Osheaga day one
Montreal is the city of festivals, and Osheaga is the main attraction. Hosted at the Parc Jean-Drapeau, this festival is like no other. On an island filled with trees and shade, this is the place where you can take your pick: anything from the typical concert barricade experience, to a joyful picnic in the park while listening to your favorite bands. With its main stages set up one next to the other, it provides a non-stop stream of live music. This year was no exception; with a packed lineup and some surprise guests, Osheaga promised it all and delivered more.
Day one was a special one, Twenty One Pilots were the headliner of the evening, and you could tell just from staring at the crowd riding the subway to the grounds. A sea of black and red, necks and hands painted black to mirror Tyler Joseph’s Blurryface look, and Clancy stoles draped around their shoulders; TØP fans are hard to miss. Their fanbase, also called The Clique, lined up early, and the moment the doors opened they ran to take on the main stage barricade, staring in disbelief at the stage their idols would take in just eight hours. In the wait, they exchanged friendship bracelets, stickers, and trinkets; their own way of marking the occasion and making memories together.
Wunderhorse (Andres Amaya)
Opening the Valley Stage on the far end of the grounds, Avenoir and his R&B from Alberta. Meanwhile, on the other side of the grounds, Wunderhorse took the River Stage with their raw energy with a hint of 90’s grunge; they energized the audience that feared the incoming clouds threatening rain. Wunderhorse was my discovery of the day, I can’t wait to get home and listen to their album.
Right next door on the Mountain Stage, Wolf Alice mesmerized the crowd with the voice of Ellie Rowsell, their enchantress lead vocalist. With their vintage rock, ethereal vocals, and hypnotizing stage presence, they truly left a mark in the crowd. We then turned our heads left to the River Stage as Wet Leg kicked off their first song and the headbanging started, a bit late in the day to my taste but I’m thankful nonetheless. Sticking with female-fronted acts, Wet Leg brought us a breath of fresh air and a punch of energy that the crowd gladly accepted.
We returned to the Mountain Stage as Blood Orange took over with some mellow synth-soul that helped relax and recharge the crowd’s battery. Their music summoned the rain clouds, perfect to freshen up after a scorching afternoon. And just in time to use our regenerated energy, The Neighbourhood arrived with a perfectly balanced texture of alt rock, not too hard and not too soft. They might be Gen Z’s Oasis, and I’m saying that as an absolute compliment — I was immediately glad I didn’t miss their set.
The Clique was ready, the drum set stood atop its tall structure, the stage was set for an unforgettable headliner at Osheaga. Clancys and Torchbearers swarmed the grounds, ready to give Josh Dun and Tyler Joseph the loudest and warmest welcome to Montreal, two years after their last visit. Then, at the last stretch, across the main stage speakers we heard the cue every Twenty One Pilots fan had been waiting for: “What’s your ETA? Two minutes.” This audio was taken from their song “Midwest Indigo” and signaled that the show was just two minutes away. The crowd exploded in anticipation, and we were off to the races.
Opening with “Overcompensate,” Josh took the drums for the intro and Tyler sprinted onto stage and jumped over his piano to kickstart the show. The audience acted like a third band-member and sang background vocals to every single song in a set list filled with fan favorite songs. For “The Contract,” Tyler swung his microphone around as he stood atop a platform held up by the front row fans and sang the first verse. The band’s setlist was beautifully crafted, creatively finding ways to bridge one song into the next; “Shy Away” ended with a scream signaling the intensity of the next song “Heathens,” and then, “Heathens” finished with the melody of the incoming song “Next Semester.”
During “Drum Show” Josh climbed atop a second level to the left of the stage, from where he played the second half of the song and “RAWFEAR.” Later in the night, during “Ride,” Tyler walked through the crowd and borrowed several of the audience’s sunglasses, a pair of them displaying the Canadian maple leaf. Their setlist also included several covers. Within their song “One Way,” they covered a snippet of Milky Chance’s “Stolen Dance.” They also covered a snippet of Cher’s “Believe” within their song “Tally.” Later, a recording of the one and only Jack White introduced their cover rendition of “Seven Nation Army,” a song they initially covered for The White Stripes’ introduction to the rock and roll hall of fame.
Tyler Joseph, with his known sense of humor, made light of the VIP section throughout the night, more specifically the exclusive guest list with access to a Coors Light balcony and their probable unfamiliarity with the band and their songs. But the true VIP of the evening was a security guard named Josh (not to be confused with TØP’s drummer Josh Dun), who got to climb on stage and sing along with the band to “Ride.” Tyler also took a moment to thank staff and security across the event. While every fan dreams of being hand-picked for this band interaction, I don’t think security guard Josh ever expected this mind-blowing moment.
And with “Trees,” the band ceremoniously closed the evening atop two platforms and with two large drums, all held up by the audience. The confetti cannons went off and a transcendent night suddenly felt magical; we all looked up in awe, wishing the evening wasn’t coming to a close. As the lights went on, every fan in the crowd made their way back home, dreaming of the day they got to live a moment like this again. Anyone in that crowd who started the day without knowing Twenty One Pilots finished Day One knowing what the TØP experience feels like, and if that didn’t make them a fan, they’re lying. As for me, this was my fifth time seeing them live and honestly, it doesn’t get old.
Osheaga day two
For Day Two of Osheaga, the crowd had clearly changed. We swapped the black and red for leopard print, as today’s headliner was Canada’s own Tate McRae. But the rest of the lineup was so eclectic and all over the genre map that if you chose right, you could taste all the major musical food groups. The cherry on the cake? A widely speculated but last-minute morning announcement: local upcoming legend Angine de Poitrine joined the lineup, just a few weeks after playing a record-breaking set at the Montreal Jazz Fest.
But don’t let me get ahead of myself, let’s begin at the top. We started the day at the River stage with Baby Nova, a Canadian indie-pop singer-songwriter who released her debut album Shhugar early this year. She was followed by Stella Lefty with her mix of pop and light country, and played her unreleased song “The Summer When You Were Mine” for an audience that was eager to hear more. She also played a wonderful cover of “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield.
Next, local band Wolf Parade took the River Stage with their indie rock, recently featured during one of the most emotional moments of the HBO/Crave show Heated Rivalry. The show generated a newfound fanbase, reflected in the audience sprinkled with hockey jerseys from the show’s fictional teams: the Montreal Metros, the Boston Raiders, and the New York Admirals. They definitely took us back to the cottage; if you know, you know. We then turned our heads to the right to a different tv universe as Finn Wolfhard took the Mountain Stage to play songs from his last two albums, the most recent one released less than a month ago: Fire from the Hip. He and his accompanying band all wore matching pink baseball jerseys embroidered with the initials FW as they serenaded the crowd with his indie rock.
Suddenly, the crowd got really tight, not a space in sight to squeeze through. The black-and-white dots filled the audience and that could only mean Angine de Poitrine was coming up next. Looking as though they had recently descended from a UFO, the Quebecois duo stepped on stage and proceeded to give the weirdest performance the Osheaga stage has ever seen. If you stared hard enough, you could almost believe they were from a different planet; with their black-and-white costumes and their made-up alien language, they brought the math rock to the island. To the uninitiated, it was a difficult experience to describe, but to see Angine de Poitrine is to understand Angine de Poitrine. In a shared space, the unknown became culture, and in just a few chords the audience bounced along to their surreal beat.
It was time to run. On the other side of the grounds, four acts were coming up that we just could not miss. Little Simz was up first, with a good time guaranteed. With a set split in three parts, Little Simz brought two live sets with a dj set interlude. Her hip-hop immediately started a dance party that reached the back of the crowd; even the fans who were waiting for the act next door couldn’t help but dance along. As the rap set ended, we walked a few steps to the left to catch Viagra Boys and their old-school punk from Sweden. The mosh pit started in sync with the first few chords and it didn’t stop, the band’s raw energy reminiscent of Iggy Pop and The Stooges pumped up a crowd that was hungry for more punk. But they didn’t have to wait long, Turnstile was coming up soon.
The one act that I regretted missing was Sombr. Luckily, I have the special ability to split myself in two, metaphorically, and I sent our photographer, Andres, to cover the set at the Mountain Stage on the other side of the grounds. Here’s what he had to say:
When the PA music cut out, the band walked onto the stage to the deafening screams of fans who had been waiting at the barricade since 1:00 in the afternoon, but there was no frontman in sight. Then, the giant screen behind the stage flickered to life, revealing Sombr sitting inside a classic red convertible, wearing a gray pinstripe suit, a crisp white shirt, a colorful tie, and classic Ray-Bans, casually sipping an Aperol Spritz through a straw. If I had to describe the scene in one sentence: he looked like the guy at a summer wedding who shows up to steal your date. With the camera trailing him, he stepped out of the car and headed through the backstage area; he stopped and dropped down to do five push-ups, taking another sip of Aperol Spritz mid-rep, and then sprinted onto the stage to what was easily the loudest cheer I heard all weekend. He didn’t need to do any of that to win over a crowd that was already dying to see him, but as I stood there in the pit waiting to photograph an artist I wasn’t overly familiar with, I just thought to myself: “Goddamn. How can you not like this guy?” His entire set felt like a theatrical play, complete with distinct acts and visual set pieces.
Sombr stayed fully committed to making every single one of his nine songs feel special. During “Under The Mat,” he shed his jacket and grabbed a bottle of wine, taking sips between verses throughout the track. Towards the end came one of the coolest moments of the festival: stage staff brought out a massive black flag and held it taut while Sombr grabbed a can of white spray paint and tagged “SOMBR” across it. When the music stopped, he stepped down off the stage and walked the barricade to greet teary-eyed fans, running all the way down the line to ensure even those further back got a moment with their idol. Sombr delivered the kind of performance where you can walk in without knowing a single song and leave with a huge grin on your face. Shows like his are what live music is all about, and after seeing his live set, I got it; Sombr is a showman through and through. Whatever “it” is, he has it.
Back on my side, as I waited for Turnstile to hit the Valley stage, I turned my head to the right, where Franz Ferdinand was about to step onto the Forest Stage. Surprising the crowd with his use of French, frontman Alex Kapranos took every chance he could to speak to the audience; he truly made the Montreal crowd feel appreciated. The Scottish band played fan favorites like “Do You Want To,” “Take Me Out,” and “This Fire.” Franz Ferdinand was, as usual, a blast of energy with their indie rock, leaving clear evidence behind that they have left a musical mark across a generation.
The one band I was the most excited about was coming up next: Turnstile. Last year their LP NEVER ENOUGH won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album, and it was my most played album on Tidal. An album that the band created with nothing to prove gave them the most accolades they had ever received; listening to it feels like witnessing history. Turnstile gave us an album filled with equal parts innovation and emotion, and their live performances have lived up to that standard. With NEVER ENOUGH, we got a rare, hardcore, no-skips album, widely loved by audiences across genres. They were so eagerly awaited that at Osheaga, their merch sold out in under one hour. While I wasn’t lucky enough to get a t-shirt, I was lucky enough to grab a spot at the barricade.
As the lights went off, the initial synth for the title track “NEVER ENOUGH” sounded across the speakers, and the band stepped on stage to start an hour of non-stop hardcore. They continued their set with “T.L.C. (TURNSTILE LOVE CONNECTION)” and “ENDLESS,” with their emblematic color wall projected in the background, silhouetting the band in darkness. When they introduced their next song, “I CARE,” vocalist Brendan Yates reminisced on their first Montreal visit, 13 years ago on that exact day. For most of the set there were no abstract graphics or pre-recorded footage on their screens; instead, there were live projections of the band and the crowd, making their fans an equal protagonist of the evening and highlighting how their fanbase is an integral part of the Turnstile experience. Even from a tall stage at a distance from the audience, the band maintained a direct connection to their fans; throughout the set, bass player Franz Lyons encouraged bigger and harsher moshpits, and during ”Drop,” vocalist Brendan Yates stepped off stage and into the audience to join the moshpit and partake in some light crowd surfing. After “LOOK OUT FOR ME,” the band left fans with a musical interlude, and took a quick break off stage, after which they came back for their final three-song encore.
Their last song of the evening was “BIRDS,” the track that won them a second Grammy, this one for Best Metal Performance. The crowd exploded as they jumped and sang along to the final lyrics of the set: “Finally I can see it. These birds not meant to fly alone.” With that, the band’s set finished, but continuing the sentiment of the last song, they didn’t all leave the stage. Brendan, Franz, and drummer Daniel Fang stepped right off it to join the crowd on the barricade. They not only handed out guitar picks, drumsticks, and setlists, but they also hugged their fans and shook hands; both sides of the barricade, band and crowd, coexisted in a two-way street of gratitude. After holding Daniel’s hand and giving my sincere thanks, I stepped away from the stage with a setlist in my hands, overwhelmed and holding back tears, in awe that Turnstile’s Osheaga set had exceeded all my expectations for the weekend.
As I tried to control my emotions, I ran across the grounds to catch the headliner of the evening: Tate McRae. The River Stage area was fully packed, with no room for me to get anywhere close to the stage, so from afar I appreciated the elegant set design, masterful lighting, and incredible choreography that accompanied McRae’s act. The singer carefully prepared a setlist divided into five acts. Dressed in an all-black ensemble, and surrounded by back up dancers dressed in white, Tate McRae opened the night with “Just Keep Watching.” After a couple of songs, she addressed the crowd to say how excited she was to be back to the place she calls home, pointing out how, in her opinion, Montreal crowds are the loudest on her tours.
During Acts Two and Three, McRae debuted performances of songs she had never played live before: “ANYTHING BUT LOVE” and “TRYING ON SHOES,” the latter featuring just her and a mic stand for an exclusive, intimate rendition. With an extensive dancing background, the singer-songwriter gave an incredible show throughout the evening; intricate and complex dance sequences were performed in sync with flawless vocals. Before she jumped into “you broke me first,” she pointed out how important Montreal is to her, recalling how she gave her very first show here to a crowd of around 300 people. She also pushed the crowd to overcome their fears, highlighting how posting her early videos on a YouTube channel is what started her journey to where she is today.
For the song “she’s all i wanna be,” Tate McRae stepped off the stage and into the barricade to approach her fans; she signed autographs, took selfies, and shook their hands. Closing with the TikTok hit track “greedy,” McRae took a quick break before returning for her last encore. After a video of the singer submerged in gold played on the screens, she returned to perform “Sports Car” to a crowd that loudly sang along. Accompanied by one last energetic performance, the night came to a close surrounded by fireworks. Ending the night dipped head to toe in gold paint, Tate McRae left the stage to finish an incredible Day Two at Osheaga. The crowd slowly made their way home, inundating the metro with leopard print: a pattern that for the rest of their lives will remind them of this special night.
Osheaga Day Three
On Sunday, we made our exhausted and sore way to Parc Jean-Drapeau for a very rainy Day Three of Osheaga. The early crowd seemed calmer as they walked into the grounds at a slower pace, dodging puddles and clearly saving their energy for today’s headliner: Lorde. I made my way to the River Stage to catch an early act: CMAT.
Self described as a musician for the girls and the gays, CMAT and her accompanying musicians stepped on the stage and kicked off their set with “The Jamie Oliver Petrol Station.” The band wasn’t having the easiest day, as CMAT mentioned a few misfortunes that hit them: their keyboardist, Púca, was out with food poisoning, and they were all sleep-deprived due to their airline losing all their luggage at four in the morning. Still, they didn’t let bad luck dictate their set; they pleased the crowd with the requested “Aw, Shoot!.” Finally, they closed the Euro-country set with “Stay For Something”, and the band bowed in gratitude to a clamoring crowd.
I walked to the other side of the grounds to catch an unknown recommendation: Sofia Isella, who started with a 20-minute delay due to technical difficulties resembling a power outage across both the Forest and Mountain stages. The set finally kicked off to a clamor as Sofia Isella stepped onto the stage, wearing cargo pants and a baggy t-shirt, both covered in dirt and mud. With a strong energy that reminded me of Billie Eilish in her WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? era, Sofia presented herself as a theatrical performer from the second she took the stage to sing her opening songs “Out in the Garden” and “Hot Gum.” Her dark-pop music feels especially relevant in current times, using raw imagery in her lyrics to express gender and bodily autonomy issues. Within her 10 song setlist, she established herself with the Montreal crowd as one of the most interesting acts to hit the festival this year. For me, she was the discovery of the day; I immediately added her latest EP Something Is A Shell to my musical rotation.
I made my way back to the main stages to catch the Swedish singer-songwriter Zara Larsson, and as I found a spot in the crowd I ended up catching Clipse’s set. Formed in 1994, the hip-hop duo consisting of brothers Malice and Pusha T took the stage and exposed the crowd to their hardcore coke-rap. There was a unique absurdity to Clipse performing their gritty rap in front of a sea of teenage girls decked out in Zara Larsson’s signature tropical resort style; a festival juxtaposition that left me with subtle whiplash. But the atmosphere shifted quickly as Clipse stepped away and Zara Larsson and her all-female ensemble strutted onto the River Stage.
Glitter and summer personified, the singer brought sunshine to a rainy day. She kicked off her 14-song setlist with “Midnight Sun” and “Can’t Tame Her,” instantly starting a massive dance party. But the best dancer on stage was Olivia, the lucky ten-year-old that Zara hand-picked to share the stage for the choreography of “Lush Life.” Finally, a reprise of “Midnight Sun” perfectly bookended a performance that clearly demonstrated that even in the rainiest of days, “the sun won’t set on us.”
After taking a break from the rain, I found a spot in the crowd once more and waited for the last headliner of the weekend: Lorde. The New Zealander was back to Montreal less than a year after she presented her Ultrasound World Tour at Centre Bell. But even with a recent appearance, you could see that the crowd didn’t get enough. With a packed audience that reached the far end of the grounds, Osheaga clearly picked the right closer to the weekend. With a setlist that drew from every era of her catalog, Lorde brought her art-pop sound and kicked off the night with “Royals,” “What Was That,” and “Broken Glass:” a perfect start to what promised to be an unforgettable performance.
During a break between songs, Lorde spoke candidly about her relationship with Osheaga and Montreal. She reminisced about 2014 and the first time she played the festival, the green trees, the blue sky, and the sense of familiarity that left a clear impact. She spoke about how similar Canada and New Zealand feel to her, and how safe and at home she felt every time she visited; a heartwarming moment that the crowd didn’t expect, but one that made us appreciate and value how welcoming Montreal can be. In a masterfully curated setlist, we got three fan favorites in a row: “Hammer,” “Supercut,” and “Team.”
The night didn’t end without a brief moment of confusion when Lorde introduced Charli xcx for “Girl, so confusing” and sent the crowd into madness, though the English singer never actually entered the stage. We clearly misunderstood, and quickly realized Lorde was only presenting Charli’s recorded verse, leaving the crowd giggling at the mix-up. The night ended majestically: the singer made her way through the barricade and performed “Ribs” from a platform right in the middle of the crowd as heavy rain fell on us all; we jumped with her to every beat. Tonight, we didn’t even need fireworks; the sparks were in our eyes as we said goodbye to Lorde, hoping she would come back soon to her home away from home. And with that, we also said goodbye to Osheaga for another year, but Zara said it best: “Summer isn’t over yet…”
GALLERY: Osheaga Festival at Parc Jean-Drapeau in Montreal, Quebec, Canada (July 31 – August 2, 2026)
