The Lord Elgin Hotel is the ideal place to escape and celebrate the holiday season in Ottawa, Canada’s Capital City. Located in the heart of downtown, our hotel puts you just steps away from the city’s vibrant lights, festive events, and winter magic. There’s no better spot to experience the colours and excitement of the season.
Celebrate the Festive Season at the Lord Elgin
Holiday Events
Winter Lights Across Canada
December 8, 2025 thru January 9, 2026
Each evening, the Canada’s Capital Region comes alive with a dazzling display of lights. From Ottawa to Gatineau, iconic landmarks are beautifully illuminated, celebrating the magic of winter and the holiday season.
Visitors can stroll or drive along the official route to admire highlights such as:
Confederation Park, right across from the Lord Elgin Hotel, transformed into a glowing winter wonderland.
The Peacekeeping Monument and the Garden of the Provinces and Territories, both bathed in vibrant colors.
Countless trees and pathways twinkling with lights that make the whole downtown core sparkle.
The Lord Elgin Hotel, surrounded by festively lit trees, is a perfect spot to stay or start your evening walk. The cheerful glow and holiday music create a warm, inviting atmosphere that embodies the spirit of the season.
First launched over 30 years ago, Winter Lights Across Canada began in the National Capital but grew into a nationwide celebration, with cities from coast to coast now illuminating their landmarks in unison — a true Canadian winter tradition.
Candlelight Concerts in Ottawa
Enjoy Christmas songs by a string quartet in a magical candlelight setting.
Candlelight: Christmas Classics
Confederation Park
Right in the heart of downtown, you’ll find displays of color with lights at Confederation Park. See the trees illuminated with different colours. Hop over to City Hall and add a free skate on the Rink of Dreams. Make a stop at our restaurant – FortyOne for dinner or a warm drink!
Magic of Lights
November 21 to January 3, 2026 – Wesley Clover Parks, 401 Corkstown Road, Ottawa, ON
An Ottawa favorite for years, this display of dazzling Magic of Lights drive-through is a must-see!! Lined with two kilometers of sparkling LED light displays, this event is great for the whole family to safely enjoy from the comfort of your car.
Glebe Craft and Artisan Fair
November 15 & 16, 2025 – Glebe Community Centre, 175 Third Avenue, Ottawa, ON
It is all about supporting local these days and here is your chance. The Glebe Craft and Artisan fair is a favorite holiday event for all? The two-weekend event welcomes you to meet with local, high-quality talent and to discover unique treasures.
Ottawa Christmas Market
November 21 – December 31, 2025 – Lansdowne, Marché Way, Ottawa, Ontario
Each year on weekends and select additional days leading up to Christmas, the Ottawa Christmas Market takes over the outdoor plaza at Lansdowne in the vibrant Glebe neighborhood. The family-friendly and free event features seasonal food and drink (including alcoholic options), local goods at vendor cabins, glittering displays, and live performances.
Signatures Originals
December 10-14, 2025 – EY Centre, 4899 Uplands Drive, Ottawa, ON
Looking for a one-of-a-kind Christmas gift? Visit over 150 of Canada’s best artists, artisans and designers with innovative displays and contemporary designs at this handmade marketplace. Plus, attend this in-person event to meet and learn from Canada’s makers and creatives from across country.
Ottawa Choral Society
Medieval Christmas with the Ottawa Children’s Choir. December 13 & 14, 2025 – St. Francois d’Assisi Church, 20 Fairmont Avenue, Ottawa, ON
The OCS’s popular Christmas offering will summon the spirit of the Middle Ages by exploring the roots of the great carol tradition. It will also feature Benjamin Britten’s homage to that tradition, Ceremony of Carols, with the participation of Ottawa Children’s Choir. Two concerts will be presented on December 13th and 14th.
At the NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE – just across the street…they have Holiday programming for all ages…here are just a few…
Nutcracker
November 29 to December 7, 2025 – National Arts Centre, 1 Elgin Street, Ottawa, ON
The Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s The Nutcracker is a family tradition. Inspired by Hoffmann’s tale and danced to Tchaikovsky’s sparkling, picturesque music, this classic is a glorious holiday gift. Join Clara in her fairy-tale reverie — along with her Prince, the Mouse King, Sugar Plum Fairy, majestic Mounties, and Filbert the Bear — for this delightful frolic through a winter wonderland. Set to Tchaikovsky’s iconic score, the Nutcracker will immerse you into a fantastical world of extravagant sets and costumes.
The Irish Descendants
Christmas Concert December 17, 2025 – National Arts Centre, 1 Elgin Street, Ottawa, ON
Ho! Ho! Ho! ‘Tis the season! Get your festive spirit in gear with this Christmas show at the National Arts Centre. As The Irish Descendants’ song Hooray for Christmas says: “Well, the season is upon us now, scented candles, holly boughs, no time for cares we do avow, with Christmas coming on!”
Enjoy festive tunes, tales and merriment in The Irish Descendants Christmas 2025, starring multi-award-winning Newfoundland folk group The Irish Descendants, with longtime frontman Con O’Brien. The Irish Descendants played a pivotal role in introducing traditional Newfoundland music to a broader Canadian audience during the early 1990s, sharing the stage with other iconic bands like Great Big Sea. Their authentic renditions of timeless tunes from the East Coast, blended with an Irish twist, have made them a cherished part of Canada’s folk music scene.
Their popularity soared to such heights that they were chosen as the official band for Newfoundland and Labrador’s 500th-anniversary celebrations, where they had the honour of performing for Her Majesty the Queen. This landmark event marked a turning point for the band.
Holly Jolly Jill Barber Christmas
November 28, 2025 – National Arts Centre, 1 Elgin Street, Ottawa, ON
Join Jill Barber and her jingly jangly jazz quartet as they take you on a nostalgic musical sleigh ride through decades of beloved Christmas standards. You’ll enjoy hot cocoa classics like I’ll be Home for Christmas and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, seasonal favourites like You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch, and heartfelt originals composed by Barber herself. Expect laughter and tears, and a cup of good cheer, as Jill shares her best Christmas stories and interacts merrily with her audience, reminiscent of Stuart McLean’s The Vinyl Café Christmas tour. A contemporary cross between Judy Garland and Bing Crosby, a Holly Jolly Jill Barber Christmas is the perfect gift for family and friends, both young and old. Don your favourite Christmas sweater or dress up in holiday glam, and together at the NAC, let’s ring in the season in style!
Kellylee Evans
December 18, 2025 – National Arts Centre, 1 Elgin Street, Ottawa, ON
Welcome the festive season at the NAC with a mix of holiday classics and original songs from the award-winning Kellylee Evans.
Having tackled everything from jazz to R&B and pop, she is described as having a “gorgeous voice (that) rises to the heavens in rapturous wonder as if in consanguinity with a chorus of angels”.
Kellylee released two albums in 2024. Her EP, Show Love, offers a fresh and innovative approach that establishes new sonic terrain built on the foundation of familiar sounds and styles from her six previous studio projects.
Her full-length album, Winter Song, dedicated to the sounds of the holiday season, was nominated for a 2025 Juno Award for Vocal Jazz Album of the Year.
Jana Salameh in a Christmas Soirée
December 19, 2025 – National Arts Centre, 1 Elgin Street, Ottawa, ON
Jana is a Lebanese-Canadian singer and songwriter based in Ottawa, whose music bridges East and West. Rooted in classical training from the Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music, her sound blends the textures of her heritage with contemporary western influences. Her voice has carried her across Canada and Lebanon’s most celebrated stages and into international festivals like Byblos, where she toured alongside world-renowned artists. She also participated in televised singing competition “The Voice” and reached the quarterfinals of La Voix Québec, introducing her unique musical identity to a broader audience.
For this Christmas concert, Jana invites you into a warm and intimate evening of music — a space where nostalgia meets imagination. Joined by a band of exceptional musicians, she reinterprets holiday classics and hidden gems in Arabic, French, and English. With oriental instrumentation, jazz-infused arrangements, and gentle winter moods, the performance offers a unique fusion, and a Christmas soirée at the Azrieli Studio filled with light, warmth, and nostalgia.
Good Lovelies
December 20, 2025 – National Arts Centre, 1 Elgin Street, Ottawa, ON
Good Lovelies’ much-loved Christmas tour is back on at the NAC this December, bringing holiday classics, wintery favourites and a sprinkle of the band’s originals that you’ve come to love.
Caroline Brooks, Kerri Ough, and Susan Passmore are Juno Award-winning songwriters and multi-instrumentalists, known for their rich harmonies and nostalgic sound. Blending folk-roots, old-time swing, bluegrass, pop, and soul, their music is a perfect fit for the season.
They’ll be joined by their “Merry Men”, a top-notch trio of musicians: Robbie Grunwald on keys, Steve Zsirai on bass, and Mark Mariash on drums.
With great harmonies, stories, laughs, and songs that’ll have you humming all the way home, the Good Lovelies’ holiday concert is a “cup-filling” evening for anyone who loves the magic of the season.
Paskong Pinoy sa Ottawa
December 7, 2025 at 9AM to 5PM – National Arts Centre, 1 Elgin Street, Ottawa, ON
The Philippine Centre Canada (PCC), in partnership with the National Arts Centre, invites you once again to join us for a festive holiday market – the Filipino way! Shop for holiday goodies and gifts made by local Filipino businesses and artisans, learn how to make a parol (lantern), and enjoy listening to Filipino Christmas carols.
The Tenors
The Joy World Tour
December 9, 2025 – National Arts Centre, 1 Elgin Street, Ottawa, ON
Celebrate the wonder of the holiday season with The Tenors: Joy to the World Tour—an unforgettable evening of music, magic, and holiday spirit.
This festive season, The Tenors return to the stage with their signature blend of stunning harmonies, powerhouse vocals, and undeniable charm. From timeless Christmas classics to fresh new renditions of your favourite holiday songs, Joy to the World is a heartwarming concert experience perfect for audiences of all ages.
More than just a performance, The Tenors are Canada’s favourite holiday tradition — the Joy To The World Tour is a heartwarming celebration that brings people together and captures the true spirit of Christmas.
See them again—for the first time—and make this holiday season truly unforgettable.
Holiday Shopping
If you want to do some serious Christmas shopping, you are in the right spot. The Rideau Centre is only one block from the hotel with over 180 of the biggest names in fashion beauty, and many new exciting newcomers to the mall. Just a few blocks away is the Byward Market. Created by John By in 1826, the Byward Market is one of Canada’s oldest and largest public markets. A favorite spot for visitors and locals, in this four-block radius you will find museums, cafes, boutiques, specialty food shops, nightclubs, restaurants, to Janupubs, galleries, hair and aesthetics salons and spas, and more.
Book Your Holiday Party & Christmas Dinner
Now is the time to book your Office Holiday Party and our Catering Department is offering a Great Deal on your party if you Book Now! Call our Catering department at 613-563-6410.
Forty-One Restaurant in the Lord Elgin Hotel offers its special holiday menu for Christmas Day Dinner which books up very quickly. Check out our menus at FortyOne’s website here or call 613-569-2126.
Holiday Rates & Deals
Lord Elgin has a variety of packages and special rates for the holidays, such as our deeply discounted Holly-Jolly Hotel Stay Offer or our Book Direct Offer (up to 15% off).
