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Announcing the lineup for the 20th edition x 5th anniversary of PIQUE ✨

After five years of reshaping Ottawa’s underground arts landscape, Pique arrives at its 20th edition with momentum, reflection, and an eye firmly on what’s next 👀

L I N E U P (A-Z)
🎀 @afrorck
🎀 @alsoknownasrox
🎀 @a__and.re
🎀 @backxwash
🎀 @chxmeras
🎀 @cleoforshort
🎀 @eph.anart
🎀 @djeity x @al11z
🎀 @elle_barbs
🎀 @elle_barbs
🎀 @emmagabbriel
🎀 @ref4nged
🎀 @honeydrippp
🎀 @hydearth
🎀 @phedreamour
🎀 @raf.reza
🎀 @sineila_
🎀 @sunkencages

📅 June 13, 2026
📍 Arts Court

This season’s program brings together returning collaborators and new voices from across local and international scenes, bridging different communities, genres, and styles. Get to know our lineup and grab your tickets now.

💡 TOPIQUE returns on June 12–13 as Pique’s semiannual symposium, offering a dedicated program of panels, artist talks, and demonstrations exploring equity and sustainability in the cultural sector. Save the date and register now! Programming to be announced soon so watch this space 👀

🏢 Beyond the stage, site-specific installations will take over Arts Court’s overlooked spaces. Supported by @ottawatourism as part of @cityofottawa 200th anniversary celebrations, two artists selected from an open call will exhibit installations that reflect on the Arts Court’s layered history. Artists and projects to be announced soon!

🍉 ADMISSION EQUITY is a core value of Pique. Tickets are pay-what-you-can and all-ages. Remember: when you pay $75 or more for a ticket to Pique, you help subsidize a ticket for someone else in need.
Visit the link in bio to buy tickets 🎫

Want to support Pique without buying a ticket? 💝 Contribute to the Pique Sustainability Fund (link in bio!)

Graphic design by @house9design

Thank you to our partners, funders and supporters!
@artscourt @saw_centre @ottawaartgallery @artengine @ottawadancedirective @ottawafringe @digitalartsresourcecentre @producedbyyouth
@dominioncity @projectwarp_@canada.council @cdn.heritage @ontariocreates @factorcanada @cityofottawa @ottawatourism

#ottawa #myottawa #ottawaevents @downtownrideau

On June 13, 2026, Pique celebrates its 5th anniversary and 20th edition with a milestone event that honours its evolution from a pandemic-era experiment into one of Ottawa’s most vital platforms for underground and independent art.

This anniversary edition doubles as both reflection and launchpad. As Debaser shifts into a new phase—with plans to produce two marquee editions in 2026 tied to broader city-wide celebrations—Pique #20 captures the spirit that has defined the series from the start: a space where disciplines blur, new artistic languages take shape, and audiences move fluidly between performance, installation, and participation.

📅 June 12-13, 2026
📍 Downtown Ottawa
🎟️ Link in bio to grab tickets

⭐ Lineup: @afrorck @alsoknownasrox @a__and.re @backxwash @chxmeras @cleoforshort @eph.anart @djeity x @al11z @elle_barbs @emmagabbriel @ref4nged @honeydrippp @hydearth @phedreamour @raf.reza @sineila_ @sunkencages

See you there!

Design and motion graphics: @house9design
🎶 track ID: @phedreamour - “Waccoon”

After five years of reshaping Ottawa’s underground arts landscape, Pique arrives at its 20th edition with momentum, reflection, and an eye firmly on what’s next 👀

On June 13, 2026, Pique celebrates its 5th anniversary and 20th edition with a milestone event that honours its evolution from a pandemic-era experiment into one of Ottawa’s most vital platforms for underground and independent art.

Featuring:@afrorck @alsoknownasrox @a__and.re @backxwash @chxmeras @cleoforshort @eph.anart @djeity x @al11z @elle_barbs @emmagabbriel @ref4nged @honeydrippp @hydearth @phedreamour @raf.reza @sineila_ @sunkencages

This season’s program brings together returning collaborators and new voices from across local and international scenes. It bridges different communities, genres, and styles, engaging the mind through thoughtful reflection and bold dialogue, and the body through joyous dancefloor revelations.

🍉 ADMISSION EQUITY is a core value of Pique. Tickets are pay-what-you-can and all-ages. Remember: when you pay $75 or more for a ticket to Pique, you help subsidize a ticket for someone else in need.
Visit the link in bio to buy tickets 🎫

Want to support Pique without buying a ticket? 💝 Contribute to the Pique Sustainability Fund (link in bio!)

Graphic design by @house9design
Track ID: @phedreamour - Prayer

Thank you to our partners, funders and supporters!
@artscourt @saw_centre @ottawaartgallery @artengine @ottawadancedirective @ottawafringe @digitalartsresourcecentre @producedbyyouth
@dominioncity @projectwarp_ @exclaimdotca @festapp_ca @canada.council @cdn.heritage @ontariocreates @factorcanada @cityofottawa @ottawatourism

#ottawa #myottawa #ottawaevents @downtownrideau

Back to blow your mind is MTL rave legend @honeydripp, marking her second Pique performance on June 13 💥

The acclaimed bass music producer and DJ has concocted a signature sound propelled by the textures of dub, reggae, and dancehall. Off stage, her work as a speaker builder @morphsounds has influenced women and LGBTQ+ folks across artistic communities to get more involved in sound system culture.

Her musical mystique has sparked curiosity across European, Canadian, and South American club scenes and animated the rosters of @banoffeepiesrecords, @woozy_dub, @earlyreflex and more ❤️‍🔥

Bask in her glow and soak up the summer at Arts Court on June 13 – tickets via link in bio or thisispique.com 🎟️

Back to blow your mind is MTL rave legend @honeydripp, marking her second Pique performance on June 13 💥

The acclaimed bass music producer and DJ has concocted a signature sound propelled by the textures of dub, reggae, and dancehall. Off stage, her work as a speaker builder @morphsounds has influenced women and LGBTQ+ folks across artistic communities to get more involved in sound system culture.

Her musical mystique has sparked curiosity across European, Canadian, and South American club scenes and animated the rosters of @banoffeepiesrecords, @woozy_dub, @earlyreflex and more ❤️‍🔥

Bask in her glow and soak up the summer at Arts Court on June 13 – tickets via link in bio or thisispique.com 🎟️

@alsoknownasrox turns live coding into performance at Pique 💻

The NYC-based new media artist and musician-programmer approaches digital programming as a live artistic medium, manipulating sound and structure in real time through improvisation and experimentation. Her practice reflects a deep commitment to algorithmic transparency and creative vulnerability, pushing the boundaries of programming as a creative medium. With a B.A. in Computer Science and Music from Yale University and an M.F.A. candidacy in Design | Media Arts at UCLA, alsoknownasrox brings technical expertise and an artist’s intuition to her work.

alsoknownasrox makes her Arts Court debut on June 13 in Ottawa – tickets via link in bio or thisispique.com 🎟️

@alsoknownasrox turns live coding into performance at Pique 💻

The NYC-based new media artist and musician-programmer approaches digital programming as a live artistic medium, manipulating sound and structure in real time through improvisation and experimentation. Her practice reflects a deep commitment to algorithmic transparency and creative vulnerability, pushing the boundaries of programming as a creative medium. With a B.A. in Computer Science and Music from Yale University and an M.F.A. candidacy in Design | Media Arts at UCLA, alsoknownasrox brings technical expertise and an artist’s intuition to her work.

alsoknownasrox makes her Arts Court debut on June 13 in Ottawa – tickets via link in bio or thisispique.com 🎟️

A special LAYLIT X PIQUE takeover of @citygridwrks opening Pique’s 5-year anniversary weekend celebrations! 🎉

Collaborators since 2022, Debaser first partnered with @laylit when the collective curated programming at Pique. Four years later, Laylit has become a cornerstone of Ottawa nightlife, regularly hosting sold-out events each season. Together, Laylit and Debaser have cultivated a vibrant safer space where Arab/SWANA and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities can gather, celebrate, and connect through joy on the dancefloor.

On Friday, June 12, we kick off our birthday celebrations with one of our most impactful partnerships by offering PWYC tickets to Laylit for the first time since 2022. Sliding scale and subsidized tickets are available online while supplies last (and they will sell out!) so get your tickets now!

Laylit is a platform and collective celebrating music and artists from the Arab/SWANA region and its diaspora. Over the last four years their dance parties in New York City and Montreal have carved out an unmatched place in North American nightlife, becoming an anticipated social gathering and unique musical experience.

Experience Pique from June 12-13, with performances, panels, installations, film screenings, and more! Visit thisispique.ca or the link in bio for tickets and more information 🎟️

A special LAYLIT X PIQUE takeover of @citygridwrks opening Pique’s 5-year anniversary weekend celebrations! 🎉

Collaborators since 2022, Debaser first partnered with @laylit when the collective curated programming at Pique. Four years later, Laylit has become a cornerstone of Ottawa nightlife, regularly hosting sold-out events each season. Together, Laylit and Debaser have cultivated a vibrant safer space where Arab/SWANA and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities can gather, celebrate, and connect through joy on the dancefloor.

On Friday, June 12, we kick off our birthday celebrations with one of our most impactful partnerships by offering PWYC tickets to Laylit for the first time since 2022. Sliding scale and subsidized tickets are available online while supplies last (and they will sell out!) so get your tickets now!

Laylit is a platform and collective celebrating music and artists from the Arab/SWANA region and its diaspora. Over the last four years their dance parties in New York City and Montreal have carved out an unmatched place in North American nightlife, becoming an anticipated social gathering and unique musical experience.

Experience Pique from June 12-13, with performances, panels, installations, film screenings, and more! Visit thisispique.ca or the link in bio for tickets and more information 🎟️

A special LAYLIT X PIQUE takeover of @citygridwrks opening Pique’s 5-year anniversary weekend celebrations! 🎉

Collaborators since 2022, Debaser first partnered with @laylit when the collective curated programming at Pique. Four years later, Laylit has become a cornerstone of Ottawa nightlife, regularly hosting sold-out events each season. Together, Laylit and Debaser have cultivated a vibrant safer space where Arab/SWANA and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities can gather, celebrate, and connect through joy on the dancefloor.

On Friday, June 12, we kick off our birthday celebrations with one of our most impactful partnerships by offering PWYC tickets to Laylit for the first time since 2022. Sliding scale and subsidized tickets are available online while supplies last (and they will sell out!) so get your tickets now!

Laylit is a platform and collective celebrating music and artists from the Arab/SWANA region and its diaspora. Over the last four years their dance parties in New York City and Montreal have carved out an unmatched place in North American nightlife, becoming an anticipated social gathering and unique musical experience.

Experience Pique from June 12-13, with performances, panels, installations, film screenings, and more! Visit thisispique.ca or the link in bio for tickets and more information 🎟️

A special LAYLIT X PIQUE takeover of @citygridwrks opening Pique’s 5-year anniversary weekend celebrations! 🎉

Collaborators since 2022, Debaser first partnered with @laylit when the collective curated programming at Pique. Four years later, Laylit has become a cornerstone of Ottawa nightlife, regularly hosting sold-out events each season. Together, Laylit and Debaser have cultivated a vibrant safer space where Arab/SWANA and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities can gather, celebrate, and connect through joy on the dancefloor.

On Friday, June 12, we kick off our birthday celebrations with one of our most impactful partnerships by offering PWYC tickets to Laylit for the first time since 2022. Sliding scale and subsidized tickets are available online while supplies last (and they will sell out!) so get your tickets now!

Laylit is a platform and collective celebrating music and artists from the Arab/SWANA region and its diaspora. Over the last four years their dance parties in New York City and Montreal have carved out an unmatched place in North American nightlife, becoming an anticipated social gathering and unique musical experience.

Experience Pique from June 12-13, with performances, panels, installations, film screenings, and more! Visit thisispique.ca or the link in bio for tickets and more information 🎟️

Five years ago, in the middle of the pandemic, Pique was just an idea: a new space for underground, experimental, and multidisciplinary art in Ottawa at a moment when many of the city’s independent festivals and DIY spaces had disappeared.

Inspired in part by Debaser’s earlier pay-what-you-can series Fryquency (2013–2015) at the old Jail Hostel bar beside Arts Court, Pique was built to fill a growing gap in the region’s music and arts landscape — a place for adventurous programming that felt accessible, community-driven, and deeply collaborative.

Originally planned for 2020, the festival was postponed by the pandemic and instead launched online in June 2021. A few months later, the first hybrid edition welcomed a sold-out crowd back into Arts Court for a lineup spanning live music, drag, comedy, installations, DJ sets, and performances from artists including recent Polaris Prize winner @backxwash (who returns for the 5th anniversary this June).

Since then, Pique has grown far beyond what we imagined: 20 editions, hundreds of artists and collaborators, international partnerships, visionary guest curators, artist residencies, site-specific interventions, legendary kiki balls, and packed rooms full of people showing up for boundary-pushing work.

On June 13, we celebrate Pique’s 5-year anniversary and 20th edition in the place that has shaped the festival since day one: @artscourt, alongside the incredible host partners and organizations that helped bring it to life — @saw_centre @ottawaartgallery @digitalartsresourcecentre @artengine @ottawadancedirective @ottawafringe @ottawa.animationfestival

Looking back at Pique’s first five editions and the people, performances, and moments that built this festival from the ground up.

20 editions later, Pique is still here: championing experimentation, celebrating collaboration, and creating space for Ottawa’s creative underground to thrive.

Pique #20 - 5-year anniversary 🎉
📆 June 12-13, 2026
📍 @artscourt
🎟️ link in bio to grab a ticket

Image list in comments

Five years ago, in the middle of the pandemic, Pique was just an idea: a new space for underground, experimental, and multidisciplinary art in Ottawa at a moment when many of the city’s independent festivals and DIY spaces had disappeared.

Inspired in part by Debaser’s earlier pay-what-you-can series Fryquency (2013–2015) at the old Jail Hostel bar beside Arts Court, Pique was built to fill a growing gap in the region’s music and arts landscape — a place for adventurous programming that felt accessible, community-driven, and deeply collaborative.

Originally planned for 2020, the festival was postponed by the pandemic and instead launched online in June 2021. A few months later, the first hybrid edition welcomed a sold-out crowd back into Arts Court for a lineup spanning live music, drag, comedy, installations, DJ sets, and performances from artists including recent Polaris Prize winner @backxwash (who returns for the 5th anniversary this June).

Since then, Pique has grown far beyond what we imagined: 20 editions, hundreds of artists and collaborators, international partnerships, visionary guest curators, artist residencies, site-specific interventions, legendary kiki balls, and packed rooms full of people showing up for boundary-pushing work.

On June 13, we celebrate Pique’s 5-year anniversary and 20th edition in the place that has shaped the festival since day one: @artscourt, alongside the incredible host partners and organizations that helped bring it to life — @saw_centre @ottawaartgallery @digitalartsresourcecentre @artengine @ottawadancedirective @ottawafringe @ottawa.animationfestival

Looking back at Pique’s first five editions and the people, performances, and moments that built this festival from the ground up.

20 editions later, Pique is still here: championing experimentation, celebrating collaboration, and creating space for Ottawa’s creative underground to thrive.

Pique #20 - 5-year anniversary 🎉
📆 June 12-13, 2026
📍 @artscourt
🎟️ link in bio to grab a ticket

Image list in comments

Five years ago, in the middle of the pandemic, Pique was just an idea: a new space for underground, experimental, and multidisciplinary art in Ottawa at a moment when many of the city’s independent festivals and DIY spaces had disappeared.

Inspired in part by Debaser’s earlier pay-what-you-can series Fryquency (2013–2015) at the old Jail Hostel bar beside Arts Court, Pique was built to fill a growing gap in the region’s music and arts landscape — a place for adventurous programming that felt accessible, community-driven, and deeply collaborative.

Originally planned for 2020, the festival was postponed by the pandemic and instead launched online in June 2021. A few months later, the first hybrid edition welcomed a sold-out crowd back into Arts Court for a lineup spanning live music, drag, comedy, installations, DJ sets, and performances from artists including recent Polaris Prize winner @backxwash (who returns for the 5th anniversary this June).

Since then, Pique has grown far beyond what we imagined: 20 editions, hundreds of artists and collaborators, international partnerships, visionary guest curators, artist residencies, site-specific interventions, legendary kiki balls, and packed rooms full of people showing up for boundary-pushing work.

On June 13, we celebrate Pique’s 5-year anniversary and 20th edition in the place that has shaped the festival since day one: @artscourt, alongside the incredible host partners and organizations that helped bring it to life — @saw_centre @ottawaartgallery @digitalartsresourcecentre @artengine @ottawadancedirective @ottawafringe @ottawa.animationfestival

Looking back at Pique’s first five editions and the people, performances, and moments that built this festival from the ground up.

20 editions later, Pique is still here: championing experimentation, celebrating collaboration, and creating space for Ottawa’s creative underground to thrive.

Pique #20 - 5-year anniversary 🎉
📆 June 12-13, 2026
📍 @artscourt
🎟️ link in bio to grab a ticket

Image list in comments

Five years ago, in the middle of the pandemic, Pique was just an idea: a new space for underground, experimental, and multidisciplinary art in Ottawa at a moment when many of the city’s independent festivals and DIY spaces had disappeared.

Inspired in part by Debaser’s earlier pay-what-you-can series Fryquency (2013–2015) at the old Jail Hostel bar beside Arts Court, Pique was built to fill a growing gap in the region’s music and arts landscape — a place for adventurous programming that felt accessible, community-driven, and deeply collaborative.

Originally planned for 2020, the festival was postponed by the pandemic and instead launched online in June 2021. A few months later, the first hybrid edition welcomed a sold-out crowd back into Arts Court for a lineup spanning live music, drag, comedy, installations, DJ sets, and performances from artists including recent Polaris Prize winner @backxwash (who returns for the 5th anniversary this June).

Since then, Pique has grown far beyond what we imagined: 20 editions, hundreds of artists and collaborators, international partnerships, visionary guest curators, artist residencies, site-specific interventions, legendary kiki balls, and packed rooms full of people showing up for boundary-pushing work.

On June 13, we celebrate Pique’s 5-year anniversary and 20th edition in the place that has shaped the festival since day one: @artscourt, alongside the incredible host partners and organizations that helped bring it to life — @saw_centre @ottawaartgallery @digitalartsresourcecentre @artengine @ottawadancedirective @ottawafringe @ottawa.animationfestival

Looking back at Pique’s first five editions and the people, performances, and moments that built this festival from the ground up.

20 editions later, Pique is still here: championing experimentation, celebrating collaboration, and creating space for Ottawa’s creative underground to thrive.

Pique #20 - 5-year anniversary 🎉
📆 June 12-13, 2026
📍 @artscourt
🎟️ link in bio to grab a ticket

Image list in comments

Five years ago, in the middle of the pandemic, Pique was just an idea: a new space for underground, experimental, and multidisciplinary art in Ottawa at a moment when many of the city’s independent festivals and DIY spaces had disappeared.

Inspired in part by Debaser’s earlier pay-what-you-can series Fryquency (2013–2015) at the old Jail Hostel bar beside Arts Court, Pique was built to fill a growing gap in the region’s music and arts landscape — a place for adventurous programming that felt accessible, community-driven, and deeply collaborative.

Originally planned for 2020, the festival was postponed by the pandemic and instead launched online in June 2021. A few months later, the first hybrid edition welcomed a sold-out crowd back into Arts Court for a lineup spanning live music, drag, comedy, installations, DJ sets, and performances from artists including recent Polaris Prize winner @backxwash (who returns for the 5th anniversary this June).

Since then, Pique has grown far beyond what we imagined: 20 editions, hundreds of artists and collaborators, international partnerships, visionary guest curators, artist residencies, site-specific interventions, legendary kiki balls, and packed rooms full of people showing up for boundary-pushing work.

On June 13, we celebrate Pique’s 5-year anniversary and 20th edition in the place that has shaped the festival since day one: @artscourt, alongside the incredible host partners and organizations that helped bring it to life — @saw_centre @ottawaartgallery @digitalartsresourcecentre @artengine @ottawadancedirective @ottawafringe @ottawa.animationfestival

Looking back at Pique’s first five editions and the people, performances, and moments that built this festival from the ground up.

20 editions later, Pique is still here: championing experimentation, celebrating collaboration, and creating space for Ottawa’s creative underground to thrive.

Pique #20 - 5-year anniversary 🎉
📆 June 12-13, 2026
📍 @artscourt
🎟️ link in bio to grab a ticket

Image list in comments

Five years ago, in the middle of the pandemic, Pique was just an idea: a new space for underground, experimental, and multidisciplinary art in Ottawa at a moment when many of the city’s independent festivals and DIY spaces had disappeared.

Inspired in part by Debaser’s earlier pay-what-you-can series Fryquency (2013–2015) at the old Jail Hostel bar beside Arts Court, Pique was built to fill a growing gap in the region’s music and arts landscape — a place for adventurous programming that felt accessible, community-driven, and deeply collaborative.

Originally planned for 2020, the festival was postponed by the pandemic and instead launched online in June 2021. A few months later, the first hybrid edition welcomed a sold-out crowd back into Arts Court for a lineup spanning live music, drag, comedy, installations, DJ sets, and performances from artists including recent Polaris Prize winner @backxwash (who returns for the 5th anniversary this June).

Since then, Pique has grown far beyond what we imagined: 20 editions, hundreds of artists and collaborators, international partnerships, visionary guest curators, artist residencies, site-specific interventions, legendary kiki balls, and packed rooms full of people showing up for boundary-pushing work.

On June 13, we celebrate Pique’s 5-year anniversary and 20th edition in the place that has shaped the festival since day one: @artscourt, alongside the incredible host partners and organizations that helped bring it to life — @saw_centre @ottawaartgallery @digitalartsresourcecentre @artengine @ottawadancedirective @ottawafringe @ottawa.animationfestival

Looking back at Pique’s first five editions and the people, performances, and moments that built this festival from the ground up.

20 editions later, Pique is still here: championing experimentation, celebrating collaboration, and creating space for Ottawa’s creative underground to thrive.

Pique #20 - 5-year anniversary 🎉
📆 June 12-13, 2026
📍 @artscourt
🎟️ link in bio to grab a ticket

Image list in comments

Five years ago, in the middle of the pandemic, Pique was just an idea: a new space for underground, experimental, and multidisciplinary art in Ottawa at a moment when many of the city’s independent festivals and DIY spaces had disappeared.

Inspired in part by Debaser’s earlier pay-what-you-can series Fryquency (2013–2015) at the old Jail Hostel bar beside Arts Court, Pique was built to fill a growing gap in the region’s music and arts landscape — a place for adventurous programming that felt accessible, community-driven, and deeply collaborative.

Originally planned for 2020, the festival was postponed by the pandemic and instead launched online in June 2021. A few months later, the first hybrid edition welcomed a sold-out crowd back into Arts Court for a lineup spanning live music, drag, comedy, installations, DJ sets, and performances from artists including recent Polaris Prize winner @backxwash (who returns for the 5th anniversary this June).

Since then, Pique has grown far beyond what we imagined: 20 editions, hundreds of artists and collaborators, international partnerships, visionary guest curators, artist residencies, site-specific interventions, legendary kiki balls, and packed rooms full of people showing up for boundary-pushing work.

On June 13, we celebrate Pique’s 5-year anniversary and 20th edition in the place that has shaped the festival since day one: @artscourt, alongside the incredible host partners and organizations that helped bring it to life — @saw_centre @ottawaartgallery @digitalartsresourcecentre @artengine @ottawadancedirective @ottawafringe @ottawa.animationfestival

Looking back at Pique’s first five editions and the people, performances, and moments that built this festival from the ground up.

20 editions later, Pique is still here: championing experimentation, celebrating collaboration, and creating space for Ottawa’s creative underground to thrive.

Pique #20 - 5-year anniversary 🎉
📆 June 12-13, 2026
📍 @artscourt
🎟️ link in bio to grab a ticket

Image list in comments

Five years ago, in the middle of the pandemic, Pique was just an idea: a new space for underground, experimental, and multidisciplinary art in Ottawa at a moment when many of the city’s independent festivals and DIY spaces had disappeared.

Inspired in part by Debaser’s earlier pay-what-you-can series Fryquency (2013–2015) at the old Jail Hostel bar beside Arts Court, Pique was built to fill a growing gap in the region’s music and arts landscape — a place for adventurous programming that felt accessible, community-driven, and deeply collaborative.

Originally planned for 2020, the festival was postponed by the pandemic and instead launched online in June 2021. A few months later, the first hybrid edition welcomed a sold-out crowd back into Arts Court for a lineup spanning live music, drag, comedy, installations, DJ sets, and performances from artists including recent Polaris Prize winner @backxwash (who returns for the 5th anniversary this June).

Since then, Pique has grown far beyond what we imagined: 20 editions, hundreds of artists and collaborators, international partnerships, visionary guest curators, artist residencies, site-specific interventions, legendary kiki balls, and packed rooms full of people showing up for boundary-pushing work.

On June 13, we celebrate Pique’s 5-year anniversary and 20th edition in the place that has shaped the festival since day one: @artscourt, alongside the incredible host partners and organizations that helped bring it to life — @saw_centre @ottawaartgallery @digitalartsresourcecentre @artengine @ottawadancedirective @ottawafringe @ottawa.animationfestival

Looking back at Pique’s first five editions and the people, performances, and moments that built this festival from the ground up.

20 editions later, Pique is still here: championing experimentation, celebrating collaboration, and creating space for Ottawa’s creative underground to thrive.

Pique #20 - 5-year anniversary 🎉
📆 June 12-13, 2026
📍 @artscourt
🎟️ link in bio to grab a ticket

Image list in comments

Five years ago, in the middle of the pandemic, Pique was just an idea: a new space for underground, experimental, and multidisciplinary art in Ottawa at a moment when many of the city’s independent festivals and DIY spaces had disappeared.

Inspired in part by Debaser’s earlier pay-what-you-can series Fryquency (2013–2015) at the old Jail Hostel bar beside Arts Court, Pique was built to fill a growing gap in the region’s music and arts landscape — a place for adventurous programming that felt accessible, community-driven, and deeply collaborative.

Originally planned for 2020, the festival was postponed by the pandemic and instead launched online in June 2021. A few months later, the first hybrid edition welcomed a sold-out crowd back into Arts Court for a lineup spanning live music, drag, comedy, installations, DJ sets, and performances from artists including recent Polaris Prize winner @backxwash (who returns for the 5th anniversary this June).

Since then, Pique has grown far beyond what we imagined: 20 editions, hundreds of artists and collaborators, international partnerships, visionary guest curators, artist residencies, site-specific interventions, legendary kiki balls, and packed rooms full of people showing up for boundary-pushing work.

On June 13, we celebrate Pique’s 5-year anniversary and 20th edition in the place that has shaped the festival since day one: @artscourt, alongside the incredible host partners and organizations that helped bring it to life — @saw_centre @ottawaartgallery @digitalartsresourcecentre @artengine @ottawadancedirective @ottawafringe @ottawa.animationfestival

Looking back at Pique’s first five editions and the people, performances, and moments that built this festival from the ground up.

20 editions later, Pique is still here: championing experimentation, celebrating collaboration, and creating space for Ottawa’s creative underground to thrive.

Pique #20 - 5-year anniversary 🎉
📆 June 12-13, 2026
📍 @artscourt
🎟️ link in bio to grab a ticket

Image list in comments

Five years ago, in the middle of the pandemic, Pique was just an idea: a new space for underground, experimental, and multidisciplinary art in Ottawa at a moment when many of the city’s independent festivals and DIY spaces had disappeared.

Inspired in part by Debaser’s earlier pay-what-you-can series Fryquency (2013–2015) at the old Jail Hostel bar beside Arts Court, Pique was built to fill a growing gap in the region’s music and arts landscape — a place for adventurous programming that felt accessible, community-driven, and deeply collaborative.

Originally planned for 2020, the festival was postponed by the pandemic and instead launched online in June 2021. A few months later, the first hybrid edition welcomed a sold-out crowd back into Arts Court for a lineup spanning live music, drag, comedy, installations, DJ sets, and performances from artists including recent Polaris Prize winner @backxwash (who returns for the 5th anniversary this June).

Since then, Pique has grown far beyond what we imagined: 20 editions, hundreds of artists and collaborators, international partnerships, visionary guest curators, artist residencies, site-specific interventions, legendary kiki balls, and packed rooms full of people showing up for boundary-pushing work.

On June 13, we celebrate Pique’s 5-year anniversary and 20th edition in the place that has shaped the festival since day one: @artscourt, alongside the incredible host partners and organizations that helped bring it to life — @saw_centre @ottawaartgallery @digitalartsresourcecentre @artengine @ottawadancedirective @ottawafringe @ottawa.animationfestival

Looking back at Pique’s first five editions and the people, performances, and moments that built this festival from the ground up.

20 editions later, Pique is still here: championing experimentation, celebrating collaboration, and creating space for Ottawa’s creative underground to thrive.

Pique #20 - 5-year anniversary 🎉
📆 June 12-13, 2026
📍 @artscourt
🎟️ link in bio to grab a ticket

Image list in comments

Five years ago, in the middle of the pandemic, Pique was just an idea: a new space for underground, experimental, and multidisciplinary art in Ottawa at a moment when many of the city’s independent festivals and DIY spaces had disappeared.

Inspired in part by Debaser’s earlier pay-what-you-can series Fryquency (2013–2015) at the old Jail Hostel bar beside Arts Court, Pique was built to fill a growing gap in the region’s music and arts landscape — a place for adventurous programming that felt accessible, community-driven, and deeply collaborative.

Originally planned for 2020, the festival was postponed by the pandemic and instead launched online in June 2021. A few months later, the first hybrid edition welcomed a sold-out crowd back into Arts Court for a lineup spanning live music, drag, comedy, installations, DJ sets, and performances from artists including recent Polaris Prize winner @backxwash (who returns for the 5th anniversary this June).

Since then, Pique has grown far beyond what we imagined: 20 editions, hundreds of artists and collaborators, international partnerships, visionary guest curators, artist residencies, site-specific interventions, legendary kiki balls, and packed rooms full of people showing up for boundary-pushing work.

On June 13, we celebrate Pique’s 5-year anniversary and 20th edition in the place that has shaped the festival since day one: @artscourt, alongside the incredible host partners and organizations that helped bring it to life — @saw_centre @ottawaartgallery @digitalartsresourcecentre @artengine @ottawadancedirective @ottawafringe @ottawa.animationfestival

Looking back at Pique’s first five editions and the people, performances, and moments that built this festival from the ground up.

20 editions later, Pique is still here: championing experimentation, celebrating collaboration, and creating space for Ottawa’s creative underground to thrive.

Pique #20 - 5-year anniversary 🎉
📆 June 12-13, 2026
📍 @artscourt
🎟️ link in bio to grab a ticket

Image list in comments

What might creative practice look like outside of extractive and exclusionary systems? Which tools, technologies, and forms of knowledge already exist within our communities, and how can they be reimagined for collective ownership and local responsiveness? 🛠️

On Saturday, June 13, Topique brings together artists, engineers, and community organizers for “Decolonial Devices and Community Sound Design: Seizing the Means of Production” to consider these questions 🧠💡 Through presentations, demonstrations, and a panel discussion, participants will explore decolonial and community-led approaches to sound, technology, and experimentation, grounded in knowledge-sharing and collective care.

Featuring:
⚙️ @afrorck: Multidisciplinary artist, electronic musician, and pioneer of Africa’s first DIY modular synthesizer
🪚 @honeydripp of @morphsounds: Women-/queer-led collective dedicated to uplifting marginalized practitioners in the technical and creative realms of sound system building
🪛 @lita.systems and @alsoknownasrox of @sonicliberationdevices: Musical series/collective of artists, designers, engineers, organizers, and educators dedicated to re-imagining musical inventions as technologies of liberation
🎙️ Moderated by @marinara3000

Admission to all Topique sessions is pay-what-you-can online or at the door - visit thisispique.com for more info 🎟️🔗

Topique is made possible with support from @ontariocreates and @factorcanada – thank you to @artengine for hosting.

What might creative practice look like outside of extractive and exclusionary systems? Which tools, technologies, and forms of knowledge already exist within our communities, and how can they be reimagined for collective ownership and local responsiveness? 🛠️

On Saturday, June 13, Topique brings together artists, engineers, and community organizers for “Decolonial Devices and Community Sound Design: Seizing the Means of Production” to consider these questions 🧠💡 Through presentations, demonstrations, and a panel discussion, participants will explore decolonial and community-led approaches to sound, technology, and experimentation, grounded in knowledge-sharing and collective care.

Featuring:
⚙️ @afrorck: Multidisciplinary artist, electronic musician, and pioneer of Africa’s first DIY modular synthesizer
🪚 @honeydripp of @morphsounds: Women-/queer-led collective dedicated to uplifting marginalized practitioners in the technical and creative realms of sound system building
🪛 @lita.systems and @alsoknownasrox of @sonicliberationdevices: Musical series/collective of artists, designers, engineers, organizers, and educators dedicated to re-imagining musical inventions as technologies of liberation
🎙️ Moderated by @marinara3000

Admission to all Topique sessions is pay-what-you-can online or at the door - visit thisispique.com for more info 🎟️🔗

Topique is made possible with support from @ontariocreates and @factorcanada – thank you to @artengine for hosting.

What might creative practice look like outside of extractive and exclusionary systems? Which tools, technologies, and forms of knowledge already exist within our communities, and how can they be reimagined for collective ownership and local responsiveness? 🛠️

On Saturday, June 13, Topique brings together artists, engineers, and community organizers for “Decolonial Devices and Community Sound Design: Seizing the Means of Production” to consider these questions 🧠💡 Through presentations, demonstrations, and a panel discussion, participants will explore decolonial and community-led approaches to sound, technology, and experimentation, grounded in knowledge-sharing and collective care.

Featuring:
⚙️ @afrorck: Multidisciplinary artist, electronic musician, and pioneer of Africa’s first DIY modular synthesizer
🪚 @honeydripp of @morphsounds: Women-/queer-led collective dedicated to uplifting marginalized practitioners in the technical and creative realms of sound system building
🪛 @lita.systems and @alsoknownasrox of @sonicliberationdevices: Musical series/collective of artists, designers, engineers, organizers, and educators dedicated to re-imagining musical inventions as technologies of liberation
🎙️ Moderated by @marinara3000

Admission to all Topique sessions is pay-what-you-can online or at the door - visit thisispique.com for more info 🎟️🔗

Topique is made possible with support from @ontariocreates and @factorcanada – thank you to @artengine for hosting.

What might creative practice look like outside of extractive and exclusionary systems? Which tools, technologies, and forms of knowledge already exist within our communities, and how can they be reimagined for collective ownership and local responsiveness? 🛠️

On Saturday, June 13, Topique brings together artists, engineers, and community organizers for “Decolonial Devices and Community Sound Design: Seizing the Means of Production” to consider these questions 🧠💡 Through presentations, demonstrations, and a panel discussion, participants will explore decolonial and community-led approaches to sound, technology, and experimentation, grounded in knowledge-sharing and collective care.

Featuring:
⚙️ @afrorck: Multidisciplinary artist, electronic musician, and pioneer of Africa’s first DIY modular synthesizer
🪚 @honeydripp of @morphsounds: Women-/queer-led collective dedicated to uplifting marginalized practitioners in the technical and creative realms of sound system building
🪛 @lita.systems and @alsoknownasrox of @sonicliberationdevices: Musical series/collective of artists, designers, engineers, organizers, and educators dedicated to re-imagining musical inventions as technologies of liberation
🎙️ Moderated by @marinara3000

Admission to all Topique sessions is pay-what-you-can online or at the door - visit thisispique.com for more info 🎟️🔗

Topique is made possible with support from @ontariocreates and @factorcanada – thank you to @artengine for hosting.

Montreal-based DJ and @trashed.party producer @ref4nged takes to Pique’s late-night stage on June 13, ready to disrupt ⚡

Drawn to the intensity of a club floor, fangsie! is a steadfast advocate for music’s transformative properties. His sets infuse electro, global club, and hardstyle to concoct a high-energy, healing pulse.

Abandon your restraint and experience fangsie!’s sonic fervour for yourself at Arts Court—tickets via link in bio or thisispique.com 🎟️

Montreal-based DJ and @trashed.party producer @ref4nged takes to Pique’s late-night stage on June 13, ready to disrupt ⚡

Drawn to the intensity of a club floor, fangsie! is a steadfast advocate for music’s transformative properties. His sets infuse electro, global club, and hardstyle to concoct a high-energy, healing pulse.

Abandon your restraint and experience fangsie!’s sonic fervour for yourself at Arts Court—tickets via link in bio or thisispique.com 🎟️

Witness the elemental transformation of @hyd.earth live at Pique on June 13 🔄

From co-creating QT alongside the late @sophie_msmsmsm and @agcook404 to releasing their resonant debut “Clearing,” Hayden Dunham has carved out a singular space within avant-pop. Through Hyd, Dunham moves between elemental states of being—fire (destruction), ash (rebuilding), seed (germination), and air (emergence)—to build immersive audio-visual worlds shaped by experimentation and sensory detail.

At Pique, Hyd brings a stimulating rush to Arts Court in Ottawa. Tickets available now via the link in bio or thisispique.com 🎟️

Witness the elemental transformation of @hyd.earth live at Pique on June 13 🔄

From co-creating QT alongside the late @sophie_msmsmsm and @agcook404 to releasing their resonant debut “Clearing,” Hayden Dunham has carved out a singular space within avant-pop. Through Hyd, Dunham moves between elemental states of being—fire (destruction), ash (rebuilding), seed (germination), and air (emergence)—to build immersive audio-visual worlds shaped by experimentation and sensory detail.

At Pique, Hyd brings a stimulating rush to Arts Court in Ottawa. Tickets available now via the link in bio or thisispique.com 🎟️

Alternative-R&B artist @emmagabbriel invites you to melt into her magic at Pique’s 5-year anniversary ✨

The Ottawa-based singer-songwriter’s evocative storytelling has cemented her title as a rising star in the Canadian music scene, and earned her a Solo Artist of the Year nomination at the Capital Music Awards. Her latest EP, Crushed, recounts her coming-of-age journey, marked by personal strife and continued evolution ❤️‍🩹

Gabriel has graced stages across Canada and internationally, including @departurefest and @pitchscotland, with vibrant energy. On June 13, she takes to Arts Court ready to bare her soul and free her mind. Get your tickets to Pique’s summer edition via the link in bio or thisispique.com 🎟️

More than just a music fest, Pique is a multi-arts extravaganza 🎨

Pique’s 20th edition on June 13 at Arts Court includes installations that are contemplative, interactive, and subversive, featuring...

🏡 Home Beyond Borders 🏡
Curated by Danayit Zeru (@eph.anart), this multidisciplinary arts project explores the emotional, psychological, and personal dimensions of “home.” Rather than treating home as a fixed geographic location, the installation considers home to be an evolving and deeply subjective experience—shaped by memory, relationships, identity, and inner worlds.

Home Beyond Borders will also feature an artist talkback and curator tour, with more details to be announced soon!

☎️ The Telesymphonic Booth ☎️
Created by Eric Quach (@thisquietarmy), The Telesymphonic Booth is an interactive installation featuring two public payphones transformed into electroacoustic instruments. Visitors create evolving soundscapes using voice and touch-tone dialing, with keypad tones replaced by curated electronic sounds. Blending sound art and participation, the work turns a familiar device into a space for creativity, reflection, and shared listening.

🧹 Lesbian Community Service 🧹
The Arts Court staircase is due for a cleanup. Commemorating the lesbian community service that came before them, this trio of artists (@washingmachine_art @aash.barbu @androgynousmuppet) will be starting their hours during Pique #20...

Want to experience these installations for yourself? Grab your tickets today at the link in our bio or at thisispique.com 🔗

🤍 Home Beyond Borders is presented in partnership with @projectwarp_
🤍 The Telesymphonic Booth and Lesbian Community Service are supported by @ottawatourism as part of the 200th anniversary celebrations of the founding of Bytown @cityofottawa

More than just a music fest, Pique is a multi-arts extravaganza 🎨

Pique’s 20th edition on June 13 at Arts Court includes installations that are contemplative, interactive, and subversive, featuring...

🏡 Home Beyond Borders 🏡
Curated by Danayit Zeru (@eph.anart), this multidisciplinary arts project explores the emotional, psychological, and personal dimensions of “home.” Rather than treating home as a fixed geographic location, the installation considers home to be an evolving and deeply subjective experience—shaped by memory, relationships, identity, and inner worlds.

Home Beyond Borders will also feature an artist talkback and curator tour, with more details to be announced soon!

☎️ The Telesymphonic Booth ☎️
Created by Eric Quach (@thisquietarmy), The Telesymphonic Booth is an interactive installation featuring two public payphones transformed into electroacoustic instruments. Visitors create evolving soundscapes using voice and touch-tone dialing, with keypad tones replaced by curated electronic sounds. Blending sound art and participation, the work turns a familiar device into a space for creativity, reflection, and shared listening.

🧹 Lesbian Community Service 🧹
The Arts Court staircase is due for a cleanup. Commemorating the lesbian community service that came before them, this trio of artists (@washingmachine_art @aash.barbu @androgynousmuppet) will be starting their hours during Pique #20...

Want to experience these installations for yourself? Grab your tickets today at the link in our bio or at thisispique.com 🔗

🤍 Home Beyond Borders is presented in partnership with @projectwarp_
🤍 The Telesymphonic Booth and Lesbian Community Service are supported by @ottawatourism as part of the 200th anniversary celebrations of the founding of Bytown @cityofottawa

More than just a music fest, Pique is a multi-arts extravaganza 🎨

Pique’s 20th edition on June 13 at Arts Court includes installations that are contemplative, interactive, and subversive, featuring...

🏡 Home Beyond Borders 🏡
Curated by Danayit Zeru (@eph.anart), this multidisciplinary arts project explores the emotional, psychological, and personal dimensions of “home.” Rather than treating home as a fixed geographic location, the installation considers home to be an evolving and deeply subjective experience—shaped by memory, relationships, identity, and inner worlds.

Home Beyond Borders will also feature an artist talkback and curator tour, with more details to be announced soon!

☎️ The Telesymphonic Booth ☎️
Created by Eric Quach (@thisquietarmy), The Telesymphonic Booth is an interactive installation featuring two public payphones transformed into electroacoustic instruments. Visitors create evolving soundscapes using voice and touch-tone dialing, with keypad tones replaced by curated electronic sounds. Blending sound art and participation, the work turns a familiar device into a space for creativity, reflection, and shared listening.

🧹 Lesbian Community Service 🧹
The Arts Court staircase is due for a cleanup. Commemorating the lesbian community service that came before them, this trio of artists (@washingmachine_art @aash.barbu @androgynousmuppet) will be starting their hours during Pique #20...

Want to experience these installations for yourself? Grab your tickets today at the link in our bio or at thisispique.com 🔗

🤍 Home Beyond Borders is presented in partnership with @projectwarp_
🤍 The Telesymphonic Booth and Lesbian Community Service are supported by @ottawatourism as part of the 200th anniversary celebrations of the founding of Bytown @cityofottawa