Osheaga Survival Guide 2019 : What to Wear, Where to Stay, What to Do, Who to See, and How to Party

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Parc Jean Drapeau is home to many cool events, but Osheaga is the one that gets anyone who loves music that ranges from indie rock to pop to alternative meandering about from stage to stage. From August 4 through 6, the sweets sounds will be emanating across the river. And if music and dancing aren’t enough, there’s always a solid line up of food trucks and art and general fun stuff to keep the kids happy.

Every year, we update our survival guide for the festival. We’ve got info on getting tickets, where to stay, how to get there, what to wear, and which bands to see.

Getting Tickets

Osheaga has a website to purchase passes. The most popular three-day pass admission pass is $325 (CDN) and offers general admission to the park. A single day pass is $125 (with gold option at $235). The Gold and Platinum three-day passes ($585 and $1250 respectively) add on special viewing platforms and access to private washrooms. If you can afford these passes, they give you a bit of space in the crowd, a good view of the stage, and shorter toilet lines. These amenities, although not necessary, are appreciated by those who have them (they are affectionately called the ITOTS passes — I’m Too Old for This Shit passes). Virgin Mobile Members can also take advantage of an area set aside just for them.

Admission is open to all, and children under age 10 can go for free if they are accompanied by an adult. With the pass, you  get a snazzy I’m-a-cool-kid bracelet which lets you enter and leave the site.

How do you get your passes? Mail. There are no electronic tickets. Those attending get a bracelet. The passes ordered prior to June 15 are sent out on July 1. Those purchased after June 15 will be delivered in a way that is tbd. Incidentally, there are always incidents of fake passes being sold. Be very careful if you purchase your pass from someone other than the Osheaga website. Just sayin’.

Where to Stay

First the bad news. There’s no camping on Parc Jean Drapeau. You need to be over 18 to take advantage of Osheaga-run housing options. The famed “Hotel Osheaga” consists of several large student residences.  These include Carrefour Sherbrooke at 475 Sherbrooke W at $775 for four nights/two people or $830 for four nights/two people; Royal Victoria College at McGill (3425 Rue Robert Bourrassa) at $320 for four nights /one person; and the New Residence Hall (3625 Parc) at $805 for four nights/two people. More may end up being added. All locations are conveniently located in the city, easily within a 15 minute metro ride to the festival site. This choice is perfect for those who like big hotels/ hostels and want to stay with hundreds of other Osheaga-goers.  These packages are available for people who are 18 and up only, so if you’re under, you should look into some of the other options.

What if you are under 18, looking for a different housing experience, or even broke ass poor after buying your Platinum Pass? You can rent on Air BNB  for less than the average hotel room. Montreal is at a bit of a war with Air BNB as it makes housing less affordable for those who live in the city and theoretically their are only specific areas in the city where Air BNB can happen. BUT… Montrealers can be a bit of a do as I say, not as I do type of people and there are a lot of rooms to be had. Summer prices can be high in Montreal, so you might want to look into options that require to use a combination of bus, metro, and foot to reach the Osheaga site. Since Montreal’s metro is easy to use and not that big, almost anything within walking distance of a metro station is a fine choice. Popular neighbourhoods include the St. Henri, Villeray, Downtown, the Latin Quarter and the Plateau. With Bixi bikes and the bus system, you can even extend the range of potential places even further. You can also try staying at a hostel. These are more affordable options, starting at $20 a night in a dorm room. The m hostel (1245 Rue St-Andre) is well-regarded as the best (our article is HERE and it looked pretty awesome), but there are many others of all sizes. The Auberge HI is also extremely popular.  For those of you who are even more daring, you can always try couch surfing  but you need to make an account and hope that your couch doesn’t bail on you.

How to Get To The Site and Around Montreal

Take a bike or ride the metro to Parc Jean Drapeau on the yellow line (off either the orange or green lines at Berri-UQAM station). During the Osheaga festival, you’ll easily spot where to go because hundreds of other Osheagites will be in the metro with you. The metro in Montreal is clean and safe and runs regularly while open, save for the occasional service interruption. The downside of the metro is that it only runs until 1 a.m. weekdays and Sundays, and 1:30 a.m. on Saturdays. From one end of the orange line to the other (Montmorency to Cote Vertu), the trip is around 45 minutes. From one end of the green line to the other (Angrignon to Henri Bourassa), the trip is around 36 minutes. The idea of an unsafe subway (or a neighbourhood for that matter) is outside the comprehension of most locals.

Biking to the site is an option and Osheaga offers a place to keep bicycles.

One point that many Osheaga goers make is that getting on the subway at the end of the night to leave the site sucks. It’s crowded and people are tired, cranky, high, or just not in the mood. Recommendations are to leave before the headliner encores or get ready to wait patiently. You can always walk over the bridge from the park. What a view of the city you get!

There are advantages and disadvantages to each type of fare you can purchase (see HERE). A single trip costs $3.25, 2 trip ticket is $6, 10 trips cost $28.00, a three-day pass costs $19, and a weekend pass — the pass you’ll likely want — costs $13.75 (valid Friday 6 p.m. to Monday 5 a.m.). The single trip fare allows transfers between bus and metro for 120 minutes once activated by use, with some restrictions on transfers (you can’t use the same station twice or backtrack). The three-day metro pass begins once it is activated. Ride your heart out. You can also purchase a week-long pass which starts on a Monday and ends on a Sunday, regardless of when in the week it is purchased. Most locals have an OPUS card, which costs $6 and can be recharged to carry different types of metro fares. If you don’t have an OPUS card, you get a paper ticket to carry around with you. You generally only use it once while entering the metro system — you don’t need it to exit. But occasionally there are cops checking for tickets. Metro tickets can be purchased at a metro station from an agent or using one of the machines. If the French is confusing, press the button for EN (English).

If you come by airplane, the 747 Shuttle Bus to and from the Pierre Elliot Trudeau Airport does not run on regular one-way metro tickets. You need to purchase the all day pass ($10) or the three day pass at the airport (those weird STM kiosks near where you catch the bus in the terminal) or inside Berri UQAM station to use the shuttle. The 747 bus runs 24 hours a day, though in the wee hours of the night, it runs infrequently. The good news is that once you purchase the all-day pass, you can use it all day on the subway and bus system — useful if you’re coming into the city, less useful if you’re heading to the airport.

If staying out late, you might want to combine your metro pass with a Bixi bike late at night. Bixi bikes are a great way to get around the city and there are three stations set up at Parc Jean Drapeau during the summer — one near the metro stop, another near La Ronde, and a third near the beach. It costs $2.95 for a one way trip, $5.25 for 24 hours, $15 for 72 hours,  or $25 for 10 trips. Bixi bikes allow you to ride for up to 45 minutes for free. After that, you need to change bikes. So if you opt for the full day or 72-hour access, you can change bikes every 45 minutes, you never get charged more than the initial amount spent!  As a warning, though, they charge you half-hourly if you run over that free 45 minute period without switching your bike. If the stations at Parc Jean Drapeau are full, agony will follow if you can’t dock the bike on the island. In the past, the Bixi people have provided a place to dock at metro station Jean Drapeau. Keep abreast of the news from Bixi HERE. Incidentally, Bixi bikes are rather heavy and slow — they’re not exactly luxurious rides, but they do get you around.

If you have your own bike, there is a Terminus where you can valet park your bike for the day and even have it serviced.

There is parking at Parc Jean Drapeau for $18 per day in the islands’ 15 lots. Osheaga emphasizes the use of bikes or metro rather than driving.

For Toronto folk, Osheaga also offers a bus package from Toronto’s Clarence Square Park for a reasonable $120 round trip. Bus services from New York, Philadelphia, Sherbrooke, Ottawa, and other Ontario destinations are available too.

What to wear

Osheaga happens rain or shine, so begin by checking the weather. Then, check the weather AGAIN. July-August is generally hot and sunny in Montreal, but things can and do change. Be prepared for sun, rain, heat or cold. You don’t want to be running out to buy needed clothing during the festival, unless shopping was part of your trip anyway. A poncho or raincoat if useful if rainy weather threatens, and the good old hoodie will be much welcomed if the weather is cool.

Osheaga crowd. Photo Rachel Levine

Whatever your outfit, be sure that you will be comfortable for the day, especially your SHOES. You’ll be doing a lot of standing and this will probably be in close proximity to other people. The most important thing to consider about your outfit is which shoes to wear. The Osheaga ground gets muddy and grimy, so closed-toe shoes beat open-toe ones. There’s also a good chance your feet will get stepped on. Our tip: avoid sandals and flip flops. Another point to consider is that the stages at Osheaga are spread far apart – and if you want to run from stage to stage, pick shoes that will get you there.

Osheaga. Footware. Photo Rachel Levine.

You can dress as you like, short shorts or pants with the crotch between your knees, but generally a pair of sunglasses or a hat is needed. Listen to your momma and slather on the sunblock and drink lots of water.

Finally, consider what kind of bag you want to bring. You’ll want to bring something that will get through bag check quickly and can hold essentials like a water bottle (1 plastic water bottle allowed), sun screen, and a snack or three.  A beach towel or blanket is also very useful for sitting on the grass. People recommend bringing those $.99 ponchos in case of rain or just to sit on. Others recommend wet wipes and stadium chairs. Osheaga offers storage lockers for $22 with a day with a phone charger with all-day access. Rentals are available now. There is also a coat check just outside the festival gates at $3 per item.  Toilets? Expect port-a-potties. The lines are long. Stick some extra toilet paper in the bag.

Yes, you can bring one water bottle, but there’s lots of stuff you can’t bring. Things you can’t bring — selfie sticks, animals (except guide dogs), items to sell, flags, banners, beach balls,  professional audio/video recording equipment (so your little point and shoot digital camera is fine, but the one with six different lenses might get stopped at the gate), drones, skateboards, frisbees, musical instruments, hard coolers, tents, animals (except service dogs), hard sided coolers, glass bottles and cans. Osheaga has a policy against wearing the Indian/First Nations headdress and you don’t want to be the insensitive culture-offending douche bag anyway. See here for a full list.

There are charging zones for your devices, as well as a lost and found. Most importantly, there is medical staff on site. Osheaga also provides places to chill out away from noise and they won’t judge you, honest.

Water refill stations are available at the site, so you can bring your own empty plastic water bottle to refill. Drink, drink, drink water. You can bring your own food, but there is plenty to purchase. There is delicious, gourmet-ish variety at around $8-20 for a good-sized meal. This year, some of those participating are Grumman 77, Street Monkeys, and Foodchain. Gluten free, vegetarian and vegan options are available.

Vegetarian Food. Osheaga. Photo Rachel Levine

Of course, alcoholic beverages are available for those who are 18+, but you can’t bring your own in. Bring two pieces of ID.

Which Bands to See

The festival line up is announced, and headliners generally take the stage between 9 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Most artists perform between 30 minutes and 90 minute sets. Osheaga has a solid app (itunes, android) that will guide you towards what/who/when, so download for your phone ahead of time. It has been known to crash on both platforms, though.

There are many amazing acts performing at this year’s festival, so it can be very hard to choose who to see. This is made even more difficult when two artists you like equally are playing at the same time. One way I tend to decide about this is considering the location of the stage and the performance I want to see afterwards. You can even use Osheaga’s Artist Recommender that uses your facebook likes to pick bands to see.

For a few picks from us based on the most recent list.

For Friday: Interpol (headliner), The Lumineers (headliner), Flume, J Balvin, Kurt Vile and the Violators

For Saturday: The Chemical Brothers, City and Colour, Logic, Joelle Monae, Young the Giant, Beach House, Louis the Child, Two Feet, Black Tiger Sex Machine

For Sunday: Childish Gambino, Tame Impala, Hozier, Kaytranada, Metric, Mac’Demarco, The Franklin Electric

What Else to Do During the Day

There is no one right way to Osheaga, but pace yourself is good advice. There is so much going on from the moment the doors open until when they shut at 11 p.m. Take breaks by checking out Osheaga’s art exhibitions or sitting in the grass. Enjoy the view over the river.

Art exhibits are always a major part of Osheaga. Local, indigenous, and established artists are invited.

There are different tents and stands for those who want to sample things like beef jerky (free).

Many people just like to splash around in the fountains. Or, take a moment to lie around in the hammocks.  There are also carnival rides.

And of course, there are those who spend all day grooving and grinding with the DJs.

Map?

You bet.

Can I smoke pot?

Yes. Cannabis is allowed this year, but it needs to be in a sealed container from the SQDC. Get in line at St. Catherine and Peel, but remember you’re only allowed to bring 30 grams… and don’t open that container.

How to Pre and After Party

Before Osheaga starts, they get the party moving with pre-parties (dj nights), and during the festival, there are also after-parties (again, dj nights, usually with bands playing at the festival). If you want to start your festival right, here are a few to catch up with:

• The Franklin and Electric and Saens at L’Astral on August 1, 8:30 p.m.
• MNDSGN at Newspeak on August 1, 10 p.m.
• Anemone at Turbo Haus on August 1, 10 p.m.

Osheaga usually has two official afterparties each night, and there are sure to be plenty of unofficial ones. If you can’t make it to the big festival of Osheaga for financial reasons (or work reasons or other reasons), this is your chance to jump into the music madness. The good thing about After Parties is they often feature bands playing at Osheaga at rather inconvenient times during the festival — so this is a chance to catch what you’ve missed.

We’ll add them as we know about them. New City Gas, The Corona Theatre, The Fairmount Theatre, and the SAT are typical venues to find afterparties. If you’d like to hit some local clubs to keep dancing all night, Salome Da, and Newspeak are popular joints.

• Fisher and Bob Moses at MTELUS on August 2, 11 p.m.
• The Flaming Pink at L’Escogriffe on August 2, 8:30 p.m.
• MSTRKRFT at Newspeak on August 2, 10 p.m.
• Kodaline with We Are Monroe at Corona Theatre on August 2, 12 a.m.
• The O’My’s with Qari at Le Belmont on August 2, 10:30 p.m.
• Sofi Tukker with LP GIobbi and BYNON at L’Astral on August 3, 11 p.m.
• Rufus Du Sol with Driss Skali at the SAT on August 3, 11 p.m.
• Vladimir Cuachemar and DJ Cherry Cola at the SAT on August 3, 10 p.m.
• Robotaki at Newspeak on August 3, 11 p.m.
• Voyage FUnktastique with XL Middleton, Moniquea at Le Belmont on August 3 at 10 p.m.
• Monolink at L’Astral on August 4, 11 p.m.
• Monitors and Atlassi at Stereo on August 4, 9 p.m.
• Thunderpussy with Hollisbrown and The Lookout at Turbo Haus, on August 4, 10:30 p.m.

These are not free, so after spending all that money on your festival ticket, take a moment and think if you want to shell out more money to keep the party going (if you got it, go for it!). If you do, keep the fluids coming, and make sure a quantity of it is non-alcoholic. Otherwise, you might spend half the festival asleep the next day. That may not be a bad thing, but you did throw down about $310 on that pass.

Going Solo?

Osheaga is fun with friends, but don’t worry if you show up alone. Chances are if you try, you’ll go home with many new ones who can join you at future Osheagas. You always have an easy way to start a conversation too: “What bands have you seen play?” Some places to look for friends for Osheaga before the festival include the reddit.

If you have any Osheaga tips or pictures, please leave them in the comments below. We love your input and pictures! you can tag them #mtrlrampage or send them to us at [email protected]