The music plays on at POP Montréal 2020

  • POP Montreal International Music Festival - Arcade Fire 2011
  • POP Montreal International Music Festival - Arcade Fire 2011

For five days in September, music fans rock out and sing along to the sounds of POP Montréal, a long-running, wide-ranging festival of indie rock, folk, electro, hip hop, punk, R&B and new music that defies genre, let alone the word “pop.” This year, POP Montréal’s live shows and virtual events give everyone a chance to hear the best in Montréal music, whether you’re in the city or anywhere in the world.

Local music, hybrid festival

POP Montréal International Music Festival usually spans the city’s beloved music venues with dozens of bands playing every night – understandably, the 19th edition of the festival looks a little different. With events both in person and online from September 23 to 27, POP Montréal delivers the energy of live shows on a smaller scale, indoors and outdoors in Mile End, the Plateau and downtown.

This year, POP Montréal celebrates Québec and Canadian artists, most of whom call Montréal not only home but an inspiration for their music. Catch incredible performances by metal-trap artist Backxwash, electric cumbia Polaris winner Lido Pimienta, orchestral artist Flore Laurentienne, indie-folk rock stalwarts Plants & Animals and Land of Talk, electro pop trio Paradis Artificiel, hip hop artist Tyleen, French folk-rock prophet Antoine Corriveau and more artists at the Rialto Theatre, Le Ministère, URSA and surprise outdoor venues. (Be sure to buy your tickets online in advance, as no tickets will be available at the door.)

Puces POP

Music-inspired art, film and more

The festival’s “Funhouse 2.0” website brings the live festival experience to life: wander through a virtual rendition of the Rialto Theatre complex to watch live-streamed concerts, listen to POP Symposium discussions on equity and inclusion in the music business and music’s socio-cultural impact, check out the new Art POP gallery, and more. See more art at Galerie Articule and Espace POP, plus Theo Triantafyllidis’s Anti-Gone Live Stream Version: A Mixed Reality Performance.

Catch music-focused Film POP screenings, including portraits of artists Beverly Glenn-Copeland, Haruomi Hosono and Throbbing Gristle, at Cinéma Moderne. And outdoors at Parc Saint Viateur on September 26 and 27, shop for locally made art, decor, food and other creations at an open-air edition of Puces POP.

Buy your tickets early and mark your calendars for all kinds of POP Montréal events brightening the city – and your screens – as summer turns to fall this September. 

Robyn Fadden

Robyn Fadden

Robyn Fadden was a Montréal-based writer and editor known for her curiosity, creativity and love for uncovering the hidden gems of the city. For over a decade, Robyn collaborated with Tourisme Montréal, bringing her vibrant voice and rich knowledge to stories about art, music, and local culture.  Robyn had also covered major events for HOUR, MUTEK, ARTINFO, CKUT 90.3FM, and more. She passed away in September 2024, and while she will be deeply missed, her work will continue to inspire.

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