Cityfolk Festival – Day 5
CityFolk Closes Out 2026 With Punk, Darkness and Alice Cooper
Review and Photos by Mark Kelly
CityFolk wrapped up its 2026 edition Sunday night at Ottawa’s new festival home at the RA Centre, ending five days of music with easily one of the hardest-rocking lineups of the week.
The evening featured Steady Rain, Bad Nerves, Panic Shack, Amigo the Devil, Sex Pistols featuring Frank Carter, and legendary shock rocker Alice Cooper.
British punk rockers Bad Nerves hit the TD Stage early and wasted little time turning up the energy. Their fast, raw style was a perfect introduction to what was coming later in the evening, delivering a frantic set packed with short, explosive songs.
The intensity climbed considerably when the Sex Pistols – Steve Jones, Paul Cook and Glen Matlock – featuring Frank Carter took over the TD Stage. Carter proved to be an explosive frontman, attacking classics including “Holidays in the Sun,” “Pretty Vacant,” “Bodies,” “God Save the Queen” and the unmistakable “Anarchy in the U.K.”
Over on the Westside Stage, Amigo the Devil offered a dramatic change of pace. Danny Kiranos brought his dark folk storytelling to the festival, including “Stray Dog” and crowd favourite “Murder at the Bingo Hall.” It was a much more intimate performance that provided an interesting contrast to the punk-rock chaos on the main stage.
Ottawa’s very own “Steady Rain” performed their hit “Liar” with an energetic set leading the night on the WestSide Stage followed by Welsh’s own “Panic Shack” delivered a hard hitting set with Sarah Harvey on lead vocals.
Then it was time for Alice Cooper.
Taking the TD Stage shortly before 9 p.m., Cooper immediately reminded everyone why his theatrical brand of rock has survived for more than five decades. Opening with “Hello, Hooray” leading into “Who Do You Think We Are,” Cooper and his band delivered the combination of hard rock, theatre and spectacle that fans came to see.
The hits came quickly, including “No More Mr. Nice Guy,” “Billion Dollar Babies,” “I’m Eighteen,” “Feed My Frankenstein,” “Hey Stoopid” and more. Cooper, dressed in his familiar black eye makeup and top hat, commanded the stage while his band provided the muscle behind one of rock’s most recognizable catalogues.
It was a fitting finale for CityFolk’s first year at the RA Centre. Sunday moved from emerging rock and punk to dark folk, the surviving members of one of punk’s most influential bands, and finally one of rock music’s great showmen.
CityFolk 2026 went out loud – very loud – with Alice Cooper providing theperfect exclamation point.
