Osheaga reportedly cancelled for a second year in a row

You’ll need a bucket and a mop to dry your tears — Montreal’s Osheaga festival has been cancelled for the second year in a row, according to a report in The Montreal Gazette. The news is expected to be announced on Thursday morning.

Scheduled for July 30 – August 1, this year’s lineup was slated to include headliners Foo Fighters, Cardi B, and Post Malone. Foo Fighters and Cardi B were both holdovers from what would have been the 2020 edition, which was also cancelled.

Given that concerts in Quebec are all on hold due to the ongoing pandemic, it’s not a huge surprise that Montreal’s biggest music festival — which has drawn over 130,000 attendees in recent years — wouldn’t be able to go on as planned in just a few months.

Osheaga was in the news this past week after city officials confirmed their work on Parc Jean-Drapeau would limit the festival’s afforded space, forcing them to downsize from six stages to four and cutting 20% of their capacity. Festival promoters Groupe CH stated they would consider moving the festival to Laval or further outside the city if the reconstruction plan went ahead.

In other Montreal festival news, earlier today it was announced that both the Montreal Jazz Fest and Francos festivals would be pushed back from summer to September, with organizers planning/hoping for a mix of virtual and outdoor events. Read more about the announcement here.

Stay tuned for details on refunds. Here’s hoping for Osheaga 2022!