The Anti-Social Guide to Osheaga or: How I learned to stop worrying and love major festivals

Every Montrealer has their conceptions about Osheaga. The idea of getting to Ile St Helene at the peak of summer’s heat, with massive crowds of people to see live music could easily be a heaven or hell situation. If you’re one of those people leaning toward the hell side, I challenge you to read to the end of this article to see if I can convince you otherwise. 

There’s no denying that part of the Osheaga experience is unfortunately, well, getting there. Drivers are weary of getting stuck in traffic, so most opt to take the yellow metro line down to Jean Drapeau, which can also cause headaches. I started my journey at Namur station and even in that part of the city you could easily point out who was heading where due to their outfits. And I should be precise, those dressed up in cosplay as their favourite anime character were to get off at Place D’armes for Otakuthon, and those dressed as festival cosplayers stayed on to the end of the line. 

The clothes were something to talk about. Everyone seemed to be outdoing each other with the best-forgotten pieces from the y2k movement. Big boots, lingerie, tiny bags, cowboy hats; every look was uniquely tailored to the individual and was seriously impressive.

Maybe you won’t believe me, but it actually made me so happy to see people put so much effort into their outfits. Sure, you could argue that there was sort of a desperate energy to try and force a #bratsummer. The same kind of feeling you get with a staged photo. But if you look on the flip side, these people are just trying to have fun, feel young, and when they sing along with Chappell, “call me hot not pretty” they mean it. 

I talk about it as if I'm outside looking in, which is a complete fabrication. I am not ashamed to admit that I spent probably way too much time on my festival outfit. And if you're wondering, I went completely in disguise, a silk scarf tied over my baseball cap, complete with shades. I felt unrecognizable like Brigitte Lin’s character in Chungking Express, which was the perfect energy for heading to a festival alone. All in all, the outfits were fire and I was taking mental notes from the crowds on how to be 10% cooler when I get back to the real world. 

Luckily on Friday, arriving at Osheaga was pretty streamlined. I started my day early along with the other festival-goers who wanted to make the most of their ticket purchase. As soon as I passed the gates, there was already a pulsing energy in the air. As Blonde Redhead dropped their first few notes on the main stage, my day had begun. 

I quickly learned the secret to this festival, and that is that it’s all about your enjoyment. After all, you paid for your ticket, this is your experience. Once you decide to go with the flow of things, and don't feel the need to rush, Osheaga makes a lot of sense. Walking under the trees of Jean Drapeau park, with the glittering reflection of the sun on the water I made my way over to the Green Stage to see the last part of The Japanese House. Singer Amber Bain was glowing and seemed just so happy to be there. The group’s pretty floating melodies were a perfect backdrop for the sunny summer day. While I was waiting for Arlo Parks, young British artist Mimi Webb had taken the stage. Famous for her viral video during the pandemic, she brings a sort of glam diva vibe to the pop star concept, reminiscent of a young Britney Spears. Whether you like mainstream pop or not, you can’t deny that this woman can sing and I mean really sing, and sounded better live than probably a lot of established artists.

In perfect time, Arlo Parks came on next. Her 2023 album My Soft Machine was an intimate portrayal of her private universe. And yes, she managed to bring her sweet and sensitive sounds to the big festival stage with great success. Her big fans hung onto every word and those who were new to her were also caught vibing along. Seeing her perform kind of felt like having a good conversation with an old friend. 

Up next was, well, whatever you wanted. Another show maybe? Or take a break from the heat and have a drink? My feet took me to the most perfect spot at the Island stage to see electronic legend Romy. Having just released her first solo album Mid Air last year, the crowd had done their homework, memorized all the lyrics and were ready to see their hero. Romy’s set was energetic, playful and overflowing with love. Her love songs are the equivalent of queer anthems and seeing rainbow flags being waved in the crowd brought such a placid feeling of calm and warmth to the dancefloor. 

The same good feeling of acceptance came the next day for Chappell Roan. A sea of screaming fans with pink cowboy hats and handwritten love notes welcomed her as she took the stage. The singer shot up to fame quite literally last year after the release of her debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess and her subsequent tour opening up for Olivia Rodrigo. Fans love her for her carefree, messy optimism, heart of gold, and a gift to be able to tie her deepest feelings to melody. Prancing in her twisted pink pixie costume, she delivered her songs at full force to adoring fans. Frankly, there was no show after Chappell Roan. 

But it was only 4:15 pm, so I went exploring once again. Unlike Friday, Saturday was sold out and you could easily tell the difference. Lineups were endless for bathrooms, food and water. And to my dismay, there was a significant drop in cute festival outfits and more people donning pop punk band t-shirts. Although, maybe the guy dressed up as Billy Joe Armstrong American Idiot era with the red tie and black tee deserves some credit. 

My feet then took me to go see Sofia Kourtesis who did a custom DJ set. Her pulsing deep rhythms were a perfect backdrop for the intense heat. When the sprinklers came on by the stage, the dancing crowd completely embraced the tumbling water. As much as I wanted to join in on the fun, I couldn't stay long as I wanted to make sure I got a good spot for Brittany Howard. Once again over by the Green Stage, she graced the stage in the beautiful setting sun, and after nine other musicians piled onto the stage her set had begun. Her performance was passionate, raw, and explosive. She may have started calmly, but when she tapped into something deep down inside of her, her passion unlocked. The pain, love, grief and sadness behind her lyrics felt all too real, as if she were experiencing those moments right on stage. It was clear she had intent, purpose, and that she was here to be real with you and lay her soul on the line. 

Her powerhouse performance came to a close and within minutes, in juxtaposition, T-Pain had started playing on the neighbouring stage. Walking away from the stage and through the crowd, you could see people twerking, badly, but still having a great time. 

The last band I knew I needed to see was Smashing Pumpkins. Coincidentally enough, their latest album Aghori Mhori Mei dropped the same day as their set at Osheaga. So you can’t blame them for sprinkling in a few new songs in between their classics. This time, I was further back from the stage, but still had a fun, immersive experience. It was great to see everyone singing and dancing sync in through their favourite parts of their favourite songs. 

Whatever doubts I had about the festival wore off quite soon as I immersed myself into its culture. It was fun to go in there alone, I was quite lucky - other people’s friend groups welcomed me in dancing and I was always greeted with warmth in any interaction. Throughout the whole weekend, there was an underlying current of positivity and fun. People were there for the right reasons. 

So have I convinced you yet? I recommend going for next year’s edition, of course, with the right outfit. 

Lisa Rupnik is the station manager at CJLO and co-host of The Last Stop. She is also an avid record collector, a “no nonsense” film lover and feels that her personality can be best defined by her two favourite bands: YMO and Sparks.