Beautiful venue with an amazing orchestra. Love the renovations they did to Southam hall!

The NAC continues to discriminate and force patrons to present vaccine passports when the Ontario Public Health departments have dropped this requirement. This is unscientific and basic disregard for the constitutional rights and freedoms enshrine in the Charter. Consider this a demand to drop your requirements or lawsuits will follow. Respect Canadian citizens right to medical autonomy, regardless of their vaccination status. Numerous studies that have been peer reviewed prove without a shadow of a doubt that masks are merely theatre. No peer reviewed studies have shown the effectiveness of masks to stop a virus with sizes in the nanometer (10-9 metres) compared to masks in the micron range (1000 times larger than the virus particles).

We recently got married at the NAC, having both our ceremony and our reception at the Lantern Room and O'Born Rooms, respectively. It was the best choice we made for our wedding. The NAC staff were wonderful to work with from the start, helping to plan and coordinate our dream wedding while they took care of the venue, the food, and much of the decor. On the day of the wedding everything was absolutely PERFECT. The event ran itself seamlessly with NAC staff delivering a beautiful space and a terrific dinner service. And of course, the venue is absolutely gorgeous, with incredible views of the new Senate Building, Chateau Laurier, the War Memorial, and even Parliament from the O'Born room. We wanted the city to shine for our guests at our wedding, and we were not disappointed. A special thank you to Carole Dulude our event manager who was so easy to communicate with, even through the tumultuous last year of pandemic lockdowns. (Photos courtesy of Age of Indie, florals courtesy of Capital Florists).

This place recently held my cousins wedding and it was horrible. The building itself is great, absolutely amazing. But their staff is providing a service to people who pay a high price to be at this special location with zero customer service skills. The staff were not willing to work with changes wanting to be made, they left decisions to the last minute and the supervisor Carla actually ran away during the wedding and left bartenders in charge of dealing with unhappy customers which every manager knows is not something you do to your front line staff. Their management needs to step up and take some responsibility for their actions.

Beautiful building in a beautiful spot. The theatre staff were all very helpful and friendly and we enjoyed the travelling Broadway of Hadestown immensely. The beautiful theatre made it that much better.

I have enjoyed coming to this location since I was a child getting all dressed up to go see a show with my mom. Now I enjoy going out to have different experiences alone. It's comfortable for everyone regardless of why you are coming out.

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.

Really awesome place Always something happens here Building looks super cool Has a little cafe inside too Lots of parking around Underground parking is paid Not dog friendly Known for artists performing or exhibiting art

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.

They allow guests to sit in their seats without masks. They do not need a drink in hand. They simply sit, remove their mask, and enjoy the performance while those of us respecting the rules abide. And when you voice your concern, you are dismissed with their management who do not care to enforce government mandated rules.

Most beautiful building in downtown Ottawa, beautiful theatre, quaint cafe, lovely seating and tables with gorgeous views of the canal and the laurier, not to mention the perfectly tuned public piano that has been there as of late. Love this space. Also has great bathrooms: see photos.

As someone who grew up attending shows at the NAC as a kid, I can say that no other theatre will ever quite match up to the excitement of seeing a show here. The NAC is a staple of Ottawa and is the perfect location for tasting the best foods, seeing historic sights and getting the general vibe of the city. The theatres are beautiful, clean and opulent. The staff are bilingual and always willing to help with any questions or concerns. I’ve seen some of the greatest shows of all time here. Prices range from cheap to expensive, but you get the option of making the choice for yourself. I always suggest parking earlier than normal for your show, and then wandering off to do things beforehand. The centre is pretty big, so there are lots of spaces to sit and read a book or get coffee. I love the National Arts Centre and imagine I will be seeing shows here for decades to come.

Seemless entry and ample signage indoors to get you to your seat. Very clean, including the modern, spacious bathrooms. On-site café is a nice touch! On this performance the orchestra seemwd to drown out the audio of the performers unfortunately, hopefully that is not always the case.

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!

Concert with Terri Clark and Paul Brandt. Venue is very clean, seating is nice and comfortable. Staff are polite and courteous.

I didn’t have time to visit any show But I just explored the hallways of the centre and I found a lot of interesting art.

The Nutcracker ballet. A beautiful experience. Nice show

AMAZING venue. Love that in-person and live events are back. Southam Hall is phenomenal now since the Renos. Parking is super easy and convenient. Quick to get in and out most times I'm there.

The Hip hop poetry Blackout Night was amazing! The dj was such a vibe and the bartenders were great. The building itself is easy to get lost in but very nice overall! Enjoyed my evening.

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.

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.

Loved it! Lots of renos in recent years. We went to a show in the studio and it was well worth it.

A work of art itself, showcasing superb art works! Enjoyable experience!

We’ve been here to see a few performances and always enjoyed our visit. Seating is well spaced from the ground up to the balconies. Shen Yun, Beauty and the Beast, School of Rock… great shows, clean theatre, small drink and snack bar. Parking is easy and reasonably priced.

I typically go 3 to 5 times a year to a show at the NAC. The staff is extremely friendly and well organized. I just wish the sound quality was better. It’s often staticky and the music overpowers the voices. Beautiful theatre otherwise.

Great place for arts and family activities (thanks to the new special events for families that now take place). Discounted student tickets is a great initiative, but the audience is still grey headed. Interestingly, I rarely see school groups attending NAC. That may be an explanation of why the new generation is missing out...kids and adolescents do not feel like they belong to NAC, and that is sad. Otherwise, NAC has a beautiful building with modern architecture and good performances. Strongly recommended for everyone in Ottawa.

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. 😍

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.

Fourth Stage has a great sound and lighting system, and great acoustics. Would come for music 🎵 again!

I love its performances! And most of them have live rush, which is an amazing deal to get nice spots for incredible price!! I still think the NAC is one of my favorite places in Ottawa

Great venue. Tickets for Bare Naked Ladies Christmas concert. Disappointed in the show. Cover band for 30 minutes and the real band didn't start until 9. Very few Christmas songs. We left early because it wasn't great. I'd like to know why it was called a holiday concert.

Beautiful venue. Great dinner at 1 Elgin restaurant, followed by an outstanding performance by the NAC Orchestra. I've been going there for years for various reasons, such as weddings, performances, or just lunch. Never disappoints.

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.

Only been to see a handful of plays here back when I was on High School so I can't tell you much about the theatre experience. It is a fantastic place to walk up the stairs and unto the rooftop terraces to get great views of the city. The perfect to place to end a date night with a romantic stroll on a cool fall day. This was my go-to when I was in high school.

"Hamilton" Great show. There was an issue with the sound system but it was fixed within minutes and didnt interrupt the show.. Beautiful building is open and inviting. Masks are mandatory at this time so be prepared. Parking under the center and fully accessible.

Very happy they are open again. As always, a very professionally produced show. Everyone who works there is friendly and helpful. Drinks are a tad on the pricey side, but if it helps bring Broadway shows to Ottawa, it's worth it.

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!

A catalyst for performance, creation and learning, the National Arts Centre collaborates with artists and arts organizations in every part of Canada.

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.

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.