Every genre and generation belongs at Festival d’été de Québec

They’ve attended the festival since teendom, borrowed a wristband from a friend to catch a show, or spammed the programming team with emails suggesting they book their favourite local artist for next year’s lineup.

Situated in the romantic city centre, Festival d’été has become one of Canada’s largest outdoor music festivals since its inception in 1968. The annual 11-day spectacle is Québec City’s pride and joy, advertised on buses, lampposts, and the first billboard I see upon arrival at Jean Lesage International. Bold reds, blues, and pinks – the utmost aesthetically pleasing branding – drown the city’s main street, the Grande Alleé, buzzing with festivalgoers sipping Monster energy drinks and lasing between sets.

Festival d’été, lovingly nicknamed FEQ, comprises five stages. The Bell Stage is the biggest, nestled in the lush greenery of Les Plains d’Abraham – an 18th-century battlefield turned vast outdoor gathering space. The SiriusXM and Loto-Québec stages, located at Place George-V, sit directly next to each other. FEQ programming alternates between the two, inviting audiences to enjoy a continuum of complementary acts.

The Hydro-Québec stage, which mirrors le Parlement du Québec, is one of two free stages at FEQ. General admission wristbands go for a modest $180, but Canadians are known for their chivalry, and everyone deserves to enjoy live music. Down the hill at Place D’Youville is the Crave Stage, where non-wristband holders can plop down at picnic tables to see sets from local up-and-comers.

A personal favourite at the Crave stage was Le Ren – a Montreal-based folk singer-songwriter with a Laura Marling-esque flair. “I think I’m the first person to write a love song,” she jokes. “I don’t think anyone has tried that yet.” She vacillates between upbeat “Free Wheeling” and “Gold in California” – two singles off of her upcoming record – and slower, more solemn tracks, like “Love Can’t Be The Only Reason To Stay”.

I appreciate any opportunity to sit down at a concert, and FEQ allows for that. On my first evening, I parked myself on the floor of Hydro-Québec, 15 minutes before French avant-garde pop trio PAR.SEK took to the stage. I observed my fellow festivalgoers – Québécois teenagers in crop tops and sequinned miniskirts, young children wearing massive noise-cancelling headphones, and a mother and father sneakily passing a flask back and forth.

The most unique part of FEQ is the dynamic multi-genre lineup. Over its 11 days, the festival showcases musicians from all over the world with a little something for everybody. “11 days is just too long. We can’t be 11 days of rock or indie,” says Arnaud Cordier, principal talent buyer at BLEUFEU, one of Canada’s prominent concert promoters. “We’re not Osheaga, we’re not Jazz Montreal, and we’re not Francofolie of Montreal. We love those guys, but we’re all of it.”

As an indie, folk, and pop truther, I was surprised by how much I leaned into other genres at FEQ. “Electro Night” was transcendent, featuring performances at the Bell Stage from international DJs Martin Garrix and LP Giobbi. LP Giobbi, the stage name of American-born Leah Chisholm, is a force of nature. Effortlessly cool and absolutely mesmerising, Chisholm alternates between her deck and her dual keyboard.

On Friday, I found my new obsession at Hydro-Québec: Congolese Afrofuturist music ensemble Fulu Miziki Kolektiv. Roughly translated to “music from garbage” in Lingala, Fulu Miziki constructs their own costumes, instruments, and masks from recycled trash. They create music in the funky “Twerkanda” genre, fusing Afro-disco house, coupé-décalé, and Congolese rumba. The collective made it impossible to stand still, gleefully waving their arms and encouraging the audience to do the same.

Unlike most music festivals, FEQ doesn’t start until 6 pm each night. This is any tourist’s dream, allowing for afternoons of exploring the impressively walkable (yet hilly) city. I opted to watch sailboats pass by at the Vieux-Port, stumble up the Cap-Blanc stairs to a lookout point, and take a long walk to Limoilou – a trendy working-class borough just north of the old town. When I wasn’t watching music, I was marvelling at the city’s gothic charm… and fucking good poutine.

One night at sunset, a horde of 20-somethings filled Place George-V to watch Australian indie pop duo Royel Otis perform at Loto-Québec. I learned that their names are literally Royel [Maddell] and Otis [Pavlovic], which made me insecure in my Gen-Z status. The pair played most of their 2025 record hickey – including the all-too-danceable “i hate this tune” and slacker rock groove “moody” – backdropped by scenes of car seat makeouts and nostalgic summer romance.

Cordier and Olivier Lépine, another BLEUFEU talent buyer, spend their off-seasons at festivals, conferences, and local venues sourcing emerging acts for their lineups. In addition to FEQ, the firm hosts two annual festivals: Saint Roch XP (SRXP) in August and Fono in September. “We’re travelling, and we see bands, and then at one point, you just imagine that band in your festival,” Lépine muses. You want to share this memory with [your] audience.”

Cordier and Lépine are committed to building long-term relationships with their musicians. Often, a successful performance at SRXP will lead to an FEQ stage invite. And a small FEQ set may lead to a bigger one. Cordier uses French alt-rock band Last Train as an example; 10 years after their first FEQ show, they opened for Muse on the Bell stage. “It’s the best job in the world,” Cordier says. “It’s not a job,” Lepine adds.

Sunday at FEQ was “Country Night,” and festivalgoers showed out in their best Wild West attire: cowboy hats and Canadian tuxedos (go figure). Nashville’s Jason “Jelly Roll” DeFord performed at the Bell, closing out the festival with a… twang. Admittedly, I had never heard a Jelly Roll song prior and was dragging my feet on the walk over. I was pleasantly surprised by his infectious energy and personable interludes between songs.

“Can we go to church tonight, please?” DeFord asked the crowd. And he certainly took us there, with soulful power ballad “Liar” and newly-released praise anthem “Hands Up”. For us secular folk, DeFord sprinkled in some covers: “I Want It That Way” and “No Scrubs”, featuring verses from his incredible backing vocalists.

“I believe that music is therapy,” DeFord preached before an impassioned rendition of Black Eyed Peas’ 2004 hit “Where Is The Love?”. “I believe that music is magical. I believe that music is medicine. I believe that music can heal people from the darkest moments in their lives.” Amen to that!

In its 58th year, FEQ is generational – a rich, magical week-and-a-half for Québécois and visitors alike. “Everyone here in the area has a souvenir of Festival d’été, somehow,” Courdier says. “They’re talking about it because it was raining, because it was so good, or because it was so bad.” I will remember my time at FEQ for the rain on Saturday, the dozens of new additions to my music rotation, and the small but mighty city that welcomed me with open arms.