National Arts Centre

What a wonderful experience! The National Arts Centre is one of the best places to visit when in Ottawa. Very easy to find underground parking, exceptional performers, the most caring and friendly staff and my 2 kiddos LOVED every bit of the concert. There are hundreds of reasons to not just visit, but to be regulars! Totally worth it!

The experience of going to the NAC is always amazing. Just saw the Nutcracker last night and it did not disappoint.

If I could change anything, it would be the way you pay for parking. As it takes to long to exit the parking structure.

Saw Hairspray this afternoon and it was brilliant. The theatre is clean and staff are very friendly and helpful

Great place to see plays, concerts, great staff helpful.
The restaurant at 1, Elgin worth visiting is exceptional.

Saw the Cover band for Pink Floyd! Excellent show and venue.underground parking was great!

Watched the fireworks from here. Not the greatest view but I was able to stay in the car and listen to the soundtrack. Would love to come back and see the inside of the building.

Such a great venue and it was awesome being out at a concert again! The staff were helpful and friendly, such an amazing night!

Wonderful evening at the beautiful professionally run National arts centre In Ottawa. Watched the play Hamilton. FANTASTIC! Easy reasonably priced ample parking under the building. (Take a picture of the number on the post where you park or you will have a hard time finding your vehicle like we did).

I went to see Hamilton and the service as a wheelchair user was too notch! An usher helped me in and out of the theatre every time and even stopped the flow of people walking past to let me through to the ramp and helped me skip the line to the accessible washrooms. Amazing service! The staff were all super helpful. Clearly this is a place that trains their staff well on serving people with disabilities!

Venue is very nice since renovation. Easier to get in and out of seats. Went to Dear Evan Hansen and Hamilton recently and thoroughly enjoyed both. Venue was great.

Saw “Crippled” this evening and it was riveting… this Nfld production was amazing…captured our attention for the entire 90 minutes! A beautiful raw love story. Highly recommend it.

My husband and I went to the Ballet. We saw Sleeping Beauty. It was amazing. The NAC is wonderful, clean and the staff are incredibly helpful.

This was wedding party. Large room to accommodate hundred or so gests with panoramic downtown views and entrance to NAC roof for more views and fresh air breakes. Good food and catering.

Got to see Jesse Cook, Canadian Flamenco guitar player. He was awesome. The whole 2.5 hours went by in a blur. Folks were up dancing and clapping and having such a wonderful evening.
Highly recommend this venue and especially Jesse Cook.

We were happy that masks were mandatory but allowing drinks in the theatre seemed to defeat the purpose.

I love the aesthetic of the NAC and the shows they host are great. I also adored the fact that they have a discount for anyone under 30 right now, it can be extremely difficult as a young person to see art at an affordable price. I had a terrible experience when going to see Sleeping Beauty last night. I went with a few friends and my last friend was meeting us there. We entered through the parking garage to southam hall and did not have to present tickets at all to enter the building. My friend entered through the Elgin street door from which they refused to let her past the front entrance to come meet me. She called me on the phone and I tried to speak to the person but they wouldn’t allow her in. I will point out that my friend is a racial minority, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that she was denied entry from the street entrance when anyone entering from the parking garage is supposedly a ticket holder, by assumption. So I guess if you drive you’re not going to sneak into a show? Also why would she lie? Seemed strange if not racist that she wasn’t allowed to meet me, especially when the tickets need to be scanned at the entrance to the theatre itself anyway. I can pretty much guarantee if it were me, a white woman asking to meet a friend I would be let in without hesitation. If they were genuinely concerned they could have sent her with another employee as there were many just milling around speaking to each other but not assisting guests.

Since I had to run all around the venue and I had no clue where anything was, it was too close to show time and it took me a half hour to find my friend, only to then again be chastised by the ushers at the theatre doors for coming “late”. We were there very early, But my friend getting held up at the front meant we were rushing which was stressful.

So finally I sit down, ready to enjoy the ballet, only to find the woman sitting in front of me with a very large bun. Great. Not unforgivable and not anyones fault really, but annoying nonetheless. After about half an hour though, I chose to leave the event as conditions became intolerable. Between not being able to see, and the EXTREMELY symptomatic person sitting behind me, I did not want to risk getting sick. There were two people directly behind me loudly coughing every minute or so, clearing their throat of pleghm, and sniffling every 3-5 seconds. The noise itself was distracting, but I find it completely ridiculous that my friend, in great health, a beautiful formal dress, and someone on the phone with her with the tickets, was refused entry but there were I guess 0 health checks for any one else entering to infect everyone else. After almost 3 years of a pandemic it’s a bit ridiculous, don’t go to an indoor event when you’re sick and PLEASE start doing health checks again. I don’t mean vaccine checks, I mean taking temperature and assessing people for symptoms. I felt disgusting being coughed on and immediately went home to shower. I am lucky I don’t have high risk people in close contact, but now I will have to isolate as I was clearly exposed to something. Very disappointed.

*I don’t know if they were wearing masks because I didn’t want to look at them to get viral droplets all over my face, but I also recommend a strict masking policy with no food/drink in the theatre.

1 Elgin st restaurant.
Food excellent, nice atmosphere.
Only food critique is the barley was uncooked (on the duck plate) and waiter was not as attentive as would like and struggled speaking English. GM checked tables, skipped ours.

This used to be a great concert hall but now don’t even think of dressing up; you’ll stick out like a sore thumb where jeans and t-shirt are the norm. Also, the new bring in your drinks with you really distracts from the performance. We left at intermission due to slurping and the incredibly strong smell of salt and vinegar chips.

Always a stellar experience.
This weekend we saw Shen Yun - an amazing, performance of beauty and precision.
I have been attending performances at the NAC since I was around 10. There is something about the way it smells that is nostalgic. I've seen plays, concerts, ballet, comedy, live tapings. It really has been an integral part of my life growing up in Ottawa - it's part of the capital, and so am I.

Protip - We parked near the exit (backed in), and paid at the gate with a credit card. The line for the machine inside was literally 30min +, we got out in under 4.

I went there for my brother's wedding and I was very impressed the staff was excellent, food and decor was on point. Had a wonderful night in one of the most beautiful setting.

Was an amazing experience. Went to see shen yun and it was very well done. Cant wait to come back and see something new.

I visited this place just before Christmas and I enjoyed my visit greatly. The stuff is very nice, everything is well organized and everyone is friendly and helpful.

Be very careful buying tickets to this venue. Without asking they add $8 plus hst per ticket for "insurance", what a scam! Last ticket we will be buying for this outfit.

I would like to talk about NAC parking. When you go to NAC for a concert, it is best to park inside NAC parking lot, especially in the winter time and you can leave your jacket in the car.

There are two entrance to the NAC parking lot:
1) Entrance at Elgin (& Slater) : If you drive from Slater, you can just go straight to NAC underground parking (from Slater). The parking is on the right side of Slater (see photo where I have a line). If you drive from Elgin, you can just turn right to NAC underground parking on Slater.
2) Entrance at Elgin (& Lawrence Freiman Ln) : If you pass the NAC underground parking entrance at Slater & Elgin, you have another chance to go to NAC parking. Just turn right onto Lawrence Freiman Ln from Elgin. Keep on driving. You will pass the NAC box office. Then you will see another parking entrance. From this parking entrance, you may need to walk outside so that you can walk to the NAC box office.

The chef's table was underwhelming at best. What's a disappointment. One third of the wine list was missing, the pork chop was dry with no grill marks (did you boil these or cook them in the microwave?), fingerling potatoes and brussel sprouts were steamed (or boiled) with no seasoning or flavor, and we were served 1/3rd of a bland sausage. The 1/3rd got me. I was lucky enough to have an end piece, where the person to my left had a middle section. Just, so weird to look to your left and look to your right and see the missing pieces of your dinner. How did you think this was a good idea? And a donut for dessert served without a knife. This is supposed to be an elevated affair and you want me to pick up a donut with my fingers and rip pieces apart? Go back to the drawing board.

One of the loveliest places in town.
It has a modern architecture which combines beauty and function.

I found the seating very disappointing. I was not able to see more than a a quarter to a third of the stage because the incline of seating is not enough when you are a shorter person. I found myself frustrated through the show which in turn I did not enjoy my experience. Everything else was good but this by far jaded my desire to go back.

Beautiful place, 2020 Canada Chinese New Year Concert. China Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra. Absolutely beautiful, awesome.

Bâtiment magnifique, tant à l'extérieur qu'à l'intérieur, le café Equator est top, il y a souvent des animations gratuites et le personnel est super sympa!

I love the NAC. I've been enjoying the Pop Series for 5 years now. But i am not a fan of letting people enter the theatre with drinks. The last time I went I had a burping beer drinker seating beside me. I hope that never happens again because I will be rethinking my subscription next year.

World-class theater, highest quality shows of music, dance and theatre. Good venue for all ages.

The ticketmaster site is impossible. Have tried to but tickets but all I get is spinning circle and then I am timed out.

My brother and I brought our 81 year old parents to the Glen Miller Orchestra tonight at the NAC.
The entire staff was amazing! Super friendly, attentive, helpful and empathetic.
From the ladies at the doors to the ushers, God bless you all and thank you for making this night even more special.

The NAC offers many different experiences for their audience. From plays and musicals to various different types of musical group from dream theatre to orchestras. The decor is beautiful and the guest experience is second to none. They generously donate to every charity that I volunteer for throughout the city.

Love the national arts centre been going for years now. They have great staff, the seats are great and buying a season pass to the broadway across Canada is the best option if you plan to go to several of the shows.

I enjoy going to the National Arts Centre for the great cultural experience it brings. There is always some show to attend or exhibit to watch. Meeting with people who share the same experiences and interests. The staff is so nice and friendly.

I would like to talk about NAC parking. When you go to NAC for a concert, it is best to park inside NAC parking lot, especially in the winter time and you can leave your jacket in the car.

There are two entrance to the NAC parking lot:
1) Entrance at Elgin (& Slater) : If you drive from Slater, you can just go straight to NAC underground parking (from Slater). The parking is on the right side of Slater (see photo where I have a line). If you drive from Elgin, you can just turn right to NAC underground parking on Slater.
2) Entrance at Elgain (& Lawrence Freiman Ln) : If you pass the NAC underground parking entrance at Slater & Elgin, you have another chance to go to NAC parking. Just turn right onto Lawrence Freiman Ln from Elgin. Keep on driving. You will pass the NAC box office. Then you will see another parking entrance. From this parking entrance, you may need to walk outside so that you can walk to the NAC box office.

A place where I saw people exhibit their cultural wealth for the entertainment of whites with a white "house band" of an orchestra to make it more familiar to whites. I'm ashamed that my taxes support this place. I will never come again.

Huge shout out to the events team at the NAC & Martin and his team. They absolutely delivered the best service and accommodated every request! Martin even personally escorted us out when we were concerned about parking! Would highly recommend the NAC for any wedding!

The renovations are great! You can now enter through Elgin street, not in some obscure hidden entrance at the back. You can now go to the bathroom during breaks, as befits a modern entertainment facility. And there is actual light from the outside in the building now, so you don't feel like you've been banished to a Soviet-style prison.

Amazing facility. Very open to the public with a lot going on. Nice coffee shop at the main entrance. Free wifi and lots of cool areas to sit and chill out.

We native Ottawans are blessed with many federally funded museums and facilities, none greater than the National Arts Centre.

I attended many concerts, theatre, opera, ballet and conferences here over almost 50 years.great memories.

Today in brilliant sunshine, with skaters on the canal beside us, what a wonderful setting for the Diversty and Inclusion conference by #HIOSummit19.

Great place to get some work done or study. There are lots of tables in which you can freely sit on, on both the first and second level. Great views of downtown as well. Cafe on site is a plus.

This place was build by PCL it means lot of things for who want to made the word as it is, home, so yes feels like home.