7.16.2024
Festival d’été de Québec Recap: July 4th-9th
Québec City’s Summer Festival Brought an Eclectic Lineup to the Charming City & Debuted A New Stage Design
Standouts From the Fest’s First Weekend Include: Nickelback, 50 Cent, The Jonas Brothers, Killer Mike & More
(Credit: FEQ/Stephanie Bourgeois)
THE RECAP:
An 11-day celebration of music and culture, hosted in one of North America’s most beautiful cities, Festival d’été de Québec (FEQ) is truly one-of-a-kind. Held annually since 1968, FEQ draws hundreds of thousands of fans (1.4 million total admissions!) and dozens of international artists (over 180 per year!) to Quebec’s city center for more than a week’s worth of fantastic performances on five separate stages. The summer festival, which sold out in under 90 minutes this year, makes use of The Plains of Abraham, one of the most notable historical sites in Canada, where, in 1759, the British and French fought a decisive battle in the Seven Years’ War. Now, hundreds of years later with Canada’s fate in its own hands, the Plains of Abraham (on the banks of the St. Lawrence River) is the location of the FEQ’s main stage, the Bell Stage at National Battlefields Park, with a capacity of over 90,000. FEQ is renowned for its ability to recruit some of the world’s best and biggest artists to that historic stage.
FEQ 2024 kicked off on July 4th, and its opening weekend was one for the books. The festival debuted a new stage design this year featuring 90 ft x 50 ft hydraulic screen holders, which FEQ’s Programming Director Louis Bellavance called “very Coachella-esque” in a recent interview with PollStar.
Thursday brought a headlining performances from Nickelback, who were in top form in their home country as they performed songs from their nearly 30-year career. Friday continued to bring the heat with rappers 50 Cent & Killer Mike taking the stage. Saturday brought all the nostalgic vibes with the iconic Jonas Brothers and “Call Me Maybe” sensation Carly Rae Jepsen drawing a packed crowd of pop stans. Sunday was rock night at FEQ, featuring a headlining performance from The Offspring and support from Rise Against. As the weekend came to a close, FEQ showed no signs of slowing down continuing on Monday with performances from renowned Canadian classical pianist Alexandra Stréliski and indie rock band Mt. Joy. Tuesday also spotlighted one of Canada’s top rock bands, Karkwa, as well as Ontario rockers Tokyo Police Club.
Keep an eye on FEQ’s Instagram for in-the-moment highlights from Quebec City, plus updates, guides, announcements, and much more.
Stay tuned throughout the week for much more from the one-of-a-kind festival, continuing each day til July 14th. Artists to come include Post Malone, J Balvin, Zac Brown Band, Mötley Crüe, and more.
View photos of FEQ 2024 at this Dropbox (please credit photographers “FEQ/photographer name”): https://festivaldetedequebec.pixieset.com/festivaltdetequebec-2024/04/
50 CENT:
(Credit: FEQ/Etienne Dionne)
(Credit: FEQ/Etienne Dionne)
NICKELBACK:
(Credit: FEQ/Stephane Bourgeois)
(Credit: FEQ / Stephane Bourgeois)
THE JONAS BROTHERS:
(Credit: FEQ/Seb Dion)
(Credit: FEQ/Seb Dion)
CARLY RAE JEPSEN:
(Credit: FEQ/Seb Dion)
(Credit: FEQ/Seb Dion)
KILLER MIKE:
(Credit: FEQ/Etienne Dionne)
THE OFFSPRING:
(Credit: FEQ/Stephane Bourgeois)
ALEXANDRA STRELISKI;
(Credit: FEQ/Stephane Bourgeois)
MT. JOY:
(Credit: FEQ/Seb Dion)
KARKWA:
(Credit: FEQ/Seb Dion)
SCENES FROM THE FESTIVAL:
(Credit: FEQ/Dylan Page)
(Credit: FEQ/Etienne Dionne)
(Credit: FEQ/Etienne Dionne)
(Credit: FEQ/Etienne Dionne)
(Credit: FEQ/Etienne Dionne)
(Credit: FEQ/Stephane Bourgeois)
(Credit: FEQ/Stephane Bourgeois)
(Credit: FEQ/Etienne Dionne)
Critical Praise:
“I put it up there with Coachella, Lollapalooza, Outside Lands – it’s in the conversation as a top five festival in North America, for sure.” – Pollstar
“With their passion for their city and music at the centre of their plans, it’s safe to say the festival won’t be a hidden gem for long.” – NME
“Beyond the lineup, FEQ stands above other Canadian festivals of the same capacity when it comes to accessibility thanks to easy walkability from different stages, as well as access to and from the city. It’s situated amongst various parks and greenery, creating a perfect balance of modern stage design and outdoors beauty. ” – Consequence
“FEQ in Quebec will be your new favorite music festival…With the proliferation of music festivals here in North America and throughout the world, the choice of where to spend one’s money and time to see the artists you love is not an easy one. Based on the brief experience I had at the fest, I daresay that FEQ might be your best bet.” – Paste
“The result was a festival that remained impressive—in terms of both the fashion and the music—for the entire duration of its 12-day run. We can’t wait to see who graces the stage, and the audience, next year.” – Forbes
“Nested in the pure and bliss city of Quebec, the famed Festival d’été de Québec, stands as the apex of Canadian festival culture, dominating its industry since its beginning in 1968.” – Clash Magazine
“Surmise to say that Festival d’été de Québec is a gorgeously grassroots affair: created for the enjoyment of the province’s population, curated with a well-conceptualised human touch, and consummated by the wonderfully joyous people of the city.” – The Line of Best Fit
“Held annually in the provincial capital of la belle province since 1968, Festival d’été de Québec (FEQ) is one of Canada’s largest live music events: a world class experience that plays host to a genre-diverse collection of emerging artists and international stars alike.” – Exclaim!
The Background:
About FEQ
In the heart of Quebec City, the Festival d’été de Québec welcomes international icons, rising stars and emerging artists of all musical genres.
Festival d’été de Québec (FEQ) is a music festival managed by a non-for-profit organization, right in the heart of Québec City. With five stages located in the historic part of Quebec City, the most imposing of which is on the Plains of Abraham, the event takes place in a unique setting. The FEQ offers more than 150 shows of all genres, from the biggest headliners in the world to the emerging scene, and has been getting hundreds of thousands of festival-goers dancing and singing since 1968. For 11 consecutive evenings, the city center resembles a real urban and open-air celebration. The FEQ is an accessible and safe gathering, a truly immersive experience in Quebec music and culture.
About BLEUFEU
BLEUFEU is an event organizer and show promoter that presents festive and inspiring experiences, including the Festival d’été de Québec (FEQ), Toboggan – New Year’s Evenings and St-Roch XP, in addition to presenting hundreds of shows throughout the year at the Imperial Bell and a new showroom opening soon. The new umbrella brand will oversee the various existing NPOs, which already have a reputation in the industry for the quality of its productions. BLEUFEU has more than sixty permanent employees and recruits over 500 contract workers each year, in addition to hundreds of volunteers. Visit BLEUFEU.com for more information.
Links:
official site | tiktok | facebook | youtube | instagram
Visit the FEQ website for FAQs and tickets: https://www.feq.ca/en