National Arts Centre
National Arts Centre
4.5
10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
Top ways to experience National Arts Centre and nearby attractions
The area
Address
Neighborhood: Byward Market Area
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
1,315 within 3 miles
Attractions
339 within 6 miles
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
297 reviews
Excellent
165
Very good
103
Average
18
Poor
3
Terrible
8
Shenyunscam
1 contribution
Mar 2022 • Couples
Got tickets for Shen Yun Christmas time for march 19th. March 16th I tested positive for Covid-19. I phoned their telephone support and they would not provide me a refund, they left me a voice mail “this is why we need people to be vaccinated” and I have 2 vaccines!!! Would not put me in contact with a manager to assist me completely refused to refund me. $300!!!! Donated to this scam.
Written March 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ChantalYolande
Ottawa, Canada53 contributions
Oct 2022
On October 8th 2022, we had tickets for David Bowie. We got an hotel looking forward to the show. We got there and people were all turning around. We found out that the show was cancelled. No warning! The front desk said: " You must have gotten an e-mail in your junk mail" No we did not nor the hundreds of people who were irate. On top, they made us pay for parking. What a small time operation. I will direct my donations to another Art Center in the future.
Written October 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Les voyageurs
Ottawa, Canada196 contributions
Aug 2022
This is always a great option. Going to the National Arts Centre is a great experience. This time we went for the Notre Dame de Paris play. A 5 star play & bravo to the entire cast. We had excellent time and it's well organized.
Written August 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cheryl G
Ottawa, Canada205 contributions
Mar 2023 • Friends
Attended a Blue Rodeo concert here; first time in the NAC. We needed a bit of assistance to find our seats but the staff was on hand and happy to help. We were in the front row of the balcony, so a little high & scary, but a great view (I don’t think there is a bad seat here) and great acoustics. Fantastic concert!
Written April 2, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brad N
Burlington, Canada124 contributions
Jan 2023 • Couples
Went to a show in January. Last minute walk in. Got tickets and saw the James Bond show, it was fantastic. Great location and the theatre was very nice. A really nice evening at the NAC.
Written January 25, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
axxiefox
Ottawa, Canada156 contributions
Mar 2013 • Family
One of the largest performing arts facilities in Canada, the NAC works with thousands of artists, both emerging and established, from across Canada and around the world. I recently went to see a show at the NAC Orchestra. I come from Ottawa and have always been at the NAC, this time, it was different, I started to see how tired the Orchestra seating was, not to mention, when they build it, they forgot about our older generation. My mom is 91 and we had a date at the Orchestra, the stairs are a problem either to get to the Orchestra or to leave. I found no usher to help me, at the entrance except for scanning tickets and ushers already in the orchestra but none were available to assist my mother to manoeuver the stairs either to get to her seat or to return. It a grand shame that the NAC cannot go through some kind of retrofit to assist disabled people and our again population. They have removable ramps, but this is not enough, they need to take the stair out and build a permanent ramp either to assist the wheelchairs or our again population. The parking is another problem; closest to the entrance is always taken by performers who do not need disabled parking, why is this happening again. Its great place, don't get me wrong but now there has been enough nonsense from the NAC to start planning and constructing some areas for people who are either disabled or for our aging population.
Written April 7, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GeraldineOttawa
Gander, Canada263 contributions
May 2012
The program variety is excellent, but a key factor in your enjoyment of any performance is your seat location. Logues may cost more, but they are certainly worth the price. Your view is unobstructed and you do not have people passing in and out of the row to contend with (remember there is no centre aisle).
Written September 21, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ottawa198
Ottawa, Canada375 contributions
Nov 2017 • Couples
As a facility it is decent for Ottawa standards, but the quality isn't comparable to Toronto, Montreal or NYC. At one time Opera Lyra produced two operas per year that were poorly attended due to the very mediocre talent which resulted in a lack of sales and subscriptions for which it ceased operations. Many people subscribe to the well designed Dance series, the exceptional Orchestra in Southam Hall, and the English and/or French plays, as well as some small dance troupes which are held in the smaller theaters within the facility. However, avoid any touring musical shows (from Broadway) which are not really direct from Broadway, comprised of singers and dancers with low-rated, pseudo talent. Several years ago we went to see West Side Story and the teenage gang members who could barely sing, dance and act were well over 35+ years old.
One area of concern is the massive, indoor parking levels which don't have enough spaces for attendees to park. If one does not come early, they will find themselves parking outdoors and not particularly close to the building which is which is most unpleasant during the cold winter and rainy days. It is also a long schlep to get to the theater as there is no help for older people who are parked far away (those that don't have handicap permits) or have forgotten where they parked would benefit from courtesy golf cart shuttles to the escalator (similar to the ones at the airport). Similarity If one is dining at Le Cafe restaurant often enough the escalators (with their renovated walls) are not working until later when the masses arrive for the show. Oh where is management when you need them? Or better yet why is there no motion sensor that detects when a person approaches the escalator?
Within the facility is Le Cafe restaurant which has been around for ages and has changed chefs numerous times. The menu is often the same (so if you subscribe to say 5 dance events) expect no change in their offerings which is rather boring There isn't even a special of the day. However, the quality of the food is often inconsistent which is not very good for a restaurant's reputation and inherited longevity. Le Cafe certainly attracts people who have subscriptions as it's more convenient than dining elsewhere especially since parking is limited. This past fall Le Cafe announced a new chef and the food was so slow coming out of the kitchen that it's questionable if the recipes were ever tested for the time it takes to prepare and serve the meals. The braised beef was very sinewy. Again management must ensure that the menu is rotated, prep time is reasonable, service is done on a timely basis and that the food is consistently very good. I've reviewed Le Cafe a few times and every time I've returned I hoped that I wouldn't be disappointed and that they would do better, but I am unconvinced that anyone cares. Aside from the servers who try to do a good job, their hands are tied when the food isn't ready and worried diners are looking at their watches. Last time the waiter gave us two glasses of wine on the house to appease our hunger and later didn't charge for dessert. Professional restaurant management has always been lacking from overseeing the young,, inexperience girls at the reception desk (who often can't find your reservation and then encounter problem solving as to which table to put you at) to the unprepared kitchen. I highly recommend that the restaurant manager table hop, and engage diners to ensure they are at least satisfied. If someone were to ask if I recommend Le Cafe the answer would be negative.
This past year the NAC spent over $110 millions dollars to doll up the facade of the cold, Brutalist building and make the ticket sales entrance more visible from the street. Some of of the interior projects included adding multiple aisles to Southam (main) Hall which if you previously had a center seat you'd have to climb over many bodies to get to your place. The new modern seats are a brash shade of red and are less comfortable than the old seats. However, In doing so they lost some seating and to compensate they changed the pitch of the seats which in our case affected the first row. There is less lower leg space in the first row and one has to sit with their feet turned to the side (similar to a yoga position) as there is no toe kick. Many of our neighboring subscribers also complained and called the box office and Robert VanderBerg of management who actually told me by email that he went down to test the first row seats and agreed that it was uncomfortable, but said there was nothing that could be done to correct this oversight and they would not address the issue they created. He further advised that we could always change first row seats (which we’ve had for 25 years) through the box office. This is similar to the airline industry which add extra rows of seat to the planes with no regard for customer comfort but at least there is a place where one can put their feet. The airlines at least offer for an additional cost seat upgrades with extra leg room as well as business class comfort both on short and long haul flights. Those board members who fly business and first class know what that means.
The project also neglected enlarging the ladies restroom which which is notorious for long line ups during intermission. More than often the ladies' male counterparts wonder what takes so long (15 minutes). Management is very short sighted as the ladies who leave the restrooms are not willing to stand on another line to order an alcoholic beverage at the bar. So the male counterparts lose companionship and conversation waiting for the ladies while the NAC and is losing sales from marketed up beverages. This is a very poor business plan in which potential profits are lost.
Too bad so much money was spent to glitz up the facade because as customers (remember when they use to be right?) and subscribers will always say it's what's inside that counts and that dear management is what ensures repeat subscribers and good word of mouth. It's truly daunting that the interior designers were clueless or inexperienced (or both) in planning out the seating and that management was not involved in overseeing the importance of the seating aspect of the project and were more interested in making noise while touting how much money was being spent on their the NAC project in the newspapers than improving the quality of the interior spaces. Equally responsible are the board members, one of which had a propensity and no permit for parking in the more convenient, handicap parkng spots
.
This culture of of management (with a feather in their hats i, as well as the board, are self serving and indifferent as evidenced in the oversight and unwillingness to address the problem they created with the pitch of the seats and then not ensuring there was space for toe kicks. More than often people in the front row are kicking the metal divider that separates them from the orchestra pit out of frustration of twisting their feet into contorted uncomfortable positions and in defiance of management’s disregard to subscribers. .
We are not very interested in renewing our future subscriptions. .Recently some female executive with the NAC sent out a letter for dance subscription renewals with a slight discount, no brochure and no order form ...(this was previously done by the Executive Director - Cathy Levy who always created a great brochure, with a selection of hand picked dance groups and an appealing package). Does this other so called executive expect a couple who spend over $600+ for a season subscription to renew it based on a letter from an unknown person, with NO CONTENT (Dance alone has multiple series, add ons, special Holiday Ballet, etc.)? We are certainly less motivated to renew our subscription due to management's lack of response to the all but forgotten toe kicks and failure to market renewals in a proper package. So pathetic, but so true.
If you have the opportunity or interest to attend an event at Southam Hall you will more comfortable to avoid buying tickets in the first row and should know there are other restaurants in the area. If parking concerns you then there are local taxis and Uber.
There is so much that the NAC and the board (many who are privileged and more than affluent) should do to improve public relations, attract people, encourage comfort in seating and sufficient toilets in the restrooms ... perhaps management and the board have their own private, designated powder rooms and unaware of the situation, for surely they would not tolerate the long line ups and would have addressed this issue in the renovation..
One area of concern is the massive, indoor parking levels which don't have enough spaces for attendees to park. If one does not come early, they will find themselves parking outdoors and not particularly close to the building which is which is most unpleasant during the cold winter and rainy days. It is also a long schlep to get to the theater as there is no help for older people who are parked far away (those that don't have handicap permits) or have forgotten where they parked would benefit from courtesy golf cart shuttles to the escalator (similar to the ones at the airport). Similarity If one is dining at Le Cafe restaurant often enough the escalators (with their renovated walls) are not working until later when the masses arrive for the show. Oh where is management when you need them? Or better yet why is there no motion sensor that detects when a person approaches the escalator?
Within the facility is Le Cafe restaurant which has been around for ages and has changed chefs numerous times. The menu is often the same (so if you subscribe to say 5 dance events) expect no change in their offerings which is rather boring There isn't even a special of the day. However, the quality of the food is often inconsistent which is not very good for a restaurant's reputation and inherited longevity. Le Cafe certainly attracts people who have subscriptions as it's more convenient than dining elsewhere especially since parking is limited. This past fall Le Cafe announced a new chef and the food was so slow coming out of the kitchen that it's questionable if the recipes were ever tested for the time it takes to prepare and serve the meals. The braised beef was very sinewy. Again management must ensure that the menu is rotated, prep time is reasonable, service is done on a timely basis and that the food is consistently very good. I've reviewed Le Cafe a few times and every time I've returned I hoped that I wouldn't be disappointed and that they would do better, but I am unconvinced that anyone cares. Aside from the servers who try to do a good job, their hands are tied when the food isn't ready and worried diners are looking at their watches. Last time the waiter gave us two glasses of wine on the house to appease our hunger and later didn't charge for dessert. Professional restaurant management has always been lacking from overseeing the young,, inexperience girls at the reception desk (who often can't find your reservation and then encounter problem solving as to which table to put you at) to the unprepared kitchen. I highly recommend that the restaurant manager table hop, and engage diners to ensure they are at least satisfied. If someone were to ask if I recommend Le Cafe the answer would be negative.
This past year the NAC spent over $110 millions dollars to doll up the facade of the cold, Brutalist building and make the ticket sales entrance more visible from the street. Some of of the interior projects included adding multiple aisles to Southam (main) Hall which if you previously had a center seat you'd have to climb over many bodies to get to your place. The new modern seats are a brash shade of red and are less comfortable than the old seats. However, In doing so they lost some seating and to compensate they changed the pitch of the seats which in our case affected the first row. There is less lower leg space in the first row and one has to sit with their feet turned to the side (similar to a yoga position) as there is no toe kick. Many of our neighboring subscribers also complained and called the box office and Robert VanderBerg of management who actually told me by email that he went down to test the first row seats and agreed that it was uncomfortable, but said there was nothing that could be done to correct this oversight and they would not address the issue they created. He further advised that we could always change first row seats (which we’ve had for 25 years) through the box office. This is similar to the airline industry which add extra rows of seat to the planes with no regard for customer comfort but at least there is a place where one can put their feet. The airlines at least offer for an additional cost seat upgrades with extra leg room as well as business class comfort both on short and long haul flights. Those board members who fly business and first class know what that means.
The project also neglected enlarging the ladies restroom which which is notorious for long line ups during intermission. More than often the ladies' male counterparts wonder what takes so long (15 minutes). Management is very short sighted as the ladies who leave the restrooms are not willing to stand on another line to order an alcoholic beverage at the bar. So the male counterparts lose companionship and conversation waiting for the ladies while the NAC and is losing sales from marketed up beverages. This is a very poor business plan in which potential profits are lost.
Too bad so much money was spent to glitz up the facade because as customers (remember when they use to be right?) and subscribers will always say it's what's inside that counts and that dear management is what ensures repeat subscribers and good word of mouth. It's truly daunting that the interior designers were clueless or inexperienced (or both) in planning out the seating and that management was not involved in overseeing the importance of the seating aspect of the project and were more interested in making noise while touting how much money was being spent on their the NAC project in the newspapers than improving the quality of the interior spaces. Equally responsible are the board members, one of which had a propensity and no permit for parking in the more convenient, handicap parkng spots
.
This culture of of management (with a feather in their hats i, as well as the board, are self serving and indifferent as evidenced in the oversight and unwillingness to address the problem they created with the pitch of the seats and then not ensuring there was space for toe kicks. More than often people in the front row are kicking the metal divider that separates them from the orchestra pit out of frustration of twisting their feet into contorted uncomfortable positions and in defiance of management’s disregard to subscribers. .
We are not very interested in renewing our future subscriptions. .Recently some female executive with the NAC sent out a letter for dance subscription renewals with a slight discount, no brochure and no order form ...(this was previously done by the Executive Director - Cathy Levy who always created a great brochure, with a selection of hand picked dance groups and an appealing package). Does this other so called executive expect a couple who spend over $600+ for a season subscription to renew it based on a letter from an unknown person, with NO CONTENT (Dance alone has multiple series, add ons, special Holiday Ballet, etc.)? We are certainly less motivated to renew our subscription due to management's lack of response to the all but forgotten toe kicks and failure to market renewals in a proper package. So pathetic, but so true.
If you have the opportunity or interest to attend an event at Southam Hall you will more comfortable to avoid buying tickets in the first row and should know there are other restaurants in the area. If parking concerns you then there are local taxis and Uber.
There is so much that the NAC and the board (many who are privileged and more than affluent) should do to improve public relations, attract people, encourage comfort in seating and sufficient toilets in the restrooms ... perhaps management and the board have their own private, designated powder rooms and unaware of the situation, for surely they would not tolerate the long line ups and would have addressed this issue in the renovation..
Written February 24, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ilya S
Ottawa, Canada41 contributions
Nov 2017 • Family
I took my 7 year old daughter to the first show of the KINDERNACO series on Nov 12. The brass quintet who performed were very good - they had chosen some easy and entertaining pieces, and along with the pieces they delivered some interesting age-appropriate explanations for kids. Some years ago, these concerts were held in the Southam Hall, now they are in the lobby. The newly installed "cloud lamp" seems to be very popular with children - however, the mats provided on the floor for kids to sit on give a sense of informality which does not help the kids' understanding that going to a classical concert is a rather serious affair (so they should keep as quiet as possible during the playing and NOT run around - which some did!) The other downside was the fact that this English concert was introduced by an NAC employee who had such a strong French accent that one could hardly understand what she was saying, plus at the end of the show she urged everybody to hurry up and leave as the French variation of the concert was coming up shortly. For future such concerts: I'd suggest the NAC management find an English speaker to introduce the English concerts (surely not everybody is Quebecois at the NAC these days? - although it wouldn't be a wonder if they were due to the politics in Ottawa ...sigh) - also, please space out the two concerts so spectators don't feel rushed and being impolitely kicked out.
Written December 1, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
2018 World Trip
Montreal, Canada17 contributions
Aug 2019 • Solo
Ottawa as to be proud of their museum ! While visiting the city we had the chance to visit this museum hosting Gauguin portraits and art
Perfect location and atmosphere! A little pricy compare to the ones we have visited in Europe but sure worth it. Strongly recommended.
Perfect location and atmosphere! A little pricy compare to the ones we have visited in Europe but sure worth it. Strongly recommended.
Written August 28, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The cost of the matinee for Come from away on aug.25
Thank uou
Written February 28, 2019
Showing results 1-2 of 2
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing