McGill’s Lilith Fair Returns Bigger and Better in 2026

As a first-year student at Concordia, I’d never been to McGill’s Lilith Fair, though I’m aware that it happened last year as well. This mini-festival, organized by the McGill Collective for Gender Equality and McGill’s Jam for Justice, is inspired by the original Lilith Fair, founded by Sarah McLachlan in 1997. Her goal with this festival was to promote female artists and address gender inequality in the music industry. To do this, she selected only female artists or female-led bands to perform, which McGill’s lineup reflected as well (with the addition of queer-led artists as well). This year’s sets were absolutely fantastic, with Night 1 showcasing Boyish Apocalypse, PascalePascale, Fionavair and Bebe and Oona; and Night 2 with 2kyerg, Angela Bégin (CJLO DJ!!), Palomine, and Niivi.

I was attending Lilith Fair on behalf of Palomine, a McGill band that only started performing in 2025 but has been doing shows all over Montreal (and the occasional Ontarian city). As I’m friends with one of the frontmen, I was asked to take photos of both Lilith shows, which I immediately said yes to. I’ve seen Palomine a few times, so I am a slight superfan, but I had never seen some of the bands before, and I was not disappointed.

I’d seen Niivi two summers ago in Ottawa at one of their first gigs (maybe it was their first ever), and they were just starting out. The singer, Niivi Snowball, is an Inuk musician whose music is centred around their Indigenous culture and the struggles they’ve faced because of this. Extremely emotionally charged, their songs were angry and loud but also extremely beautiful. Headlining Night 2, as was deserved, this band has improved so much since their first show. With a new guitarist and drummer, their set was incredibly fluid. Many of my friends were remarking on the skill level of the band, and the rest of the audience seemed to respond extremely well, dancing and moving the whole time. 

Palomine, performing right before Niivi, definitely set them up for success. Every time I see this band, they get better. I especially love bringing my friends to see them because I know no one will ever be disappointed. Palomine’s songs are so intentional and atmospheric, often quite long and mostly full of beautiful instrumentals. It’s easy to get lost in their music, yet I find myself always fascinated by every part and every instrument. They gained a fifth member in the last couple of months, so they’re on the larger side, but by no means excessive. Every aspect feels very necessary. I would highly recommend a Palomine show to anyone feeling uninspired or low, as I guarantee a surge in passion and overall joy afterwards. Though no matter your mood, this band will certainly be enjoyed whenever and is one to look out for.

PascalePascale is also hugely inspirational for me. This was my second time seeing her, the first was when she opened for Palomine in early November, a show that arguably might’ve changed my life (I’ll avoid being dramatic). Performing mostly solo and sometimes with a band, Pascale has mastered the art of riffs and rhythms. Her songs aren’t overcomplicated, but they’re almost sneaky, featuring a sudden harmonic or chord change when you’d least expect it. Her music is so hypnotic and incredibly moving that I often find myself sitting in an excited anticipation of where each song will go. Especially seeing her now with a band, there was a moment where the entire crowd reacted to a change in the song, which was so cathartic. It is euphoric moments like these that are so unique to live music, and Pascale delivers them every time. I can't wait to see what she does next, and I’m sure I’ll be increasingly impressed.

If it wasn’t obvious, this experience was incredibly rewarding. I’m constantly astounded by the music scene in Montreal, especially student-led bands. I struggle to understand how anyone has time to organize these events while juggling their academics and personal lives. However, you wouldn’t know that any of these artists were students based on how professional and practiced they present themselves. I’m sure Lilith Fair will return next year, EVEN bigger and better. I feel so lucky to have attended, and to anyone who didn’t know about it, look out for it next year!