POP Montréal International Music Festival will return for its 25th edition Sep 23–27, 2026.
“POP” is an annual non-profit curated cultural event that champions independence in the arts by presenting emerging and celebrated artistic talents from around the world. Launched by friends and colleagues in 2002 from the collective impulse to create a meaningful and vibrant cultural festival, POP Montréal is now entering its 24th year as a permanent fixture on the international music circuit and the Montréal festival map.
“As festivals worldwide become more and more homogenized, with every mega-fest announcement in a death race with the others to see who can book the greatest number of reunited ‘90s detritus, contemporary Oasis cosplayers, and obliquely spelled EDM DJ/pantomimes, POP Montreal decidedly ain’t that. The fest’s founders and organizers have constantly put forth lineups which balance forward thinking pop and anti-pop, the truly out-there artists of the last half century, and enough skewed-but-accessible guitar acts to ensure that any noble-hearted nerd with even the slightest bit of curiosity can bliss the fuck out.” —Creem
"In its 24th year, POP Montreal continues to prove it’s the little international festival that could. Across five dynamic days of programming it showcased a diverse mix of genres and backgrounds through more than 200 artists, offering a much-needed escape and release for concertgoers stomping up and down Boulevard Saint-Laurant, Rue du Parc, and beyond." —KEXP
"POP Montréal’s penchant for centering its programming around underappreciated acts has been successful both in philosophy and in practice." —Paste
"the lovingly curated five-day, multi-venue marathon" —Stereogum
"one of the coolest music and arts festivals in North America" —Seven Days
"In its 24th year, POP Montreal continues to prove it’s the little international festival that could. Across five dynamic days of programming it showcased a diverse mix of genres and backgrounds through more than 200 artists, offering a much-needed escape and release for concertgoers stomping up and down Boulevard Saint-Laurant, Rue du Parc, and beyond." —KEXP
"POP Montréal’s penchant for centering its programming around underappreciated acts has been successful both in philosophy and in practice." —Paste
"the lovingly curated five-day, multi-venue marathon" —Stereogum
"one of the coolest music and arts festivals in North America" —Seven Days