Top Five Montreal Festivals, as chosen by Canadian Beats Media Contributor Marie Demeire
Top Five is back with another edition, this time looking at our favorite Montreal festivals! Marie Demeire, our photographer in Montreal QC spills the beans about her favorite summer events taking place in La Belle Province!
For Rap & Hip-Hop: Metro Metro
Taking place over Victoria Day weekend at the Olympic Stadium, the second edition of Metro Metro did not disappoint! With headline performances by Trippie Redd, Tory Lanez, 50 Cent, and a special guest appearance by Drake during Lil Baby‘s set, the festival placed itself on our “do not miss” list. And the good news is, the festival has already announced it will be back in 2023 from May 19th-21st, so it’s never too early to start planning your trip there!
For French music: Les Francos de Montréal
It is no secret that Montreal has a large population of French ex-pats, myself included. The fun thing about this is that we often get to see artists that are huge in France in smaller, more intimate venues. Les Francos, a festival celebrating all francophone music, is always a great opportunity for these types of shows! The festival is starting next Friday, and with acts like Loud Lary Ajust, Koriass, Hubert Lenoir, Clara Luciani, MC Solaar, and many more, we could not be more excited. Check back every day from June 10th to 18th for our coverage! There are many paid and free shows to attend until June 18th so hurry up, and visit francosmontreal.com for more info!
For something new: Lasso Montréal
After having to postpone it for two years because of the pandemic, Lasso Montréal is set to make it grand beginning on August 12th and 13th! Celebrating the best of country music, the lineup is very promising with Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley, Old Dominion, Kelsey Ballerini, and many more on the lineup! We’ll have our cowboy boots and hats ready for this one! Tickets are still available, so visit lassomontreal.com for more info.
For eclectic discoveries: Montreal International Jazz Festival
Jazz Festival is one of Montreal’s most adored festivals, and it’s no surprise why. From June 30th to July 9th, every venue and corner of Montreal’s Quartier Des Spectacles lives and breathes music. And the fun part is, it’s not limited to Jazz in its literal sense. Any music with Jazz inspiration is welcome, with amazing artists like The Roots, Tash Sultana, Woodkid, Joey Bada$$, and many more on this year’s bill. For info and tickets for the 42nd edition, visit montrealjazzfest.com.
For a long-awaited homecoming: Osheaga
It’s been two years that the Osheaga team is patiently waiting to ring in their 15th-anniversary edition. But this year is the year, and we’re so ready! With stellar headliners (Arcade Fire, A$ap Rocky, Dua Lipa) and a very solid undercard (Machine Gun Kelly, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Kygo, Glass Animals, Parcels, Turnstile, Bleachers and so many more), the grand return of the festival as we know it is not one to miss. Our favorite event of the summer will be taking place from July 29th to 31st, visit osheaga.com for tickets and more information!