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Aurora's Reef is headlining at BistroFest 2026, Hog's Back Grill & Bistro, May 16, alongside Rooty Naky & the Rootables and Mikhail Laxton!FREE // 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
DONATIONS TO THE ARTISTS:
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/auroras-reef-at-bistrofest-2026-tickets-1984703977022?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl
Aurora's Reef:
Aurora’s Reef is a six-piece reggae collective from the soul of Canada’s Capital. Their fresh fusion of roots reggae, ska, and rocksteady is signature to their performances.
Frontman Duncan Travis, hailing from North Buxton, honours his heritage as a descendant of the Underground Railroad through deeply rooted original songs like Sarsaparilla, Road Burn, and Event Horizon.
They've built a strong performance presence across Ontario and Quebec, from their inaugural Reefer Tour ’24 which spanned Montreal to Windsor, to appearances at the Ontario Moonshine Festival, North Buxton Homecoming Celebration and weekly summer residency at Ottawa's Westboro Beach Club.
Rooty Naky & The Rootables:
Influenced by reggae, neo soul, afrobeats, zouglou and several African rhythms, they have been active in the Ottawa-Gatineau region since 2021. In 2024, they performed at the festival de la rue Eddy in Gatineau. They released they single SEÏKO, available on Youtube. Rooty Naky And the Rootables are getting more attention with their message of love, peace and justice. In 2025, they participated in Afro festival Ottawa 2025, Kichesippi festival and Wakefield Canada day.
They are working on their first EP; it should be available in December 2026. The fact that they have the ability to speak in French, English and many other African languages creates a very authentic environment for the crowd. In fact, the main message of Rooty Naky And the Rootables is Humanity first. Humanity in its uniqueness and its diversity.
Mikhail Laxton:
Since Touching down in Ottawa a decade ago, Mikhail Laxton has evolved from an Australian transplant to one of the Capital’s most vital musical exports. A Capital Music Award nominee (Album of the Year) and a beloved fixture of the local scene, Laxton is set for a landmark 2026, highlighted by the release of his new EP As Is and a highly anticipated return to the Ottawa Bluesfest stage this July 11th.
His show offers an intimate preview of the "Analog Soul" sound that will define his appearances this summer. Featuring the triumphant lead single "The First Time", a track recorded live off the floor to capture that infectious "first take" energy of his Ottawa-based band, Laxton’s current live show is a celebration of roots-soul at its essence. The EP also introduces us to a LoFi-Soul, Shadow-World Groove trio project called WĀWÜ.
From his home studio to the big stage at LeBreton Flats, Mikhail Laxton continues to prove why he is the city’s go-to for soulful, unvarnished storytelling. Join us for an evening of world-class soul, born and bred right here in the Capital.
Me and Jason were absolutely amazed by how many of you showed up last year and we've decided to take things to the next level this year.
8 dates, 24 local bands to discover.
Your greatest contribution is to be on this journey with us one way or another and we can't thank you enough already. If you can afford to, any amount helps our ecosystem greatly. All your donations go to the bands performing that evening.
Bring your chair, bring you family, there is food sold at the Bistro!
(We're trying to get some merch for this year to make it extra memorable as it's officially our first year under the name BistroFest!)
This May 16 we're excited to announce that Aurora's Reef will be performing with the sunset at BistroFest.
2 amazing locals acts will be playing before them, we're keeping some suspense for now. We will be announcing the 2nd part and Openers in a couple weeks.
Find out about all the events of the series and find us on socials via: linktr.ee/bistrofest
See you there!
Alex
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Event Venue
Hog's Back Grill and Bistro, 600 Hog's Back Rd, Ottawa, ON K1V, Canada
Tickets
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.
