Osheaga unveils 2023 lineup!
A few months after announcing Rüfüs du Sol, Billie Eilish and Kendrick Lamar as headliners, and teasing The National and Aya Nakamura as lineup additions, our favorite Montreal festival Osheaga finally dropped the full bill!
Anticipation has been at an all-time roar since last night, with some names leaking on Reddit, but we now have the final poster!
This year’s festival looks to be one of the best and most forward-thinking editions in the festival’s storied history, with some of the most creative, buzzed-about, and talented artists in the world getting together for three days of pure celebration, to the delight of the adoring crowd. Between Aug 4th – 6th, 2023, at Montreal’s Parc Jean-Drapeau (widely known as one of North America’s top festival sites), headliners RÜFÜS DU SOL, Billie Eilish, and Kendrick Lamar will be joined by some of the top talent in the musical world, including Lil Yachty, Fred again.., Kim Petras, Japanese Breakfast, Central Cee, The National and The Flaming Lips who will perform their seminal album Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots in its entirety.
One term that has always been at the heart of OSHEAGA’S programming is the word eclectic – and for the 2023 edition, sounds and styles range from all over the world, all across the spectrum, and all the way around the globe. This year’s lineup has Afro pop, indie rock, bass, rap, electro, synth pop, disco, and everything in between. The UK’s Fred again.. will bring the energy, raising the temperature with a unique sound that has made Fred a global phenomenon; Nigeria’s Rema – the current king of Afro pop (whose collaboration with Selena Gomez, “Calm Down”, is one of the songs of the year) will undoubtedly be a highlight of this year’s festival. Fans will also find plenty of international offerings from groups like Altın Gün (Turkish psychedelic rock), Japan’s Rina Sawayama (who brings the bombast), and Bomba Estéreo (the Colombian band whose collaboration with Bad Bunny, “Ojitos Lindos”, has been streamed almost half a BILLION times on Spotify). Big bad dance beats will also be on the menu, with an exclusive live set from Belfast’s Bicep, and Saint Levant, the Palestinian/French/Algerian/Serbian rapper who calls LA home, will be a revelation for many with his laidback flow and bedroom pop beats.
We chatted with Camille Guitton, Senior Manager, Booking, Concerts and Events for Evenko about this year’s lineup. Here’s what she had to say!
Can you tell us what you’re most excited about for the 2023 edition of Osheaga?
I’m excited to have big Montreal premieres with Aya Nakamura, Fred Again.. and Baby Keem, to welcome amazing artists from all over the world (Australia, Colombia, Nigeria, UK, France, Netherlands) to the island and to be able to devote a considerable space to young artist who have changed the musical landscape these past few years: Billie Eilish to Rema to Central Cee or 070 Shake.
Osheaga is more than just a festival, it’s an experience. Can you tell us more about that?
Osheaga is a place where you can embrace yourself and show your colours, on an island where you have room to shine and enjoy music, arts and food with your friends while having the best view of Montreal.
Is it important to you to ensure that Osheaga provides a platform for women/LGBTQIA+/BIPOC artists to perform the festival and gain valuable exposure? And if so, why is it important?
Yes, it has always been important for us, it’s part of our discussions in the booking process, it’s part of our values, to speak to all music lovers no matter their race, genre, culture or sexual orientation. Music reunites everybody and we want Osheaga to be a place where everyone feels safe and represented.
Who are you most excited for people to see in 2023? Is there one booking that you’re the proudest of?
- Particularly proud of The Flaming Lips with whom we share a great story as they performed on the very first year of the festival.
- Aya as she is more than an artist, she’s an icon for a lot of people
- Billie – for the incredible impact she has developed since her last play at Osheaga in 2018.
- Clozee – an amazing French DJ we tried to have at the festival several times and it never worked out.
- Kim Petras – for her impact in pop music today.
- Saint Levant – one of the most interesting acts we have this year for his multiculturalism, his modernity.
- Rema – for his energy – he’s so young and he already has a major impact on the music scene.
- Gabriels – for his amazing voice and presence.
- PUP – punk music is something we all love in our team.
In a sentence, what would you tell someone if they asked if they should buy a ticket to the festival today?
If you are a music lover, this festival is made for you – to discover the next big acts, to enjoy great live performances all day and night, from 2pm to 11pm.
Osheaga will be taking place from August 4th to 6th, 2023 at Montreal’s Parc Jean Drapeau! Single-day tickets are going onsale tomorrow at 11am EST, starting at $155CAD for GA and $290 for Gold ; 3-day tickets are still available at $385CAD for GA and $710CAD for Gold. This is one edition we could easily see sell out, so don’t wait! For tickets and more info, visit OSHEAGA.com.