Canadian rap star Drake is teasing a visit to Ottawa soon to check out the capital’s newest concert venue, History Ottawa. The new 2,000-person establishment on Rideau Street in downtown Ottawa hosts its first official event Thursday night with a concert by The Wallflowers. While Drake will not be at opening night, he took to social media to celebrate the opening of the second History venue. “A venue for outstanding artists and the incredible fan bases that seek that communal family experience. Thank you to Live Nation for giving me the continued trust on a journey that I hope is shared with every city and country worldwide,” Drake said. “These venues are where our stories are born, elevated, shared, and hopefully revisited. I will be there to drop off my personal touch to Ottawa soon.” Drake has partnered with Live Nation for History, which includes a venue in Toronto. The second floor of History Ottawa is the premium space with 112 seats and a 200 person lounge designed by Drake and his team. “In creating this I think about every artist that had to play a venue and ask themselves, ‘is this what making it feels like’ because I know we respect all the heritage and all the years of inheritance but hope to create a better experience for our budding artists moving forward,” Drake said. Live Nation Canada unveiled plans in February 2025 to open the concert venue in the former Chapters building on Rideau Street. Other confirmed performers include Kaleo on Sept. 9, The Pretty Reckless - Dear God Tour on Sept. 13, UB40 on Sept. 18, Marianas Trench on Oct. 24, TALK on Dec. 4 and Jaime Fine on Dec. 12.
