If the summer time 2026 US live performance season has a theme, it’s blue dot fever. Tour cancellations abound, whereas different reveals are means undersold. Theories abound as to why this fever rages, though it goes with out saying that concert events are costly: A Pollstar examine discovered that the typical ticket value for the highest 100 worldwide excursions rose by 37.2% between 2019 and 2025.
The auxiliary bills related to going to a present additionally add up. For instance, a parking move for one live performance at my native amphitheater Blossom Music Heart can value considerably greater than the precise live performance tickets. (Severely, the reserved VIP parking at an upcoming Mötley Crüe gig will run you $275 per automobile, whereas garden seats can be found for $24.75 every in a “Summer season Of Reside 4-Pack” promotion.) Throw in the potential of extreme climate, wildfire smoke, broiling temperatures, excessive fuel costs, impolite folks, and annoying bag insurance policies — and it’s no surprise that staying residence can really feel like the higher possibility.
In gentle of all this stuff, it was extremely refreshing to spend three days on the Pageant d’été de Québec (FEQ) in Quebec Metropolis and have a very pleasurable time: no jerks, no duds, no irritation. Began in 1968 (making it older than Glastonbury!) the occasion is now the biggest outside pageant in Canada, with greater than 150 reveals on six phases booked throughout 11 nights. Previous lineups embrace a who’s-who of superstars; to call a couple of, the Rolling Stones, Beck, Lorde, Girl Gaga, Lana Del Rey, Rush, and Iron Maiden have all performed there.
If I’m being sincere, I don’t have it in me to go to all-day, multi-day festivals anymore. I had a good time attending Lollapalooza and the Vans Warped Tour within the 2000s and 2010s, and had wonderful experiences at different long-gone regional festivals or one-off occasions (e.g., Vegoose, Matador at 21). However FEQ makes it straightforward to hop between totally different areas or take breaks, as a result of the pageant’s phases are located inside Quebec Metropolis itself in a compact area. Astoundingly, the sound additionally doesn’t bleed between phases. The big space with the headliner-heavy Bell Stage can maintain 100,000 folks and also you wouldn’t realize it until you ventured onto the grounds.
The music at FEQ additionally begins within the early night, which means it’s rather more manageable to navigate — extra like simply going to a live performance fairly than coping with the marathon of a giant pageant — and the temperature after I was there was cool sufficient that I used to be comfy carrying denims and a sweatshirt. Quebec Metropolis itself can be attractive and intensely chill. And the fest’s meals choices are additionally a plus: Consuming a heat brie-and-jam sandwich or poutine throughout units was an elite expertise.
FEQ can be very reasonably priced: A normal admission ticket that offers you entry to all 11 nights of reveals was simply $180 Canadian (roughly $129 USD).
And the good factor about FEQ is it’s very choose-your-own journey. In order for you the spectacle of a giant present, you may dangle by the Bell Stage. If you wish to park your self in a single place and have a low-key night time, the Sirius XM and Loto-Québec phases are proper subsequent to one another, and bands alternate one after one other. The opposite particular person phases all possess their very own distinct vibes, particularly as a result of every night time’s lineup of artists tends to stay to a selected style, like steel, punk, indie, world music, or hip-hop. And FEQ general is extraordinarily well-curated, with established artists (Billy Bragg, Testomony, Basia Bulat) mingling with up-and-coming acts reminiscent of buzzy electro act Haute & Freddy.
Unsurprisingly, FEQ emphasizes Canadian acts. Acting on the Bell Stage earlier than Gwen Stefani, Toronto-born Jessie Reyez turned in a formidable hour-long set that confirmed off her versatility and charisma. After establishing that her present was a “no disgrace zone” the place folks have been to be themselves, she proclaimed she was “gonna provide you with good vibrations.”
Mission achieved: Backed by a decent reside band, she ran via songs that touched on hip-hop, R&B, dancehall, and pop. Highlights included Ariana Grande-like vocals trills on “Coffin”; a folkish “Perpetually” that discovered her sitting on a stool strumming an acoustic guitar; a rock-leaning model of “Ridin’” that culminated in a bout of ferocious headbanging; and her personal model of “One Kiss,” a success she wrote recorded by Dua Lipa and Calvin Harris.
Reyez additionally chatted with the viewers like they have been outdated buddies. “Who right here made it out of the pal zone?” she mentioned at one level, earlier than singling out an cute couple up entrance for a dedication. At a number of different factors, she hopped off the stage and approached followers within the entrance row who have been having emotional responses to the music; it was touching to look at her embrace and sing to them.
Vancouver’s Mom Mom, who earned some U.S. notoriety a couple of years in the past with the viral hit “Hayloft,” additionally greater than held their very own opening for Muse on the Bell Stage a couple of nights later. Half grungy rock, half folk-rock, half spring-loaded indie—the vivacious “Explode!” jogged my memory of Los Campesinos!, whereas new tune “I Love Life” exuded 2000s indie vibes—the band brimmed with confidence.
The multi-vocal configuration of siblings Ryan and Molly Guldemond and keyboardist Jasmin Parkin was a giant plus, because it allowed the band to stretch out for the tender “Ghosting” and the evocative “Oh Ana.” Mom Mom additionally integrated covers of Nirvana’s “In Bloom” and Pixies’ “The place Is My Thoughts”—a precursor to the explosive, set-ending “Hayloft II,” which was bolstered by loud synth cracks and proggy thrives.
The smaller phases provided a extra intimate expertise. Enjoying in entrance of a criminally tiny crowd on the SiriusXM stage, Montreal’s No Pleasure however performed an unimaginable set that was one in every of my private highlights. Stuffed and inflatable butterflies adorned their stage and garments as they ripped via tornadic shoegaze and dirty dreampop tunes, led by the My Bloody Valentine-esque distortion-fest “Right here Tarot Lies” and synth-swirled noise jam “4.” Different moments resembled a decaying vintage music field or paired squirrelly keyboard results with viscous darkish grooves.
On one other day, a short early night rain bathe didn’t deter the earnest Ontario singer-songwriter Billianne, whose debut album, 2025’s Modes of Transportation, was a sleeper folk-pop gem filled with dreamy coming-of-age sentiments. Her set was distinguished by “Save Me,” which underscored her quiet energy. Proper after her was Ottawa-born Leif Vollebekk, a Juno-nominated folk-rocker whose music is tinged with smoky soul and blues.
Vollebekk exuded some Bruce Hornsby vibes (complimentary) on “Elegy,” courtesy of glassy piano and groove-heavy rhythms; “Elijah Rose” featured some evocative guitar and jazzy drums; and “False-Hearted Lover” was blissfully laid-back. His set ended with “Sizzling Tears,” which featured each a refined Oasis lyrical nod (“What’s the story morning glory?”) and a propulsive ending that discovered Vollebekk taking part in piano and guitar directly, earlier than ditching the previous to unleash a storm of forceful, distorted blues riffing.
Australia’s Dope Lemon started taking part in when the solar was nonetheless up, an incongruous setting for his or her darkish sounds and devilish vibe. Clad in black cowboy hats, the Angus Stone-fronted band favored gothic psychedelic rock with a desert-cowboy edge, filled with ominous harmonica, distorted vocals and thundering guitars; assume Nick Cave and the Unhealthy Seeds, Black Insurgent Bike Membership and the Verve. To mood the darkness, nevertheless, goofy dancers carrying stuffed headgear (i.e., a lemon with fangs) danced round onstage whereas they performed.
One other standout for me was Fake Actual, a charmingly deadpan French electro duo comprising brothers Elliott and Virgile Arndt. Reality be informed, they resembled Sparks with extra elaborate choreography: Carrying matching all-white outfits—wide-legged pants below ruffled miniskirts and midriff-baring tops—the pair did body-bending calisthenics and exaggerated coordinated dance strikes, with the occasional flute solo (from Elliott) thrown in for good measure. Fake Actual’s music was severe and expertly executed, calling to thoughts Sizzling Chip and Chromeo. The brand new single “One & Accomplished,” in the meantime, is a retro electroclash throwback.
Though the primary Bell Stage is big, the environment throughout all three nights was surprisingly low-key, even for an artist like Kesha, who headlined the night time on Wednesday, July 15.
The trick to having fun with her present tour, The Freedom Tour, goes into it realizing she’s not considering taking part in most of her hits as they sounded on file. That’s not a unfavorable factor: Having extricated herself from her contract with Dr. Luke’s Kemosabe Information, she has spent the previous couple of years rebuilding her profession and reclaiming her songs, even by re-doing a few of her outdated hits. Her concert events replicate who she is now, not who she was once.
Whereas at instances this meant her set had bother sustaining momentum, the person moments shined, as Kesha’s inventive maturity is obvious. The country-EDM hit “Timber” was reconfigured with speckled synths and lure beats, whereas “Blow” was slower and extra menacing. And the show-opening “TiK ToK” was rapid catharsis. Carrying gigantic angel wings, Kesha declared a moratorium on abusive males and inspired the tens of hundreds of individuals in attendance to throw their center fingers within the air for the tune’s new first line: “Get up within the morning like fuck P. Diddy!”
In actuality, the Freedom Tour jogged my memory of Girl Gaga’s Mayhem Ball: Each are tightly choreographed, stylized reveals with pointed messages and imagery woven into the music. For Kesha that meant together with a Ram Dass interlude in addition to theatrical performances; for instance, she fake-slashed her dancers with a knife throughout “Cannibal” and embraced sexual empowerment on “Sleazy.” Bloodthirst references apart, the night time’s highly effective message was that freaks and misfits are good who they’re—Kesha clasped fingers together with her dancers for sleek strikes signaling solidarity on “Loopy Youngsters” and beamed throughout the life-affirming anthems “We R Who We R” and “Warrior.”
Opening for her was the reggae famous person Shaggy, who turned in a crowd-pleasing, lighthearted set. (At one level, he ticked of all the explanations he didn’t come to Quebec — weed, meals, climate — and as a substitute proclaimed: “I got here to Quebec for the ladies!”) Hits like “It Wasn’t Me” and “Angel” drew huge responses, whereas a canopy of Invoice Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine” confirmed off his extra severe facet.
Gwen Stefani has spent the previous couple of months performing with No Doubt on the Sphere; Thursday night time’s headlining present marked her first public full-length solo gig since December. Appropriately, Stefani regarded like she left Las Vegas and hopped immediately onstage in Quebec: She began the night time sporting a really No Doubt-esque black-and-yellow plaid outfit and two-tone hair paying homage to Berlin’s Terri Nunn within the “No Extra Phrases” video.
Properly, her solo setlist additionally featured many No Doubt hits and fan favorites, all carried out with the standard ska-pop gusto by a killer reside band that included a horn part and the work of guitarist Liso Lee and bassist Kyla Wright. Highlights included the supercharged “Sunday Morning,” a passionate “It’s My Life” (the Discuss Discuss cowl), and the elastic “Hella Good.” Stefani additionally caught to performing her best-known pop solo hits, led by the sugarspun “The Candy Escape,” indelible “Hollaback Woman” and the spikier “Wind It Up” and “What You Ready For?” One main exception: The set included her 2024 single “Any individual Else’s,” which got here throughout surprisingly nicely as revved-up punkish new wave.
If there’s a quibble, her stage banter rang a bit hole; for instance, a remark about her reluctance to do No Doubt’s 2000 tune “Ex-Girlfriend” (“However as a result of I really like you guys, I’m going to do that one, although I wish to throw up in my mouth”) felt awkward, not relatable. And after she introduced an adorably shellshocked fan onstage for a hug — he was carrying a Blondie shirt and held up an indication that quoted “Hollaback Woman” — getting him again into the group felt rushed.
Ultimately, Muse’s jaw-dropping Friday night time headlining set caught with me probably the most. Anybody who’s seen the UK trio earlier than is aware of their stage reveals are wildly inventive. This night time was no totally different: Nodding to the set’s main themes — combating again in opposition to our dystopian world (and oppressive political methods) and embracing the chances of outer area — the set was a bombastic rock present merging prog extra and digital music’s pulsing humanity.
“Insanity” was Kraftwerkian, whereas “Rebellion” sounded even nearer to Battles’ complexity than it did initially. And the epic “Knights Of Cydonia” remains to be astonishing: Launched this time by Enno Morricone’s “Man With A Harmonica,” the tune constructed steadily to its ferocious, fight-the-man conclusion.
Muse are at the moment selling a just-released LP, The Wow! Sign. Fortunately, new tracks “Cryogen” and “Hexagons” slot in simply with older materials; in reality, hits reminiscent of “Plug In Child,” “Stockholm Syndrome” and “Supermassive Black Gap” felt supercharged. Later within the set, Bellamy even donned a jacket and glasses with light-up panels for the electro-funky new single “Nightshade Celebrity.” (Shut sufficient: welcome again, Daft Punk.)
Fittingly, the encore included only one tune, “Take a Bow.” A biting condemnation of corrupt management, the tune was galvanizing and menacing. Pulsating keyboards crescendoed in time with dazzling multicolored cubes hanging from the stage. Bathed in pink gentle, Bellamy lifted his arms to the heavens, resembling a preacher casting hellfire and damnation on sinners. He punctuated this stance by grabbing a guitar and unleashing hellfire riffs as streamers shot over the group, a precursor to the tune ending in a burst of pyro. As Muse mentioned their goodnights, a fan onscreen may very well be seen holding up an indication: “The Resistance Lives On.”
Though the Bell Stage was packed (and it was the entire weekend) the group left the grounds in a leisurely however orderly means, with no pushing or rudeness. Just a few folks even provided to assist us navigate via the pathway again to our resort. I marveled at how uncommon it’s that this occurs, but it surely summed up the pleasantness of the complete expertise. Seems FEQ is that unicorn of a music pageant: one which’s reasonably priced and pleasurable.
