Osheaga

Osheaga Music and Arts Festival is Montreal's biggest outdoor music event, and if you haven't been, you're sleeping on one of the best festival experiences in North America. Set on Ile Sainte-Helene - an island in the middle of the St. Lawrence River - the location alone makes it worth the trip.

The lineup is consistently stacked. We're talking headliners like The Weeknd, Muse, Lorde, and Arcade Fire (this is Montreal, after all), plus a deep undercard of indie, electronic, and hip-hop acts. The programmers here have great taste, and the mid-tier billing is often better than the headliners at other festivals.

Montreal in August is peak summer. The weather is warm, the city is alive, and the patio culture is in full effect. Before the festival, walk through the Plateau and Mile End for the best restaurants and bars in the city. Schwartz's for smoked meat, Fairmount or St-Viateur for bagels (pick a side, this is serious business in Montreal), and any terrasse on Saint-Laurent for a pre-fest drink.

Getting to the festival is dead simple - take the Metro to Jean-Drapeau station and you're on the island. No parking headaches, no Uber surge. The infrastructure is solid because the island also hosts the Canadian Grand Prix, so they know how to handle crowds.

One more thing: Montreal knows how to party. After the festival, the city's nightlife takes over. Head to Stereo for late-night electronic music or any of the bars on Crescent Street. The after-parties are half the experience.

Browse Osheaga tickets on Evil Tickets and make the trip to Montreal. You won't regret it.