What to know
- Osheaga runs from July 31 to Aug. 2 at Parc Jean-Drapeau in Montreal.
- Headliners include Twenty One Pilots, Tate McRae, Lorde, Sombr and Major Lazer.
- Festival gates open at 1 p.m. daily, with performances beginning at 2 p.m. and ending before the park’s 11 p.m. curfew.
- Visitors can reach the festival by metro, shuttle bus, ferry, bicycle or car, with Jean-Drapeau station serving as the main transit hub.
One of Canada’s biggest music festivals is coming back to Montreal this weekend, and the lineup has some of the biggest names in music.
From Friday July 31 to Sunday Aug. 2, Osheaga Festival will be taking over Parc Jean-Drapeau on Île Sainte-Hélène for three days of live music, visual arts, and tons of social media photo opportunities. Over 140,000 music lovers attend the festival every summer.
First held in 2006, this year’s Osheaga will be its 19th edition and will feature headliners like Tate McRae, Twenty One Pilots, Sombr, Lorde, and Major Lazer.
Still haven’t purchased your ticket? Friday single-day passes are still available for $185. Two and three-day passes, platinum tickets, and specialty passes are now sold out.
Heading to Osheaga this weekend? Here’s a complete guide to the festival, from featured artists to transit options.
Who’s playing
There will be 88 artists playing across six stages. The main stages — where headlining acts will play at the end of the evening — are the Bell River Stage and Coors Light Mountain Stage. The four smaller stages — Coca-Cola Island, Scotia Forest, Belairdirect Valley, and Backyard Sessions SiriusXM are scattered throughout the festival grounds.
Gates to the festival open at 1 p.m. each day, with performances starting at 2 p.m. Performances end around 10:35 p.m. each night in accordance with Parc Jean-Drapeau’s 11 p.m. curfew.
Bell River Stage
Some of the artists performing on the Bell River Stage on Friday are British indie band Wet Leg, who recently won two Grammy Awards. Later in the day, The Neighbourhood, whose song “Sweater Weather” dominated the charts in the early 2010s, will be taking the stage. The night will end with a headlining performance by American alternative rock duo Twenty One Pilots, who have been mainstays in the scene for over a decade.
On Saturday, Baby Nova and Wolf Parade will start the afternoon, followed by a performance by Philadelphia rock band Mt. Joy in the evening. Calgary pop megastar Tate McRae will cap off the night with an hour-long headlining set.
On Sunday, Toronto-based alternative pop trio VALLEY will start the day, followed by indie pop soloist CMAT. British Columbia indie band Mother Mother will perform in the late afternoon, followed by headlining sets by Zara Larsson — whose songs “Midnight Sun” and “Stateside” recently went viral — and Lorde.
Coors Light Mountain Stage
Situated next to the Bell River Stage on the Osheaga site map is the Coors Light Mountain Stage.
On Friday, multi-instrumentalists Rio Kosta will kick off the afternoon, followed by British indie rock band Wolf Alice, who released their fourth album, The Clearing, last August. English singer-songwriter Blood Orange will play in the early evening and 2010s indie mainstays The xx will end the night.
On Saturday, American singer-songwriter Stella Lefty will perform first. Her single “Boston” went viral earlier this year and peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100. Vancouver’s very own Finn Wolfhard will follow. He’s most known for playing Mike Wheeler on the Netflix show Stranger Things, but he’s also an accomplished musician. Malcolm Todd and pop star Sombr will close out the evening.
On Sunday, Irish folk band Amble will start off the day, followed by Australian Indie Rock four-piece Spacey Jane. American hip-hop heavyweights Clipse and Gunna will close out the festival on the Coors Light Mountain Stage.
Check out the entire programming schedule for the entire festival here.
Visual arts
Although the music festival portion is why most people flock to Osheaga every year, the festival also takes pride in showcasing many talented emerging artists.
This year, some of the featured artists include Montreal muralist Melissa Mathieson, who is passionate about “bringing colour and joy into every project.” Her work has been installed in Toronto, Montreal, and cities around the world.
Another Montreal artist showcasing at Osheaga is Beige Fluo, who specializes in painting, scenography, installations, and murals. Her work celebrates shapes, patterns and colour.
Aside from individual artists, Music On Paper is an exhibition that highlights the visual artists who create tour and music posts for bands.
Check out the full line-up of artists who will be exhibiting at Osheaga here.
Food options
Two Interac YULeats Gardens will be on site at Osheaga to serve delicious bites, from Vietnamese street food to gourmet sandwiches. Some of the featured food stands include: Le Petit Sao (Vietnamese street food), Locali (gourmet pizza), Pas de Probleme (Jamaican street food), and Ca lem (ice cream and sorbet).
There will also be food stands at the Bell River Stage, Coors Light Mountain Stage, Coca-Cola Island Stage, Scotia Forest Stage & belairdirect Vallée Stage.
Click here for the full lineup of food options.
Getting to Parc Jean-Drapeau
There are several ways to get to Parc Jean-Drapeau by transit. Festivalgoers can take the metro, STM shuttle, River shuttle, or get there by bicycle or car.
Subway: The Jean-Drapeau subway station is on the yellow Line 4, which crosses the Saint Lawrence River. Exits to the station are located at Espace 67.
STM shuttle: Once off the subway at Jean-Drapeau station, Osheaga visitors can take the 767, 768, or 777 shuttles.
River shuttle: During the summer, visitors can also take the River shuttle ferry from the Old Montreal pier and the City of Longueuil.
Those travelling by bicycle or car can take the Jacques Cartier Bridge or the Concorde Bridge to Parc Jean-Drapeau.
Here’s a full list of transit options to Osheaga Festival.
