Osheaga 2026: The Sets That Made the Weekend

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words and photos by Lauren Chenette

photo by Taylor Chenette

There’s something uniquely satisfying about a festival weekend: three days of moving between stages, discovering artists that you didn’t expect to love, catching performances you’ve been looking forward to for ages, and inevitably making a few spontaneous decisions that end up becoming some of your favorite moments. Osheaga once again made a strong case for itself as one of the best music weekends of the summer, with a lineup that offered something different around every corner this summer in Montreal. 

With so many artists playing across three days, narrowing down the weekend to a handful of favorites is nearly impossible. Still, a few performances stood out enough to stay with me long after leaving Parc Jean-Drapeau last weekend. 

One of my earliest highlights (and in fact the first set I saw of the weekend) was Wunderhorse, whose set immediately felt like the perfect start to the festival. There’s a rawness to their sound that translates especially well live, and the performance had an energy that felt bigger than the stage itself. It was the kind of set that makes you want to hear the band again in a much smaller venue, where you can get even closer to the intensity. 

Wolf Alice immediately followed and was another standout. Their performance showcased exactly what makes them such a live band: they move effortlessly between moments that feel atmospheric and intimate and ones that demand a much bigger response from the crowd. There was a real sense of scale to the set without losing the emotional quality at the center of their music. 

Then there was Geese, who brought one of the weekend’s most unpredictable and entertaining performances. Their music has a wonderfully strange, restless quality, and seeing it played live made that even more apparent. There’s something particularly fun about watching a band that seems completely comfortable embracing the weirdness of their own sound. Their set felt loose, energetic, and impossible to ignore. 

Turnstile provided one of the weekend’s biggest bursts of energy. Their live reputation is well deserved, and their Osheaga performance proved why. The crowd became part of the performance immediately, with the energy continuing to build throughout the set. Turnstile have a knack for making their music feel communal rather than simply performed at an audience, and that was especially apparent in a festival setting. 

On a very different end of the spectrum, Kettama delivered one of my favorite opportunities to simply dance and forget about everything else happening around the festival (especially after losing my voice at Turnstile.) His set had an effortless momentum to it, with the kind of electronic energy that makes checking the time feel completely unnecessary. After spending most of Friday and Saturday running from one stage to another, there was something refreshing about settling into a set and just letting the music take over to end the night. 

Between friends brought another memorable performance to the festival. Their set had a sense of intimacy that was impressive considering the scale of the festival, working quite well in an outdoor setting. It was one of those performances where the atmosphere mattered just as much as the songs themselves. 

CMAT was another personal highlight, bringing an enormous amount of personality to the stage. Her performance felt fun without ever feeling forced, and her charisma made it easy to understand why her live shows have developed such a following. In a festival environment where it’s possible for performances to blend together, CMAT made sure she stood out. 

And then there was Lorde, who closed out my weekend on a particularly impressive note. Sunday brought plenty of rain, but by the time Lorde took the stage, the weather almost seemed secondary. The audience had committed to staying, and the rain added an unexpected atmosphere to an already emotional performance. 

There was something almost cinematic about watching thousands of people stand together in the rain for Lorde. Her music naturally lends itself to that kind of collective, atmospheric experience, and the weather only heightened it. Everyone was soaked, tired, and probably dreaming of a warm shower, but the crowd remained completely engaged. It was the sort of festival finale that makes enduring the less glamorous parts of a weekend feel worthwhile. 

Those eight performances were only a small selection of what Osheaga had to offer, but they captured what I loved most about this year’s festival: the variety. One moment could be loud and chaotic, the next dreamy and intimate, followed by a DJ set that made you want to dance until the lights came on. The best part was having the freedom to sort of build your own version of the festival. 

Three days, countless performances, one very wet Sunday, and more than enough reasons to already be looking forward to next year.