Callout: Join the May Day March in Ottawa on May 1st, 2026!
Friday, May 1st, 2026 / 5:30pm / Confederation Park (Elgin @ Laurier)
Contents
1. Why march on May Day?
2. March Details
3. Basis of Unity
4. Endorsements
5. Contingents
6. Permits, Police, and Safety
7. Art Build!
8. Posters
9. Pre-March Volunteer Meeting
10. What is the May Day Organizing Committee?
11. More Information
1. Why march on May Day?
May Day is a day to unite and celebrate the collective power of all who labour – paid and unpaid, formal and informal, in all types of work and activities that sustain us and our communities. As a longstanding international holiday, it is a day to build our movements while forging solidarity across borders against exploitation and dispossession.
Each day the world gets scarier. We are seeing a global rise in right-wing authoritarianism. Immigrant communities are facing violent detentions and deportations. Trans people are being targeted. New wars are being waged and threatened around the world as Palestine continues to endure unspeakable horrors. Cuba is being denied essential access to necessities of life and many countries are under threat of economic collapse and massive job losses. The rich keep getting richer and billionaires are flying to space while the ecological crisis is intensifying and the cost of living continues to rise. It doesn’t have to be this way!
Collective struggle is the way forward. May Day is a moment when, in strength and joy, we come together in our shared fight to shape the conditions of our lives and world.
2. March Details
- Date: Friday May 1, 2026
- Time: Gather at 5:00, march departs promptly at 5:30pm, returns at 7:00pm
- Start Location: Confederation Park (Elgin St. @ Laurier Ave W – map link)
- Route: More info to come soon
3. Basis of Unity
In preparing for May Day 2026, the May Day Organizing Committee is guided by our Basis of Unity
4. Endorsements
Organizations that agree with the May Day March Basis of Unity are invited to endorse this year’s March. If your organization would like to endorse the march, contact us at info@maydayottawa.org. You can find a complete list of endorsing organizations here.
5. Contingents
Participating organizations and individuals are encouraged to organize contingents for the march. Bring your banners, flags, signs, and puppets! A bike bloc? A stroller squad? A marching band? All are welcome. Please reach out to us at info@maydayottawa.org if you’re organizing a contingent or bloc.
6. Permits, Police, and Safety
Our goal is to organize and host a march that is as welcoming and accessible as possible to everyone, including kids, families, people pushing strollers, people with mobility challenges, animal companions, and anyone else committed to building a better, more equitable world for all. We’ll do our best to move at a pace workable for everyone there, making sure that the front of the march isn’t racing ahead and leaving the back trailing.
The march will have marshals, who will be there to assist march participants and help ensure our collective safety throughout the event.
The march will not be coordinated with police or security agencies in advance, and will not have a permit. There is no legal requirement to secure a permit to hold a protest or march. In our view, doing so would only further entrench the harmful idea that police are allowed to determine when, where, and how we organize and come together.
7. Art Build!
Come together to prepare for the May Day March by helping create banners, signs, and noisemakers. Art supplies provided. Kids welcome!
When: 1:00pm – 4:00pm – Sunday, April 19th
Where: McNabb Recreation Centre – 180 Percy Street, Ottawa (map link)
Find more information about the Art Build here.
8. Poster
We welcome anyone to print May Day posters and put them up! You can find printable march posters here and here and the Art Build poster here. If you’d like to pick up some posters from us, send us an email and we’ll try to get some to you.
9. Pre-March Volunteer Meeting
Interested in helping out on the day of the march? We invite you to join us for a meeting for march volunteers!
When: 1:00-3:00pm – Sunday, April 26th
Where: McNabb Recreation Centre – 180 Percy Street, Ottawa (map link).
Send an email to let us know if you can make it.
10. What is the May Day Organizing Committee?
After coordinating last year’s very rad Ottawa May Day March, the Punch Up Collective joined with friends to create a larger May Day Organizing Committee for 2026.
11. More Information
If you have questions or require more information, please contact us at info@maydayottawa.org, on Instagram @maydayottawa, or visit maydayottawa.org.
We look forward to marching with you on May 1st!