If NXNE is Canada’s answer to SXSW then the Osheaga Music and Arts Festival is Montreal’s Coachella.
While that statement holds true to this festival’s ability to piece together large scale lineups it doesn’t stand for the event’s audience capacity. Coachella’s 75,000 crowd capacity easily dwarfs the Canadian festival’s 40,000 limit, which in many ways makes Osheaga a more desirable event to attend.
Crowd size aside there is more than a few more reasons to put this festival high on your music event bucket list. And we’re not just talking about French speaking metropolis that hosts this festival either.
Held in Parc Jean-Drapeau in downtown Montreal the public park is the perfect place for such an event.
Made up of the two islands in Saint Helens and the artificial island of Île Notre-Dame (and situated primarily on the former) the location provides a city skyline view that is still conveniently situated in relative close proximity to the centre of Montreal.
However perhaps most impressive about Osheaga is the strong lineups it has put together from the outset.
Undoubtedly much in thanks to a bevvy of sponsors since the inaugural year in 2006 this festival has become the biggest of its kind in Canada.
Sonic Youth, The Flaming Lips, Metric, Dinosaur Jr. and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah amongst others kicked things off, while in the years since The Smashing Pumpkins, Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party, The Killers, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Coldplay, Arcade Fire, The National, The Black Keys and Two Door Cinema Club have all played.
Although arguably Osheaga have pulled off their biggest bill in 2014 with the headlining trio of Outkast, Jack White and Arctic Monkeys.
As you’ll see from the poster below it’s a lineup big enough to leave your mouth gaping for the rest of the day.
So you’re convinced? Read on to discover our 7 step guide to the event below
1. Book Ahead Before It’s Too Late
August is fast approaching so a visit to your travel agent (or an appropriate online site) should come sooner rather than later. Most flights from Australia to Montreal will take a couple of stops with a stopover in LA pretty much guaranteed. However you should probably secure a ticket before they sell out. A general admission three day pass is valued at C$250, while a Gold Pass – which gets you access to the Osheaga Terrace – will set you back C$550. The VIP pass is just a touch pricier at C$950 with a bunch of swanky extras like golf cart transportation, side of stage viewing, snacks, a catered dinner and much more. Day tickets are worth C$95 or C$225 for Gold, while accommodation and travel packages start from C$210 (or C$559.75 if you want Four Stars). Get your credit card ready and head to this link.
2. What are my Montreal Accommodation Options?
The Osheaga website has some recommendations on where you should stay while you’re in town. For one-person dorm rooms they suggest Rue University with prices starting from C$210, while three star options are worth upwards of C$830. Check out more information for those digs here. However if you’re interested in hostels we’d suggest you look into M Montreal, Montreal Central, Auberge L’Apero and La Maison du Patriote.
3. What’s The Best Way To Get To The Festival Site?
If you happen to be lucky enough to be staying within close proximity to Parc Jean-Drapeau you can walk or bike to Osheaga by following these directions. Otherwise it looks like the Metro is the way to go. Montreal has a fantastic train system (which can also be very very busy). Take the yellow line to ‘Jean-Drapeau’ and the train will lead you right to the gates of the festival. While a one-way train ticket will cost you around C$3 you can save by purchasing a three day card. Plan your Metro journey by following this link.
4. See An Advance Screening Of Nick Cave’s 20,000 Days On Earth and an Intimate Solo Performance
If you’re feeling patriotic or you’re just a massive Nick Cave fan than this one’s for you. 20,000 Days On Earth details 24 fictitious hours worth of the musician’s life shot in documentary style. Cave co-wrote the film and with two awards at the Sundance Film Festival you can expect this one to be a quality flick. If that hasn’t gained your interest Cave will also play an up and close and personal solo piano performance at the PHI Centre. For more details on this Osheaga presented event head this way.
5. Download The Official Osheaga App, You’ll Need It!
While Osheaga has a better schedule than most festivals it goes without saying that having a festival’s app on your iPhone or Android is a handy way to navigate all aspects of the festival. If last year is anything to go by you can expect that there will be no time overlaps between sets. However that doesn’t mean you should go in blind, organise a custom schedule via the app before you go and avoid walking around with you head stuck in the timetable.
6. What Tasty Grub Can I Expect At Osheaga?
Montreal is known for its food trucks and if you haven’t already tried the delicious food before you get to the festival you’ll have yet another chance here. There are also a plethora of other food vendors to choose from. Aussies will also appreciate the fact that enjoying an alcoholic beverage won’t mean you’re sectioned off to a designated area.
7. What Else Should I do While I’m In Town?
While the festival didn’t hold its ‘Osheaga In The City’ after parties last year and we still haven’t heard about it in 2014 there is still plenty of nightlife to experience in Montreal. We prepared a guide of things to do in Montreal a little while ago with a few bar recommendations. Once the festival is over though we recommend you check out some of the city’s record stores.
Read our city guide to Montreal here.
Need more information? Head to the official Osheaga website for the answers to all your questions.
