This past weekend, nearly 150 thousand attendees flocked to Montreal’s Parc Jean-Drapeau—battling high temperatures, a strike or two of lightning, and the occasional food truck queue—for OSHEAGA’s seventeenth edition.
With an impressive DJ lineup—Martin Garrix, Justice, and Jungle, to name a few—as well as heavy-hitting pop and rock acts like Green Day, Chappell Roan, Raye, and SZA, it’s no wonder that the festival saw record numbers in high spirits for what ended up being an incredible weekend of concerts.
And, despite a staggering number of what we’d call “core memory moments”, we’ve managed to narrow down our favorite performances of the weekend. Keep reading to discover the best of OSHEAGA 2024!
- Elyanna
In what felt like one of the most exciting performances of the weekend, Palestinian-Chilean singer Elyanna wowed a packed and enthusiastic crowd with a tightly choreographed and multi-lingual forty-minute set on Day 3. Genre-hopping from nineties RnB-influenced Arab pop to Spanish ballads to Balearic synth-pop, the Coachella breakout star nonetheless offered consistency in the form of excellent vocal delivery and hypnotic stage presence.
- Fcukers
Though they played an early afternoon set at the electro-forward Island Stage on Day 1, we actually caught New York trio Fcukers in their second performance of the weekend at Montreal’s historic MTELUS concert hall during the official Osheaga x Ed Banger Records 20th Anniversary afterparty. With only a few singles out and a debut EP on the horizon, this band’s grimy and club-ready sound proved to be a highlight of a night that also featured sets from French DJ Boston Bun and Montreal-based Bolarinho.
- CRi
With a massive presence in his native Quebec and an ever-growing one internationally, CRi’s set brought together one of the largest crowds at the Island Stage of the weekend. Playing his signature emotional deep house sound, including cuts from his two critically acclaimed studio albums Juvenile and Miracles, Cri also previewed tracks from his upcoming EP and brought on frequent collaborator Jesse Mac Cormack for a special appearance.
- Mochakk
Closing out Day 1 with an electrifying performance featuring impressive pyrotechnics and gripping visuals, Mochakk’s soul-infused tech-house set spoke to his rapidly evolving sound. Having recently dropped Part I of the two-part Locomotive Ibiza 2099 EP, the Brazilian DJ continues to exemplify why so many are calling him one of the most exciting names on the scene.
- Irene Dresel
The beauty of music festivals is the capacity they create for new musical discoveries. Case in point: French DJ and producer Irene Dresel—a name I’d heard thrown around here and there but hadn’t ever had a chance to get to know. Faced with some free time, we ventured over to the Island Stage and caught the end of what ended up being one of the most engaging sets of the festival from this Cesar-Award-winning DJ. Despite Irene’s conceptually dressed stage that called to mind the final scenes of Little Shop of Horrors, it was her techno sound—ambient, haunting, off-kilter, bass-y—that really brought the whole performance home.
Thank you for joining us as we shared our journey to OSHEAGA 2024! Make sure to follow us @nexusradiodance for more in-depth coverage of dance music’s best festivals, as well as news and exclusive interviews with the biggest names in the industry.
