The List - Ottawa's Queerest Calendar
Find queer events, sports and recreation activities, and social happenings across the region all under one tab.
MAX will occasionally scour social media and event forums to post but our hope is that you, the community, will add things we might have missed.
Check out our guide here for everything you need to know about submitting an event. If you have any questions or need to update a posted event, please email us at thelist@maxottawa.ca. To submit an event, scroll to the bottom of the page, or click here.
Every Thursday, we send a roundup of all things queer coming up over the next week. Subscribe through the form below to stay in the loop!
Ottawa
Events
Calendar of Events
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Sunday
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Monday
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Tuesday
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Wednesday
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Thursday
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Friday
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Saturday
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3 events,Join drag king Morgan Mercury on a 2-hour walking tour exploring Ottawa's lesbian history!
$37.61 – $61.68
A crafternoon and social for nonbinary people at the Ottawa Trans Library
Free
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1 event,Free gender affirming gear program organized by The Ten Oaks Project
Free
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2 events, |
3 events,
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A chill-paced, looped bike ride from uOttawa to Dow's Lake, and back, with the Queer Bike Club.
Free
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A magical, mystical soiree showcasing queered masculinities in all their glory.
$15 – $40
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3 events,
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Ottawa's Next Drag Superstar 4 kicks off with an exciting Variety Show. Join us for a talent showcase from all of your 2026 contestants!
$14.11
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2 events,A monthly gathering for older queer people organized by the Ottawa Senior Pride Network
$13 – $16
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3 events,
Night of Lights: Invasion
Join us for an evening of drag excellence showcasing the beauty, the joy, struggle, and the stories that are rarely discussed but need to be celebrated.
$15
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4 events,
Night of Lights: Invasion
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A drag and burlesque brunch showcasing the best of last night, this morning
$22.63
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A drag and burlesque brunch showcasing the best of last night, this morning. Our SECOND SHOWTIME
$22.63
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Emily Austin, an Ottawa-based queer author, returns to the Writers Festival to discuss her recent book "Is This a Cry for Help?"
$20 – $55
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3 events,Free gender affirming gear program organized by The Ten Oaks Project
Free
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Celebrate the launch of Bodies in the Sun, a photobook documenting queer life, presence, and summer moments in Ottawa.
Free
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2 events, |
2 events,A biweekly social for queer people organized by the Ottawa Senior Pride Network
Free
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4 events,The 2026 Cranium Conference & Showcase includes music showcases, workshops, concerts, and parties.
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Ottawa's Next Drag Superstar continues with a tribute to the unmistakable sounds, aesthetics, and energy of all things disco!
$14.11
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4 events,
Cranium Conference & Showcase
The 2026 Cranium Conference & Showcase includes music showcases, workshops, concerts, and parties.
TRIVIA with the Ottawa Wolves RFC
Join the Ottawa Wolves RFC for an exciting trivia night fundraiser! All proceeds from this event will support the upcoming 2026 season.
$20
A multi-day gathering in Ottawa which celebrates diverse and boundary-pushing artists’ publishing.
Free
Get ready to experience a night of dazzling performances and jaw-dropping burlesque acts at the Capital Burlesque Expo-Friday Gala!
$54.58
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10 events,
Cranium Conference & Showcase
The 2026 Cranium Conference & Showcase includes music showcases, workshops, concerts, and parties.
Capital Burlesque Expo: The Afterparty
Close out a weekend of burlesque beauty in the Capital with us!
$17.31
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Join the ACO and Bruce House for a meaningful morning of remembrance and community.
Free
A multi-day gathering in Ottawa which celebrates diverse and boundary-pushing artists’ publishing.
Free
Get ready to experience a night of dazzling performances and jaw-dropping burlesque acts!
$54.58 – $81.21
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An evening of bold, beautiful music by queer choral composers as well as pop icons.
$25 – $35
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5 events,
Cranium Conference & Showcase
Capital Burlesque Expo: The Afterparty
The 2026 Cranium Conference & Showcase includes music showcases, workshops, concerts, and parties. Get ready to experience a night of dazzling performances and jaw-dropping burlesque acts at the Capital Burlesque Expo-Sunday Brunch!
$49.26
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Our next segment of Tea for Tara episode 3 "Finding Yourself Through Art" features Barley Burns and Kiran Niet!
Free
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2 events,Free gender affirming gear program organized by The Ten Oaks Project
Free
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3 events,
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Come join some of Ottawa’s finest drag talent as they celebrate the gothic, sexy, and hilarious sides of vampire pop culture
Free
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2 events,
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Meet new friends & lovers, make some crafts, share astrological signs.
$5 – $20
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We are back for season seven, and our first iteration features poetry, fiction and throatsinging performances centred on the theme of futurisms.
$20 – $25
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2 events, |
4 events,
Pull Up: Bianca Oblivion (LA)
Pull Up Crew, on May 15th, Groove & Bass and Pull Up presents LA's Bianca Oblivion
$16 – $24
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Spring queer indie art market at Dominion Chalmers, organized by Dyke Series
Free
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A free, 2-hour course for trans people about modelling for life drawing sessions.
Free
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3 events,
Club Mustang Rodeo
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2 events,
Club Mustang Rodeo
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4 events,Free gender affirming gear program organized by The Ten Oaks Project
Free
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They get naked. They read. A different theme every month from Ottawa's trailblazing literary salon — since July 2017.
$24
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3 events,
Virtual Event
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Virtual Event
Help shape the Ottawa Gay Garden Society's board and upcoming priorities.
Free
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3 events,A biweekly social for queer people organized by the Ottawa Senior Pride Network
Free
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Join the Rideau Speedeaus, Ottawa’s queer swim club, for a festive Queen’s Day Cheese & Wine Social + Silent Auction Fundraiser.
$10 – $20
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3 events,
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Your ONDS cast pays tribute to the movements, performance styles, and subcultures that helped shape drag into the art form we know today.
$14.11
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6 events,
Queer Bikepacking
The Temple Of Dionysus -Eros-
EROS event happening at Probe Ottawa. Get ready for an immersive experience celebrating love and passion!
$40 – $65
House of Kink – No Boys Allowed: Bleeding Mascara
NBA invites bi+* women and non-men to step into a moody, electric playground of raw energy and unapologetic desire.
$31 – $37
Sapphic Night
BJ Stoker, Sia Shadow Wysteria serves you amazing live drag performances at Ottawa's Home for Drag - 41 York St, 2nd Floor!
$17.31
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BJ Stroker, Sia Shadow and Wysteria serves you amazing live drag performances at Ottawa's Home for Drag - 41 York St, 2nd Floor!
$17.31
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8 events,
Featured
Support MAX during Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend 🏁
Featured
MAX Ottawa is fundraising through the Tamarack Race Weekend to sustain and expand our health and wellness programs.
CUFFED: Ride A Stud (Wild West Edition)
Saddle up for CUFFED: RIDE A STUD (Wild West Edition) Saturday, May 23rd |The Underground (56 ByWard)| Dress code: Western finest
$12.22 – $20
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3 events,
Queer Bikepacking
Featured
Support MAX during Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend 🏁
CUFFED: Ride A Stud (Wild West Edition)
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2 events,Free gender affirming gear program organized by The Ten Oaks Project
Free
-
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4 events,
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A powerful and thought-provoking evening with Marie Robertson, one of Canada’s most influential voices in LGBTQ+ advocacy.
Free
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Come celebrate Wysteria’s birthday feat: Vera, Austin Paradise, and Bae Root.
$8.79
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1 event,
Featured
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Featured
MAX Ottawa's monthly community group for queer African, Caribbean, and Black people. This session focuses on mental health skills and support. |
5 events,
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Head over to the NAC for Menstrual Health Day, a global movement dedicated to breaking taboos, raising awareness, and advancing equity in menstrual health. Drop-in youth group at the Ottawa Trans Library on the fourth Thursday of every month.
Free
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Ottawa’s top emerging drag artists compete to become Ottawa’s Next Drag Superstar - Thursday nights at Ottawa’s Home for Drag, The Lookout.
$14.11
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6 events,
Congrego x Club Mustang: Annx No. 6
Featured
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Featured
Un groupe mensuel pour les personnes noires queer. Ce mois, nous parlons du corps, de l'image et de la soins de soi.
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Out at Camp’s annual Sausage & Patty Fest Season Launch BBQ — an evening of BBQ classics, cold drinks, music, and community under the patio lights.
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Board game night for trans and gender-diverse people (ages 18-24) at Studio Staja
Free
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-
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6 events,
No Shade, All Shades Kiki Ball
No shade, all shades kiki ball where every color tells a story and every shade gets its shine!
$16 – $21
Queen & Queer
Get ready for another unforgettable lesboqueer night with the best crowd in the city and our amazing allies.
$30
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Bring by your plant cuttings, and bring home a brand new plant for your collection.
Free
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Prepare for a night of jaw-dropping performances, dazzling looks, fierce lip-syncs, and nonstop energy that will leave you screaming for more.
$25
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5 events,
No Shade, All Shades Kiki Ball
Queen & Queer
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The Board of Directors of the Ottawa Trans Library invites you to attend the Annual
Free
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A casual park hangout for all polyamorous, non-monogamous, and poly curious community members ages 18-35
Free
A crafternoon and social for nonbinary people at the Ottawa Trans Library
Free
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1 event,Free gender affirming gear program organized by The Ten Oaks Project
Free
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3 events,
-
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3 events,A biweekly social for queer people organized by the Ottawa Senior Pride Network
Free
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A pride-themed stand-up comedy show at Night Oat on Gladstone.
$5
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4 events,
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Get creative & customize your own tote bag with paint & good vibes in this cozy workshop! All materials provided, no experience required.
$30 – $60
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Spectacle et vente d'art franco-queer avec Jessy Lindsay, Sympa César, Emily Deschamps, DJ Bleu Pâle & invitée spéciale Qattuu au Club SAW !
$15
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2 events,A monthly gathering for older queer people organized by the Ottawa Senior Pride Network
$13 – $16
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4 events,
Risqué Rodeo – A Kinky Themed Dance Party
House of Kink invites you to a night of heart-racin’, rule-breakin’ temptation!
$38.61 – $43.93
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A DIY fundraiser variety show for and by the community, held annually around the summer solstice.
$20 – $40
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Keeping It 100: Mental Health
A NOTE ON LANGUAGE: We recognize that language is ever-changing and imperfect. The language MAX uses is flexible and tailored to our audience which includes people with specific lived experiences and needs. We use a variety of terms and acronyms as convenient, though imperfect shorthand, including the word queer as an umbrella term for all who identify as members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. Language and values change from person to person, and so you may find a range of terms being used in the community events.