What do Bluesfest’s hundreds of volunteers do?

Augustin Gagnon, left, and Lydiane Gagnon are pictured on the sidelines of Bluesfest at LeBreton Flats on Friday, July 10, 2026. They are among the volunteers responsible for tending to the festival’s garbage. Photo by Spencer Colby /Postmedia

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Bluesfest is filled with passionate, sweaty and oftentimes intoxicated music lovers.

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It’s also filled with many colourful shirt-wearing volunteers. How many does it take for the festival to run smoothly?

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Blue shirts

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About 200, estimates Roxanne Komuntare, a blue-shirted information volunteer.

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Komuntare said this is her 10th year in this role at the festival. She said she keeps coming back to it because of the music, the people and the experience of enjoying live music outside.

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She and Shaina Larocque, another info volunteer standing with her, said that the huge question marks on their shirts bring a lot of interesting questions.

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Roxanne Komuntare (L) and Shaina Larocque (R) are Bluesfest info workers who get some pretty questionable questions. Photo by Olivia Belovich /Postmedia

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“Why is the world round? ‘Because it spins,’ is what I said,” a laughing Larocque said.

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Despite all the ridiculous questions, Komuntare said she and Larocque love volunteering at the festival for the access to the shows.

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“I’ve always said the reason why the info booth is the best is that you get a full festival pass for free, and you get to listen to music that you may have never listened to,” Larocque said.

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Kirsty Dominique (L) and Ella Wall (R) are volunteers working at the festival’s gates crew. Photo by Olivia Belovich /Postmedia

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Light blue shirts

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The light blue shirts are at the gates, making sure everyone who enters the grounds knows where they’re going, said Kirsty Dominique, one of them.

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The volunteer said the festival’s first night was pretty smooth, aside from seeing one guy go home in a police car.

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Next to her is Ella Wall, another volunteer of the light blue category.

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“Tonight I’m working from 7:30 to 11, and then I have three more shifts. But tomorrow until Wednesday we’re off, and we can come in any time,” she said excitedly.

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Pink shirts

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It’s Dean Calof’s second year volunteering at Bluesfest. He said he returned because he loves the pink shirt he gets for assisting festival-goers with disabilities.

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The bright shirt, with a big wheelchair printed on it, glows in the evening sun.

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Dean Calof’s role is to help out those at Bluesfest in the accessibility section, right next to the RBC Stage. Photo by Olivia Belovich /Postmedia

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“I also love being able to help out patrons who need a bit more assistance than others. You see many of the same patrons, and you help them enjoy the experience as much as you can,” he said.

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Calof’s role is to help out at the accessibility area, which offers a perfect view of the RBC Stage.

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Looking out at Ottawa-based hard rock band FITH and patiently awaiting Cypress Hill and Limp Bizkit’s sets, Calof said he returned because he loves the music.

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Dark green shirts

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Brett Duhaime was another volunteer eagerly awaiting Limp Bizkit’s set.

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He said he’d be content in his spot at the entrance of the accessibility area when they play.

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“As long as I can hear it, I’m good,” he said.

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Brett Duhaime is a supervisor for Bluesfest’s pink shirt volunteers in the accessibility section. Photo by Olivia Belovich /Postmedia

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His role is to supervise the pink shirts. He said his role, which he loves, is to basically “place people in places.”

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“I really enjoy being a part of things and helping people out.”

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This is Duhaime’s second year at the festival, but his first as a supervisor.

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Though he was pumped for some lively shows, he was hoping there wouldn’t be as much of a “riot” as there was when Green Day played.