The word “summer” is always music to our ears in Montréal, and not just because of the warm weather. It’s also when the city is beset by a veritable onslaught of amazing music festivals, everything from Osheaga to the Jazz Fest, and from MUTEK and Île Soniq to the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal’s Classical Spree. For four sunny, summery months, Montréal is truly a music lover’s paradise. Here is your August guide to Montréal summer music festivals.
The Présence Autochtone Montréal First Peoples Festival celebrates its 26th edition, August 3 to 10. Theirs is an expansive programme of outdoor concerts (hip-hop to rock to Inuit throat singing to you name it), aboriginal video and film (a veritable international film fest unto itself), outdoor street theatre, native art and a variety of other events and entertainment all taking place in and around the Quartier des Spectacles.
Heavy Montréal blasts big chunks of hard rock, August 5 to 7. Death metal, hair metal, black metal, hard rock and hardcore are all on the agenda, and this year’s line-up is sick with the likes of Five Finger Death Punch, Disturbed, Nightwish and Volbeat, to name a few.
Parc Jean-Drapeau remains at the center of the action August 5 and 6 for the third edition of wildly popular electronic dance and urban music festival ÎleSoniq, which brings out 40,000 beat-happy partiers. Spectacular, state-of-the-art special effects will overload your circuits to the sounds of headliners Zedd and Skrillex, plus many, many more.
From August 10 to 13, the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal’s Classical Spree takes center stage, with an accessible mix of indoor and outdoor shows and activities for the whole family. This year’s blockbuster free show on August 10 on the Esplanade Financière Sun Life at the Olympic Park is a tribute to the 40th anniversary of the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montréal. The program, entitled “Galaxy of Heroes”, includes excerpts from Gustav Holst‘s stunning masterwork “The Planets”. Get there early for the best spots!
If the winter blues bring you down, the summer blues have been known to have quite the opposite effect at Festiblues International de Montréal, August 11-14. Taking place in the rolling and tree-lined Parc Ahuntsic, the fest attracts thousands upon thousands for top-flight blues from more than 50 national and international artists.
Montreal makes its own chilled-out island vibe at the Montreal International Reggae Festival (August 26 to 28), adding the best in new and traditional reggae music to late-summer’s hot, sunny days. And finally, at one of the other ends of the sonic spectrum (there are many) is the Montréal Country Festival, celebrating its third year of existence August 19 to 21. Taking place this year in the Old Port, this showcase of Quebec country/folk artists is free to all comers and will also feature a multitude of booths carrying local products.
Up next: Your 2016 Montréal summer festival guide
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