Billboard Ranked Osheaga The 22nd Best Music Festival Of 2022

Only 22nd??

Entrance to Osheaga in 2019.

Entrance to Osheaga in 2019.

Marc Bruxelle | Dreamstime
Senior Editor

Billboard dropped its list of the "Top 50 Festivals of 2022," placing Montreal's own Osheaga in the 22nd spot sandwiched between Barcelona's Primavera Sound (23) and Michigan's Electric Forest (21).

The publication highlighted the Montreal festival's prime location in Parc Jean-Drapeau's Espace 67 near its monumental Calder sculpture and within sight of the iconic Biosphere. Osheaga also got points for its balance between what Billboard called a "distinctively French Canadian identity" and the attraction of big-name English-speaking artists.

This year, Osheaga's lineup features headliners Arcade Fire, Dua Lipa, and Future as well as a selection of local singers and DJs.

Osheaga production company Evenko further got props for its satellite and off-season events that extend the spirit of the festival beyond its three-day run on Île Sainte-Hélène.

In 2022, "year-round" Osheaga concerts include performances by The Backseat Lovers at the Corona Theatre on July 26, Yussef Dayes at the Fairmont Theatre on July 27, Mahalia at Le Studio TD on September 24, and The Flaming Lips at MTELUS on October 21.

Osheaga was the only Canadian festival to make Billboard's ranking, atop which sits a somewhat predictable top five: Austin's South by Southwest (5), San Francisco's Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival (4), Las Vegas' Electric Daisy Carnival (3), the Glastonbury Festival in Somerset, England (2), and, in the top spot, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

But Billboard's entry for Osheaga did give a parenthetical shoutout to Pop Montreal for its French-language programming.

Billboard said it compiled its ranking "based on influence both within the live-music ecosystem and as part of the larger music and cultural community."

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  • Thomas MacDonald
  • Thomas MacDonald

    Senior Editor

    Thomas MacDonald was the Senior Editor of MTL Blog. He received a B.A. with honours from McGill University in 2018 and worked as a Writer and Associate Editor before entering his current role. He is proud to lead the MTL Blog team and to provide its readers with the information they need to make the most of their city.

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