2026 CIPS National Qualifier Poetry Slam

Name: 2026 CIPS National Qualifier Poetry Slam
Start: 2026-01-09T19:30:00-05:00
End: 2026-01-09T22:00:00-05:00
Location: GCTC

Schedule

Fri Jan 09 2026 at 07:30 pm to 10:00 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

GCTC | Ottawa, ON

Join Urban Legends Poetry Collective for our 2026 CIPS Qualifier Slam! The winner of this slam will represent Urban Legends at the Canadian Individual Poetry Slam in April. The top poet will also be invited to feature at a ULPC event and will receive a $750 travel stipend. We will be joined by a panel of five community judges!
Come witness powerful spoken word performances, cheer on your favourites, and see who will take the mic all the way to CIPS!
There will be three rounds to the slam: a 2-minute round, followed by a 4-minute round, and ending with a 3-minute round. There will be 12 poets in round 1, then 8 poets will move on to round 2, and 4 poets will move on to the final round.
😷 FACE MASKS REQUIRED
📅 Fri, Jan. 9
📍 GCTC
⏰ Doors 7:00 | Show 7:30
💵 Tickets at the door, PWYD (suggested donation: $10)
Sign-up to compete opens December 17th at 5PM EST! Fill out the registration form in our linktree to sign up! Sign-ups will be accepted at the door ONLY if spots are still available. Poets who sign up to perform are not required to buy a ticket. All CIPS qualifier competitors must currently live or have previously lived in so-called Ottawa or the surrounding region.
Registration Form: https://forms.gle/rkReR63FsdsgyYKD6
Accessibility: Step-free access. Accessible and inclusive washrooms. Alcohol-free space. Face masks required and available as needed. Pay-What-You-Decide tickets.