In Canada: Osheaga Festival Draws Near-Record Attendance With Tate McRae, Stella Lefty & More
Also up north this week: A recap of this year's OVO Golf Classic and a high-profile departure from Departure.
Osheaga, Canada's premier 19th edition music and arts festival, concluded its successful run by drawing a staggering attendance of over 151,000 fans. This impressive feat marks the festival's second-highest-ever turnout, with two out of three nights fully sold out this year. Tate McRae, a Canadian sensation, took the stage for her groundbreaking headline appearance on Saturday, August 1st, breaking the record for the fastest sellout ever for an individual day.
Her performance marked the first time a Canadian headliner graced the festival since Arcade Fire's 2022 appearance and The Weeknd's 2017 set. A major highlight of the weekend was the surprise set performed by Quebec heroes Angine de Poitrine, who were booked in May and added as a last-minute surprise due to the festival's steady ticket sales.
The festival's popularity surged this year, with approximately 50% of the crowd comprising Quebec fans, a significant increase from last year's 40%. Rising singer-songwriter Stella Lefty also made waves, performing on the Mountain stage to a packed crowd and contributing to the top 5 rankings on both the Canadian and US Hot 100 charts.
The Osheaga edition of 2026 paid homage to nostalgia, featuring throwbacks to its own programming a decade ago, including Lorde's return as a headliner and other Osheaga alumni returning to Parc Jean-Drapeau.
Written by urgent.news from Billboard's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
