The Last Gil’s Hootenanny
Ken Whiteley to headline this year’s Gil’s Hootenanny, the last in its 17-year run.
The Last Gil’s Hootenanny
By Kathy Kennedy and John Bond
If you’ve always wanted to participate in Gil’s Hootenanny, this is your last chance. May 1 will mark the 17th annual and final concert in this beloved Ottawa tradition. Over the years, thousands of Ottawans have attended the hootenanny, joining the musicians in an engaging and entertaining sing-along of songs of hope and songs of protest.
The 2026 headliner will be one of Canada’s finest musicians, Ken Whiteley. Whiteley has been playing blues, gospel and folk music for decades. He has performed or recorded with a who’s who of musical luminaries including Stan Rogers, Mose Scarlett, Jackie Washington, Pete Seeger and Tom Paxton.
A seven-time Juno nominee, Whiteley will be accompanied by string bass player par excellence Gord Mowat. Gord has been part of the celebrated Dust Poets, Das Macht Show, his own original jazz groups and, for the last 10 years, Whiteley’s Beulah Band and other projects. Together, Whiteley and Mowat will bring their vast experience to the hootenanny to encourage the audience to experience connection through the power of song.
Gil’s Hootenanny was first presented in 2010. It has welcomed a wide range of performers, many with ties to social justice or the labour movement: Sharon & Bram, James Keelaghan, Eve Goldberg, Rebecca Campbell, Coco Love Alcorn, the Moonfruits, Maria Dunn, Maria Hawkins, Tony Turner, Arthur McGregor, Chris White, Mark Evenchick and other fine musicians.
The Hootenanny is inspired by the legacy of Gil Levine, who spent his life working for social justice and was the founding director of research at the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). Gil loved folk music and was an enthusiastic supporter of folk musicians. He and his wife Helen hosted hootenannies and May Day celebrations at their home for decades. Gil would be proud that his name has become linked to a wide range of musical outreach projects that create connections with the community.
From its humble beginnings as a small, impromptu event at Ottawa’s Elmdale Tavern following Gil’s death in 2009, Gil’s Hootenanny became a catalyst for other contributions to Ottawa’s and Canada’s music scene. Ever bigger audiences joined the headliner and other featured artists in singing along with new and traditional songs of hope and protest.
For several years, Gil’s Hootenanny sponsored song writing workshops to inspire novice and experienced songwriters to create new sing-alongable songs. The contest spawned wonderful songs, most notably Tony Turner’s catchy tune “Harperman,” the 2015 Gil’s Hootenanny winner. The song, coupled with Turner’s suspension from his federal public service job, propelled the songwriter into the international spotlight for his courage and honesty as well as his stellar song-writing skills. It garnered him a Spirit of Folk Award from Folk Alliance International in 2016.
In 2018, Gil’s began co-sponsoring Big Sing Ottawa featuring community choir leader Evemarie Brunelle of Allez Chante! in Montreal. This annual workshop inspires singers at all levels to bring their voices together in unison and harmony. This event always sells out and will be held again in the fall of 2026.
Members of the Gil’s volunteer team, which include several musicians, have brought protest-music history to students in several high school classes as part of their history curriculum.
Gil’s Hootenanny is particularly proud of its connection to working people and the labour movement. Gil’s has been honoured to have the support of many national and regional labour unions, including CUPE, PSAC/NCR, CUPW, PIPSC, CAPE, UNIFOR and the CLC.
“Union sponsorship helped us keep the ticket price low and pay the performing artists decently,” says Gil’s daughter, Tamara Levine. “It also allowed us to collect and create an archive of audio, video and print material.”
The Gil’s team is currently discussing what shape future endeavours might take, perhaps reshaping Gil’s Hootenanny into sing-along events in smaller venues. Details will be announced in the fall of 2026.
Gil’s Hootenanny will wrap up its 17-year run with a poignant mixture of satisfaction, sadness and pride: satisfaction from the success of bringing the joy of singing together for change; sadness that this beloved annual event is ending, even on its own terms; and pride for the hootenanny’s impact on Canada’s cultural and political landscape.
Gil’s Hootenanny will take place at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 1 at the campus of the First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa, 30 Cleary Avenue. The venue is accessible, has ample parking and is serviced by OC Transpo. Tickets for Gil’s Hootenanny are $20. Kids are welcome to attend free of charge.
Kathy Kennedy and John Bond are on the organizing team for Gil’s Hootenanny.