Tuesday 20 May 2014

Montreal's Island Festival Osheaga Draws Top Music Acts, Big Crowds

This file photo from Oct. 20, 2012 shows Jack White performing at the Bridge School Benefit Concert in Mountain View, California festival on the island of Montreal Osheaga draws some of the best musical acts and big crowds.



MONTREAL - In retrospect, it seems obvious - bring together some of the best groups in the world on an island in the middle of summer , to carry across the river from Montreal, with the city skyline as a backdrop .

But it was only eight years ago that Nick Farkas organized the first Osheaga , a festival that is growing in popularity and has developed a reputation as a music destination in North America .

"It was not so evident in the early years, when he was not doing well," Farkas said in an interview.

“Now it looks like a brilliant move.”

The festival is held every August at Parc Jean-Drapeau on Ile Sainte -Helene, an island in the St. Lawrence, better known as the site of the La Ronde amusement park and, previously, the Expo 67 world fair. It is a short subway ride bike from the city center.

“We wanted to create a microcosm of Montrealness on the island with good food, art, music," Farkas said.

About 25,000 people attended the inaugural two-day event in 2006.

Now spread over three days, the festival attracts 45,000 every day and has been sold in the past two years. Seems about to do it again this summer.

This year, from August 1 to 3, the headliners include Jack White, the hip-hop duo Outkast , English rockers Arctic Monkeys , the dark and gloomy songwriter Nick Cave, and Swedish pop star Lykke Li .

The festival has been compared to a scaled-down version of Coachella, the great festival held annually in the California desert.

“It has the same kind of feeling, when you walk on the ground," said Christopher Roberts, director of Toronto’s own popular music and arts festival, NXNE, Osheaga has visited several times.

"It's in a field on a beautiful island in the middle of Montreal, which is just an amazing city.”

While NXNE spans two weekends and features hundreds of events in clubs and theaters in the city, Roberts said Osheaga has a more intimate atmosphere.

“Osheaga is a first time event that occurs in one place and not have this kind of really magical environment, because you're all participating in this unique event together , it really creates this sense of community. "

The ' Osheaga, “word the story goes was used by the first European settlers to describe what would become Montreal. Mohawk was originally a word to describe the place" where the citizens met trembling hands. "

In these days, where over 100 bands are lined up to perform.

Local talent - as Half -Moon Run, Mac DeMarco, and Le Trouble - will be presented by major international acts.

Osheaga sets are shorter, which makes it easy to discover new bands.

Emerging artists play for 30 minutes, while the headliners finish each day with games that extend over an hour and a half.

There are six stages this year, compared to the previous five years, together with showcases for the visual arts.

One reason for the growth of the party, which is led by the entertainment promoter Evenko are their hosting packages.

They range from the most affordable rooms in the residence halls of the city offers some of the high end hotels in the city.

Farkas said that part of the appeal of Osheaga is that you can combine with a summer trip to Montreal.

A three-day pass for the event starts at $ 250 and goes up to $ 950 for those seeking VIP benefits. Packages that include travel, accommodation, along with tickets starting at $ 424.

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