Pique – Winter Edition ’25

Not your average holiday-season party, Pique winter edition returns to Arts Court on December 13, 2025 with a unique and eclectic program celebrating underground music, forward-thinking art and bold performance. Designed for discovery, community connection and radical self-expression, Pique brings together some of the boldest ground-breaking artists from across Canada to experiment and engage with the local artistic community.

This season, Pique features emergent innovators in the fields of pop-avant garde, ambient-electronic, contemporary installation, afro-rap, and more. They include genre-fluid electronic producer Korea Town Acid, ethereal club angel Monsieurmadam, electrifying R&B/noise artist Quinton Barnes, Afrobeats scene stealer Banggz, global south sound selector TRINIDADDY, fractal ambient brainfeeder 16:9 ratio, cyborgian new media artist Ajeebsir, anti-disciplinary installation collaborative Sabrina Ferrari & Evalyn Shields, and eclectic songwriter Sandour.

Plus, back by popular demand, Pique will host the Queertopia kiki ball presented by Legendary Mother Maldita and Yéila Siriano, welcoming legends and leaders from ballroom scenes across Canada to not only host a ball, but also mentor emerging ballroom artists through skill-building workshops presented by MAX Ottawa. Community members can sign up to walk the ball here. More information about workshops coming soon.

Tickets to Pique are pay-what-you-can (PWYC), with sliding-scale and subsidized options available. Our PWYC ticket keeps the festival open to everyone while inviting those who can pay more to help cover the cost for others. Every contribution above the minimum goes directly toward fair artist pay, inclusive programming, and supporting independent culture in Ottawa.

Featuring performances, exhibitions and interactive presentations by 20 participating artists, Pique winter edition is not to be missed!