For a weekend every summer, Montreal’s Parc Jean-Drapeau on l’île Sainte-Hélène transforms into one of Canada’s biggest music festivals: Osheaga!
For their 2024 edition — thousands are coming together again from Aug. 2nd to 4th to get a glimpse of their favourite artists — including local Quebec singer, Léonie Gray, who is making her debut at the festival.
“I think it’s a one in a lifetime opportunity,” said Gray. “I’m very excited.”
“I feel very lucky to be here,” said Gray. “It’s nice to be in my town as well, in my city, performing at this big festival.”
Music filled Gray’s upbringing in Lavaltrie — about 60 km north of Montreal — her father, a musician too.
Mix family support with unwavering passion for music: she always knew she wanted to be a singer.
“Last year I went to the festival with my friend,” explained Gray. “And she told me next year you’re going to perform, and I was like, you’re crazy. and then I had the news and I was like, I still cannot believe it.”
“I’ll probably realize it after my show,” she added. “And be like, oh, I did that.”
Performing at Osheaga – whose headliners this year include Green Day, Noah Khan, and SZA – a dream come true she says.
“(My younger self) would scream for at least 10 minutes straight,” she said, laughing. “And I would lose my voice.”
Over 2,500 people were onsite Thursday to get the six stages ready –- organizers recommend festivalgoers bring water, sunscreen, and take public transportation to get there.
And just like Gray’s dream coming true –- what the festival has become since it’s inception in 2006, a dream too.
“We were using up a very small part of this island,” said Nick Farkas, Senior Vice President of Evenko. “Two small stages, a tent, another small stage.”
“Not a lot of people,” he added. “So to see it come from very, very, very humble beginnings. I have to pinch myself.”
“It’s unbelievable.”
“All these great Quebec artists that started out very small, you know, on one of our smaller stages to see the growth,” said Farkas. “Give them that opportunity is really something that we love to do.”
“There’s going to be a lot of cool artists playing during the entire weekend,” said Gray. “And I think we’re going to deliver a pretty good show.”
