Two headliners to replace, other bands that can’t come anymore, a worrying seventh wave of COVID. For its 15th edition, the organization of the Osheaga festival did not have it easy. But a few hours before launching the festival – the first at maximum capacity in three years – the excitement was palpable on the site of Parc Jean-Drapeau.
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“I couldn’t remember what a ‘real’ festival looked like! “, launched an employee of Osheaga while taking place the visit of the media on the site of the festival. It is true that the last “normal” Osheaga to have been presented dates back to 2019. Last year, evenko had presented a reduced edition, called Reunion.
This year, we return to the usual programming: a hundred groups from the four corners of the planet. But since COVID is still part of our lives, the puzzle has been much more complex this year.
While for a normal year last minute withdrawals are of the order of one or two artists, this year there are at least half a dozen. Again on Thursday, Osheaga announced that Anfisa Letyago and AMA LOU could no longer participate in the festival. In recent weeks, Damso, Lil Tjay and Beabadoobee have also withdrawn.
“It’s the reality of what we live”
That’s not counting the headliners Foo Fighters [en raison du décès du batteur Taylor Hawkins] and A$AP Rocky [pour ses problèmes judiciaires] which also had to be replaced.
“A year like this, let’s hope we won’t have it again,” said Osheaga programming manager Nick Farkas. We could be completely depressed. But we have no choice. The show must go on, as they say. This is the reality of what we are going through right now. »
Photo Pierre-Paul Poulin
Osheaga programming manager Nick Farkas said he was “stressed and excited” on the eve of the festival.
The programmer refuses to be discouraged by this bad news, which complicates his work even more. And he hopes festival-goers will be indulgent. “With what we’ve been through [avec la pandémie], I think people are used to seeing business change. We are doing our best to continue with the programming we have planned. But it certainly adds a level of complexity to something that is already hypercomplex. »
Artists ready “in case”
Because other cancellations could still occur in the next few hours, the Osheaga team has asked a few artists to be ready. “We like having it like backup just in case, says Nick Farkas. They are on the site [pendant le festival] and are ready to play if ever needed. »
Recent news from the Festival d’été de Québec, which has been the site of several COVID-19 outbreaks, has Osheaga organizers concerned. But unless there is a strict request from public health or the government, no new health measures will be put in place during the event, says Nick Farkas. “However, people are encouraged to put on masks if they feel more comfortable doing so. »
►The 15th edition of the Osheaga festival will take place from Friday to Sunday, at Parc Jean-Drapeau. osheaga.com.
Some novelties for the 15th edition of the popular festival
Festival-goers who visit the Osheaga site this year, at Parc Jean-Drapeau, will see a slightly improved festival compared to last year when the site was filled to capacity, in 2019.
That year, the promoter evenko inaugurated the new version of the Île Sainte-Hélène site, which it had redeveloped at the cost of several million dollars. After two years of forced shutdown by the pandemic, it is therefore the second edition which will take place this year on the redeveloped site. Its total capacity is now 55,000 people per day.
During the traditional media visit on Thursday morning, the organizers were very proud of having succeeded in moving the sound consoles, usually placed directly in front of the main stages and which hide a good part of the sight of several spectators. This time around, these consoles will be located a little on the outskirts, so that spectators at the bottom of the hill will have a full view of the two main stages.
Other proposals
On the Games plain side, we chose to place the Green and Valley stages side by side, like the main stages. Festival-goers will therefore have no downtime between shows.
Finally, the food offer has been greatly improved. In addition to traditional snack bars, Osheaga will host several Montreal restaurants in its YUL EAT Gardens.
7 shows to see
Turnstile
Photo courtesy, Jimmy Fontaine
The Baltimore hardcore punk band received stellar reviews for their third album, GLOW ON, released last year. Recognized for their frenzied performances, the musicians recently played at the Coachella festival, where the spectators were not shy to jostle each other.
►Friday evening, 7:05 p.m., Scène de la Vallée.
Arcade Fire
Photo courtesy, Michael Marcelle
We were supposed to have the Foo Fighters, we’ll have the local favorites instead. Replacing Dave Grohl’s band, which canceled all of its shows following the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins, Arcade Fire returns to Osheaga for the first time since 2010.
►Friday evening, 8:55 p.m., River Stage.
Mitsky
Photo courtesy, Ebru Yildiz
The 31-year-old Japanese-American artist already has six career albums. His two most recent Be the Cowboy (2018) and Laurel Hell (2022), received excellent reviews.
►Saturday, 6:35 p.m., Mountain Scene.
100 Gecs
Photo courtesy, Osheaga
“I think it’s going to be one of the shows of the weekend,” says programmer Nick Farkas, of this intriguing American duo from St. Louis. If you go and see their music videos, it’s completely different from most things that are happening in music right now. »
►Saturday, 7:50 p.m., Green Stage
Wet Leg
Photo courtesy, Hollie Fernando
This is one of the concerts most likely to create congestion in Osheaga’s crowd traffic this weekend. Scheduled on the small Scène des Arbres, the two musicians of this British duo saw their popularity take on a dazzling scale with the release of their very first album, in April.
►Sunday, 8 p.m., Scène des Arbres.
Dua Lipa
Photo courtesy, Osheaga
Six days after setting the Bell Center on fire, Dua Lipa is doing it again at the end of the festival. “It’s not ideal to have the headliner of your festival in concert a few days earlier in town! recognizes Nick Farkas. But we absolutely wanted to keep the show at the Bell Center, for those who had bought tickets.
►Sunday, 9:20 p.m., River Stage.
Idles
Photo courtesy, Osheaga
Like Turnstile, Idles is one of the most intense bands to hit the Osheaga boards this year. Nick Farkas mentions that he will be torn, like surely some other festival-goers, by the Sunday evening schedule, which will oppose Idles to Dua Lipa.
►Sunday, 9:20 p.m., Green Stage.