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Despite a stretch of unsettled weather that caused shows to be delayed or plagued with rain, this year’s RBC Bluesfest will be etched in the record books for the biggest single-day attendance in its 22-year history.

Close to 40,000 people filled the grounds of the Canadian War Museum on July 15 to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers make their Ottawa festival debut. Organizers said the crowd for the Peppers was bigger than those for KISS, Lady Gaga, Kanye West or any of the other blockbuster Bluesfest shows of recent years.

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It was the also first time the festival has sold out in advance since 1998, when soul legend Ray Charles played a Bluesfest gig in its former home at Confederation Park, a venue that only holds about 6,000 people.

The 23rd annual edition of Bluesfest wrapped up under clear skies on Sunday after two extra-long weekends of fun, with a two-day break in between. The first weekend lasted four days, from July 7-10, and featured performances by Billy Idol, Ben Harper, Noel Gallagher, the Lumineers, the Cult, Thomas Rhett and John Fogerty, to name a few. The second week was a five-day run that started July 13, bringing Brad Paisley, Sam Hunt, Chili Peppers, Duran Duran and City and Colour to fill the headlining spots.