First timer at Osheaga and man on man was it a good one! At first our uber dropped us off at laronde so we had to walk all the way back up the hill and got to the golf cart entree and we're rejected so had to walk around again but eventually you find it. We got searched as soon as you walk in which is fine it wasn't anything crazy just a quick look in the purse and metal detector. As soon as we got in we went to pee as there was nobody in line and the bathrooms were still clean and 0 wait time. We walked around and got a drink at the Jack Daniels bar and stopped to take some pictures at the osheaga playground swing set and than made our way through the free sample and made it to the hill where the huge osheaga sign is. The first person we saw was Dr. Fresh and he murdered the stage everyone was dancing and going nuts! Saturday seemed to of had the best line up in my opinion and boy oh boy was it packed. I can't wait to go back next year ! read more

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And after a two year hiatus we are back baby! Osheaga is a highlight of summer in Montreal and this year was no exception. As always the line up on each day usually revolves around different genres of music depending on the headliner. This year had a mix of rap edm rock and pop with headliners like Dua Lipa, arcade fire and Future. The festival also has a barrier of food trucks to eat at and local artist installations as well. The visuals and sound quality have gotten a lot better in the last years too. With so much to do you can easily fill your day from staff to finish weather your seeing 6 artists or only a few the crowd and energy are worth coming for alone! read more

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Well.... at first I got conned. By someone on facebook who was selling me tickets illegally and I didn't catch on until too late. So that was a super bummer. Then, I found a legit person, referred to me, who sells tickets for a living... then I finally got the wristbands and all the required paperwork. I'm glad that music festival organisers make it difficult to get these tickets otherwise everyone would be ripped off continuously and without reservation. The problem left is getting the monies over to the actual artists that are performing instead of all the organizers and music labels getting Most if not almost ALL the money from record, song, festival, and streaming sales. It is QUITE the racket... the music industry. And I am very sad for the musicians, who are the ones who lose out. Only went one day, Sunday and saw the Fontaines D.C. (who were AMAZING...and I believe they will become HUGE). Then Monolink, DJ Kruz, Hozier (whom I do not like), Tame Impala (LOVE), Childish Gambino (some songs ...not all), Boy Pablo (what a beautiful voice!), and a few other random musical acts. Felt like the festivals grounds was more of a fairgrounds than geared towards music festival goers. Been a long long time since I've been to a community local fair, but with all the booze-pushing salespeople and all the pushers of whatever...it really felt like I was at the circus rather than a music festival. I did, however, like the options for healthy food instead of just hotdogs all the time. Poutine?? Ummmmm.... No.... I do not eat Poutine. That is THE most fattening food on the planet earth... hands down... hahahaaaa... I will allow others to enjoy it tho...just leave me out of that. Festivals goers seemed pretty occupied with themselves and their phones. Or themselves and their specific "wolf pack". Pretty oblivious bunch of people. Will run into you or over you and will not care. Maybe if there was a real dress code...and that is to dress UP, not down... and people would care more about running into others. Coachella does a better job of inspiring people to dress UP. It's nice when people do. Much prettier humans to look at and it improves the entire festival experience. Dress UP Montreal. read more

Osheaga - Festivals Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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First time ever Osheaga go-er here! I got the day pass for August 4th 2017 and I had so much fun despite the heavy on and off rain. The festival blew me away. So many activities, food trucks, contests, and concerts (duh). This is the list of things I brought: -Towels (cheap ones so you can throw them out if they get gross) -hand sanitizer -baby wipes -tissues -sun screen -empty water bottles -cash (100$) -Laminated map and schedule -baseball cap -PONCHOS (I can not stress how much these saved my life. thank you to yelp for your ponchos) -sunglasses My thoughts are going to be quite jumbled because I really have a lot to say. -The site is huge! lots of walking so make sure you're wearing the right shoes (on the day we went it rained more than usual and so my sneakers got soaked and never dried which sucked but people in flip flops were even more screwed because of the mud) -When it rains and the venue has to close some stuff down, don't start lining up for stuff. Each time we lined up for a ride and got to the front of the line, they shut it down due to the rain picking back up. It was insufferable. -buy the 3 day pass if you can. You won't have time to fully appreciate the festival in one day. Too much food to try, activites to play, and bands to see. -get there before it opens. We didn't have any trouble entering the site but we figured we could get there later because our bands started at 4pm, but since there is stuff going on all the time, enjoy the full day to its capacity. Also I heard the lineups to get into the festival are quite long because of bag checks. We got there at 1:30 and we breezed in with no troubles at all but that wasn't the case for my friend who got there at 2pm and waited 2 hours to get in. -DO NOT GET FOOD FROM THE OSHEAGA FOOD VENDERS. It is disgusting. Stick to the food trucks. -Bring a sweater in case you get cold. I was wearing a tank top and since it rained all day it would get quite chilly until the next patch of sun. (and then in the evening it was just cold. not cold enough to absolutely need a hoodie but I would have preferred one) -the water refilling stations lines are long so make a beeline for those first. -sometimes it's best to be further from the stage. That way you get an ensemble view of everything. Instead of people's arms and heads. -Also it is all ages but don't bring your kids. It's not the most kid friendliest place. I think that's about it for tips and thoughts. Would highly recommend. read more

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Sick line up this year and overall an amazing experience! Osheaga is by far the biggest festival of its kind in Canada, on par with festivals like Lollapalooza or Coachella. I read that last year brought 80,000 people to the festival and it was expected to be even more for 2012. Either way, huge crowd and tons of energy/good vibes. There are 2 main stages and 2 smaller stages + 1 dedicated electronic music stage. I think there may have been even more little venues, but those were the main ones. The biggest stages are side by side. This is awesome, because as they are setting up one stage, music is playing from the other stage. This allows for back-to-back shows (which were impressively on time for the most part) without long, awkward gaps between acts. Jean Drapeau Parc is beautiful, although it did get really muddy on the last day when it rained. Osheaga usually coincides with the end of the international fireworks competition, which is pretty sweet because you can see the fireworks from the park. Facilities are good -- fairly clear signage, lots of places for food (although beware the lineups... another option is to bring your own food), stations to re-fill your water bottle, and even shopping (American Apparel and Osheaga merch). Unfortunately, the subway gets super-crowded at the end of the night. By the 2nd day, the metro decided to just move people along and let them in without checking their tickets so that things would go faster. If you're going for all 3 days, the VIP pass is definitely worth the price. It gets you reserved seating (bleachers) which gives you a great view of both main stages, as well as private bathrooms (air-conditioned!) and a separate bar (aka shorter lines). It definitely made the experience more enjoyable for me and my friends. Weather is always unpredictable. It was super-humid and hot this year, but they were misting the audience with water which was a nice touch! Virgin Mobile was also giving out free ponchos when it rained. But to be on the safe side, bring your own. read more

Osheaga - Festivals Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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A music festival in Montreal? Quite reasonable round trip flights from Tulsa (about $300)? I'm in! Colin and I had the most beautiful Montreal experience centering it around Osheaga. The festival was an easy subway ride away. This is how most got there- I heard people that drove weren't in for a treat. Even though the subways were packed returning each night, people were still in relatively good spirits (even after a rainy day.) Speaking of rain, the kind festival staff laid out some turf grass when it came down which immensely helped with mud and slipping. Sound quality was ace throughout the festival and the screens were clear making this shorty have a clear view wherever she was. Food options were a-ok. Don't miss out on the poutine, mister puff doughnuts, or little craft beer stations around. read more

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Worst event in Montreal, security is violent and the scenes are too crowded

This year's Osheaga festival was an amazing experience. Attendance was an aggregate 135,000 up 15,000 from 2012. The festival sold out prior to starting and I would expect it will keep on growing! The line up was really great and all three days had plenty to see and do. I was impressed with the entire experience and took note of the obviously well thought out planning and design that is absolutely necessary for this venue. The security presence was overt but not in an overbearing way. The gate ran smoothly although the crowds were thick at all times. The metro staff were excellent at guiding the crowds as well. The line up was great and I felt that I was able to see most of the acts I wanted to see without having to make a lot of choices because of overlapping shows. However, Sunday felt the most choppy at the two main stages; there's a lot of contrast between Kendrick Lemar, New Order, and Mumford & Sons, but hey! That's a festival for ya. The rain came out a few times but overall didn't seem to interrupt things. Food choices are definitely plentiful, however I wished there was more info available either prior to the festival or during as to what food is located where. I have a few dietary restrictions so locating good, satisfying food was a slight challenge. (What they don't tell you is that bringing in food is acceptable, so make a note for next year!) Overall a killer Canadian experience that is worth the trip to Montreal. Ps. Don't forget your earplugs (seriously). read more

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Osheaga 2016 Review Every summer me and my friends take a road trip to Montreal to check out one of Montreal's great summer festivals or events. This year, we decided to check out Osheaga on just Saturday to see Lana Del Ray live. Osheaga is a multi day indie music festival in Montreal Quebec that is held on Parc Jean-Drapeau on Île Sainte-Hélène that brings together big name established music artists and up and coming new music artists. The headling artists for each day was The Red Hot Chili Peppers (Friday), Lana Del Ray (Saturday) and Radiohead (Sunday). Some polls have it ranked as the number one music festival in Canada. We paid $99 plus tax and fees for a one day pass for Saturday It took approximately less 5 minutes to go through security once we exited the train station once we got there just after 5pm. I don't understand how some Toronto music festivals take an hour to get in and the crowds are pretty massive at Osheaga (capacity of 42,500 each day). Venue: Parc Jean Drapeau is a really cool location by the water, accessible by transit, a large space and good layout to accommodate the large size crowds. Alcohol/Food Vendors: I didn't try much food other than a bolognese pasta ($7 tax included) which wasn't too good but you come for the music and not really the food. There wasn't an extensive variety of food options but lots of food stations all around the park. I'm assuming Molson Coors is one of the corporate sponsors since they only had Molson and Coors Light tall cans available in terms of beer ($8.75 tax included). They did have booths that sold Smirnoff products also. One thing I really like that I don't see at Toronto music festivals is guys coming around selling tall cans like at baseball games which is really convenient, so you don't have to leave the music performances. Performers: I really enjoy the fact that not only can you see big name established acts at Osheaga but also the chance to discover new up and coming music artists. I really loved the EDM DJ "The Range" at the EDM stage (Zone Picnik Electronik stage), he essentially samples unknown YouTube vocalists on his tracks which was really cool. I also discovered "Haim" which was an all girl pop rock band, they had a great energy. Lana Del Ray was great, such a powerful voice live. We all know that a lot of artists don't sound the same live without all the studio help but Lana Del Ray's voice live was haunting in a good way. The festival is great but there were a few hiccups like not having enough portables for 42,500 people each day leaving some people resorting to going to the washroom in the bushes because the lineups were so long because of the lack of portables. Also, this isn't the festival fault but if you leave at the end of the festival and plan to take the subway, you could be waiting a long time because essentially the majority of the festival attendees also take the subway there and you could easily wait an hour or more to get into the station. Perhaps they could start doing shuttles buses into Montreal's downtown core for a reasonable price. All in all, Osheaga is still a great music festival with different genres of music acts, so if your friends don't love EDM, you can compromise and go from stage to stage and listen to a pop band per se. Also, it's got a really cool chill vibe to the festival and I can see why it's voted one of Canada's top music festivals in most polls. read more

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Organized well. Fairly decent food options. The water stations were a good and essential amenity. Good stage setups. Whimsical, creative decorations throughout the park. Good vibes, sweet music. I mostly wish there were more porta-potties because the lines tended to be rather long, and waiting to pee was the last thing you wanted to do when the band you want to see is about to start. read more

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LOVE LOVE LOVE! I was always sooo jealous of my friends who had gone to Osheaga, and this year finally it was my time to enjoy it! The price(100$ for one day) seems expensive at first, but the fact that you see tons of very famous and talented people within a day makes it very worth going. And also, to see one show, in a good spot you'd at least have to pay 100 anyways. Osheaga was just awesome. Fantastic music, tons of activities like bungee jumping, tons of foodtrucks, and in case you need, there's a lot of phone charging stations. It gets really crowded their though, so you have to stick with your group, and as an fyi the phone reception isn't really good there. Despite the rain we got soaked in, even dancing in the rain was just so much fun! read more

Osheaga - Festivals Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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Every year it's the same routine. 1. Osheaga releases their official lineup. 2. I get excited. 3. I buy my ticket and go with friends. 4. We all have a good time. 5. Mark calendar for next year's Osheaga festival. Whoever's responsible for the artists performing during the festival is a genius. I listen to all genres of music and Osheaga offers a wide variety of them - rap, pop, folk, indie, future house, trap, you name it. There's one thing though, you might find a higher concentration of hipsters during the event. Food services range from ordinary kiosk hot dogs to food trucks offering gourmet poutines. What truly matters though during a scorching summer day is beer. But no matter which scene you're at, beer will be available within your vicinity from strolling beer vendors. People from literally all around the world come to Osheaga. Flags from Belgium, Mexico, Argentina were spotted waving around. I love the fact that no matter where you're from, people are reunited at parc Jean-Drapeau for an excellent reason - good music. read more

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It was 'aight in my opinion. Depending on the experience you're looking for and are comfortable with, OSHIE can be amazing or painful. Rapidfire good and bad points below as well as some tips: - Not enough water stations, limited stations have excruciating line-ups (BAD) - Line up was OK but not spectacular and those acts I really looked forward to (like Radiohead) played painfully sleepy sets that went on far too long for a Sunday night (BAD) - Warm. Molson Beer. (Worse than BAD. Have you ever bought a "FRESH" beer from a vendor, looked forward to the refreshing cold initial sip and it's piss warm? Yeah that's the whole weekend (BAD) ------ - Everyone is on drugs... everyone. If that's your scene you'll have a blast, if it's not, enjoy the people watching (GOOD/BAD depending) - The indie acts far exceed the mainstream. Some are so niché however, you tend to only know their main radio play song, which excites you before you sit back and listen in obscurity again... refer to the importance of the "being on drugs" point above (GOOD/BAD depending) ------ - Lots of food options at reasonable pricing (GOOD) - Access to beer - Amazing. They have guys walking through the crowd (like the 7 ft guy we dubbed the Molson Monster) with cooler bags (read: warming bags) selling tall cans) (GOOD) - Art installations, very cool and unique. I would have loved to have tried the hammock pods in the shade but it seemed like people never left (GOOD) ------ - The main stages are where your skin goes to die. It's SO HOT, dehydration is inevitable, the hill is not much better but it does have a superior vantage point of the main stages (Mountain and River) (TIP) - While most will try to tell you to take the Metro - F that noise, it's a gong-show, Take an Uber in and at the end of the night, walk the bridge across and take another Uber home (TIP) - Go to the washrooms at the BACK of each porta-potty area. For some reason, everyone lines up at the first bank of toilets and the ones in the rear remain empty, Once you figure this out there are no standing in line waiting while doing an awkward pee dance for you (TIP) Still at the end of the day, you're at a festival in Montreal on a long weekend so life isn't so hard :) A-OK, with experience now under my belt, I would return if the line-up was attractive read more

Oh boy, this was a fantastic trip and a great festival overall! Some main points, in comparison to last year. 1) MUCH BETTER LINEUP: I'm sorry to those who love Lana Del Ray or Radiohead, but they were so boring that I left after 15 minutes for each. This year had Muse, who killed it, The Weeknd who underperformed but was still solid and Lorde who surprised me and gained my respect. 2) Food: Much better selection than last year. Other than the unlimited supply of free Jack Links beef jerkey, the food stalls were actually worth spending $10-20 on one item (COUGH seafood booth). Although festivals are usually on the more pricey side, I was glad to see more of a selection and better tasting food. 3) People: They will always suck. I find Osheaga is the crowd of 1% rich kids with parent's money, who can't control their alcohol and are overall a complete mess. Think New Orleans messy, but full of kids. I hope the crowd does change for next year, because they really tarnish the reputation of this event. 4) Location: HORRIBLE! I understand that they moved islands because the main one was undergoing some renovations, BUT ONE FREAKING BRIDGE to get in and out of the island?? Like one major incident and we are all screwed. Also, ONE FREAKING SUBWAY STATION to get out?! Come on Montréal... please get more options. Overall, much better than last year and best lineup of any NORTH AMERICAN festival I have been to (sorry, will never beat UK Festivals). Thank you Osheaga! read more

Compared to previous years, this was a disappointment. I love Osheaga and have been going for years. The new setup is really crowded and does not make for an enjoyable experience, having to run back and forth between the main stages. The smaller stages were slightly better in terms of crowds and access. Decent lineup this year and pretty good food options, though still crazy long lines for everything. Getting in to the festival was smooth Friday and Saturday, but inexplicably slow (more than an hour) on Sunday, for no discernable reason. Unless the lineup is totally stellar, I'll probably give next year a pass and come back when it returns to its original space in 2019. Not really the organizers fault (except maybe the slow Sunday check in), I think they were doing their best with limited circumstances and I give them props for that... read more

I have been to Osheaga twice and while I can't say I regret going, I cannot see myself going again in the future. As someone who has had an amazing time attending smaller, creative-flow art type festivals, I find the vibe at Osheaga really weird. It kind of feels like the majority of attendees are the rich, snobby, and generally disrespectful teenagers that you made fun of in high school (who have aged 5 years)... it's a bit much to them all in the same park. So much littering and disrespectful vibes! "FUCK YEAH BRAH WE'RE AT OSHEAGA BRAH, LOOK AT THAT BITCHES ---" *actual quote heard at Osheaga, not atypical. It's ridiculously crowded. On a 30 degree day, it sucks to have to plan around how much water you need to drink in order to not become dehydrated, but also not wait 15-25 minutes to refill your water bottle and/or find a portable toilet. It's like being at Disney World on March Break, but drunker and with more conventionally attractive people. But hey, the shows were pretty great for the most part. read more

The very minute I walk out of Montreal's Osheaga Music Festival, I start my count down for next year. The headliners are what attract the main audience but what makes Osheaga the best weekend of the summer is the atmosphere. Put on your most fashionable outfit and find yourself indulging in the biggest Montreal party of the year. Once you've arrive on the man-made island of Parc Jean-Drapeau, you may be overwhelmed by the hot sun and the movement of people, but the deeper you get the better it becomes. Every year, the Osheaga lineup is blessed with a variety of music that is fit for everyone. Throughout the day, one can walk to site and stop by the various tents handing out free samples and activities or relax by the main stages. Even better? Fill your day with seeing your favourite bands and discovering new and upcoming music by dancing your way from stage to stage. Come night fall, the site is at it's fullest. You've just satisfied your tummy with Montreal's greatest food trucks and you are ready to get your party on. Even after a long day, your feet are still moving with everyone around you. The vibe of Osheaga is never-ending and is filled by the most popular artists of all musical genres. The only downfall of your day is choosing what amazing performance to go to next. If you live in Montreal, are into music and have yet to attend, you have simply not lived the best experience of your life. read more

Great line-up this year and we couldn't have been more lucky in terms of weather. Although the metro took a bit of time, it was still very well organized and definitely the best way to get to the Island. Most staff on site were friendly (except for some of the beer guys who would not give you back all your change telling you how much you should tip them). Could have used more variety for food, but there certainly was a great variety of free samples. read more

So in the north east we are limited on the amount of festivals that come through, only ones to my knowledge are this and Boston Calling in May. The overall vibe was alright, we didn't go for the full 3 days cause the line up was meh. I was really excited for childish gambino hence the main reason why we went. Tame Impala was lit as well. Now the reason why I'm upset is because we waited 6 hours in one spot, literally the most perfect spot, to see childish and as the show was about to start a security woman stood right up in my line of sight and wasn't moving anywhere, I get that she has to do her job but she seemed to be the only person standing as the other people with her position were standing to not obstruct the view. I politely asked her if she could scoot 2 inches to the side so I didn't have to stair at her back. And she then said "go the fuck home you American I am not going anywhere" we then had to leave the area so we didn't waste $300 on tickets to stair at some woman's back. They tried to maintain crowd control but failed horribly. Having a section in the middle is absolutely pointless if you not maintaining it. We followed the directions and didn't break the rules and were punished for it. This made me appreciate Boston Calling so much more cause even though it was a clusterfuck, they didn't have random security guards obstructing the view and being rude about it. I recommend going to Montreal if your from the states but stay away from Osheaga for there shitty security protocols and lack of a decent line up. read more