Osheaga - Music and Arts Festival, Montreal

FAQs

What is Osheaga like? Watch the 2006 trailer

Where do I buy tickets for Osheaga?: Please see our Tickets section for info on where to buy Osheaga tickets.

Why is Osheaga on a Sunday and Monday this year, rather than a Saturday and Sunday?

The Osheaga festival site is located at Parc Jean-Drapeau on the Saint Hélène Island, which will be hosting the NASCAR race on Saturday August 2. Since we didn't want bands competing with car engines, we chose to push it back by a day to accomodate this.

Please note that the shows will start at 2pm on Sunday and on Monday, and run until 11pm.

Why is artist X not on Osheaga?: We take all artist suggestions very seriously, and value all feedback we receive. We strive to have a diverse and eclectic lineup every year. Unfortunately, many artists have previous obligations and/or their tour routing makes it impossible for them to join us at Osheaga.

What time is artist X playing? What time does the headliner play?: The official Osheaga 2008 schedule will be made available through www.osheaga.com in the weeks prior to the festival. Osheaga starts at 2:00pm and ends at 11:00pm each day. Headliners are the last to play on each day, and hit the stage at approximately 9:30pm. (subject to change)

Why is there a seat number on my Osheaga ticket?: The seat number is not in fact a seat number, but a tracking number. This number is to help us keep track of the number of tickets purchased online. There is no assigned seating at the Osheaga festival

Is there camping at Parc Jean-Drapeau?: Unfortunately there is no camping available at Parc Jean-Drapeau. We recommend checking out these campsites if you are looking to camp while you’re in town for Osheaga: For something close and convenient (about 20 minutes from Montréal) check out:

CAMPING LA CLÉ DES CHAMPS 415, montée Saint-Claude , Saint-Philippe (QC), J0L 2K0 Reservations (450) 659-3389

For something a little more scenic, you can check out the beautiful Oka Nature Park, which is only about 45 minutes from downtown Montreal.

PARC NATURE OKA 2020 Chemin d'Oka, Oka (QC), J0N 1E0 Reservations
1 800 665-6527 (Canada and the United States only)
(418) 890- 6527 (Outside Canada and the United States)
inforeservation@sepaq.com

How do I get to Osheaga?: Please visit Parc Jean-Drapeau’s website for information on getting to Osheaga here.

Can I bring my car to Osheaga?: We strongly encourage you to leave your car behind and use Montreal’s public transit system. It is inexpensive and provides the easiest access to the Osheaga site as there is a metro (subway) station right at the gates of the festival. You can buy a weekend transit pass at the Montreal Metro (subway) stations (click here to see the rates). Here is a map of the Montreal metro (subway) system, with the Osheaga festival located at the Jean Drapeau stop, on the yellow line.

What can I bring/ not bring to Osheaga?

The following items will not be admitted on the Osheaga site:

Alcoholic beverages
Illegal Drugs and drug paraphernalia
Glass bottles and cans
Rigid Thermos, coolers or other such containers
Megaphones
Fireworks
Beach balls, soccer balls, etc…
Skateboards
Animals (except Seeing Eye dogs)
Large back packs (camping style)
Tents
Video Equipment
Professional photo equipment (SLR cameras, i.e. removable lens cameras)
Audio Recording equipment
No items intended for sale/promotion
Any object that can be used to cause bodily harm

The following items will be admitted on the site:

Umbrellas
Small beach towels
Small back packs and bags/ purses (Note: all bags will be searched)
Small foldable chairs
Sunscreen bottles
Lighters/Cigarettes
Digital Camera (non-professional)
Disposable cameras (non-professional)

The following can be found on site:

toilets
food kiosks
beer
juice
water bottles
recycling bins

Items that are on the disallowed list may be confiscated, so we recommend not bringing them to the festival site at all to save yourself the extra hassle! Please do not bring anything that could be dangerous to other festival-goers, as they will be confiscated.

What does Osheaga mean?: Osheaga was a name recorded by Jacques Cartier when he met the Mohawks near the Lachine rapids in what is now Montreal. But so the Mohawk oral history goes the white man was waving with his hands, either offering to shake hands or asking about rapids on the river. The astonished Mohawks looked at each other and said "O she ha ga" which meant people of shaking hands From the meeting Cartier transcribed the word osheaga as meaning large rapids while the Mohawks would use the oral phrase to desccribe where they met the people of the shaking hands.

How the hell do you actually pronounce Osheaga?: The Mohawk pronunciation is O (hard o)- she(soft e)- ha – ga, or, when spoken quickly, the second “h” is dropped

What time do the bands start?: The magic begins at 2:00pm Eastern Standard Time

When do they end? What is there to do after the show?: Osheaga ends at 11:00pm each night, but don’t let that stop you from partying while you’re in Montreal. We suggest checking out the sights and sounds of the city. St Laurent Boul. (known as “The Main”) or St. Denis street are always a fair bet. We suggest asking some locals where the best watering holes are, or what restaurant to hit up for a tasty post-festival treat. Poutine, Bagels, and Smoke Meat are amongst the must-haves for any visitor anxious to get the real Montréal experience.

What's the weather like in August?: August in Montreal is most often warm and sunny, so bring plenty of sunscreen and some shades to protect yourself from those sunny rays. Needless to say, please do come prepared for less ideal weather. We suggest bringing a pocket-sized poncho, and a sweatshirt / windbreaker just in case the weather isn’t so warm and sunny.

Can I bring my child to Osheaga? Are children admitted to Osheaga for free?: Osheaga is an all-ages event, and children are welcome to come. Children aged 10 years and younger are admitted for free when accompanied by an adult with a valid Osheaga ticket.

Will there be other things to do onsite?: Oh, you better believe it!!!

Can I bring my camera to Osheaga?: Detachable lens cameras will not be permitted on site. All other non-professional cameras will be permitted at Osheaga.

Osheaga Contacts: general enquiries: info@osheaga.com; sponsors: sponsor@osheaga.com; vendors: vendor@osheaga.com; artists: art@osheaga.com

Questions, Concerns, Feedback??: We want to hear what you have to say to help us make Osheaga the best festival it can be.

Schedule and bands subject to change without notice

Website Design: Nat Woodard