuned for announcements on the 2026 headliner and program. Tickets will beavailable in early-March.