7.15.2025
Festival d’été de Québec Recap: July 9-13
FEQ Concludes Another Successful Year, Bringing International Superstars to Québec City, Including Shania Twain, Hozier, Slayer, Farruko, Ty Dolla $ign, Pixies, Kygo, and More
(Credit: FEQ / Stephane Bourgeois)
THE RECAP:
Taking over the historic capital of Québec for 11 days every July, Festival D’été de Québec is unlike any other festival in North America. With its affordable prices and multi-stage setup, FEQ is truly a community festival, uniting the city behind great music and a vibrant atmosphere. Each festival pass is fully transferable, allowing locals to see the artists they are most passionate about, and switch with friends with different tastes. The result is a festival crowd that is 100% engaged and enthusiastic, with fans who excitedly cheer and sing along, and often dress up according to the night’s theme.
The second half of this year’s festival recruited high-wattage superstars from all over the world. Canadian country legend Shania Twain brought the fireworks during her headlining night, which also featured a performance by GRAMMY-nominated country hitmaker Maren Morris. Beloved Irish singer-songwriter Hozier performed a set of his hits on the Plains of Abraham Bell Stage, while Indie Rock legends Pixies performed on the Loto-Québec Stage. July 9th was one of the festival’s most anticipated nights: EDM night, headlined by Norway’s Kygo and featuring electric sets by Don Diablo and Dutch deep house maestro Samuel Feldt.
July 11th was for the headbangers, as the iconic thrash group Slayer closed a night that also featured the cultishly beloved Mastodon. Those who didn’t love metal and hadn’t had their fill of dancing could head to Québec’s Place George V for another night of EDM, featuring veteran French house maestro Bob Sinclair, Cheat Codes, and more. The festival’s final night welcomed a performance by Puerto Rican reggaetonero Farruko, who performed his catalog hits and songs from his recent album CVRBON VRMOR with elevated production value.
Continuing a tradition that started in 1968, FEQ continues to buck trends, selling out and thrilling fans in a difficult environment for music festivals. With its expert curation, unbeatable atmosphere, and seamless integration into one of North America’s most charming cities, the city festival continues to be a must-visit as it approaches its 60th anniversary. See you next year on the Plains and beyond!
Check out FEQ’s Instagram for additional highlights from the festival.
View photos of FEQ 2025 at this link (please credit photographers “FEQ/photographer name”):
SHANIA TWAIN:
Man! She might not be Brad Pitt, but the Multi-Diamond-Selling superstar’s performance was extremely impressive
(Credit: FEQ / Stephane Bourgeois)
HOZIER:
The Irish superstar takes the crowd to church with his spiritual and soulful set
(Credit: FEQ / Stephane Bourgeois)
(Credit: FEQ / Stephane Bourgeois)
SLAYER:
Thrash metal’s most notorious band continue to melt faces, four decades after their debut release
(Credit: FEQ / Stephane Bourgeois)
FARRUKO:
The reggaeton superstar treats the audience to a cinematic presentation of his hits, including songs from his 2024 album CVRBON VRMOR
(Credit: FEQ / Stephane Bourgeois)
TY DOLLA $IGN:
L.A.’s favorite Hip-Hop singer shows out on the Loto-Québec Stage
(Credit: FEQ / Stephane Bourgeois)
PIXIES:
Led by one-of-a-kind frontman Frank Black (neé Black Francis), Pixes are one of the most influential bands in indie rock history (Credit: FEQ / Marion Desjardins)
KYGO:
The tropical house maestro heats up the summer on EDM night
(Credit: FEQ / Stephane Bourgeois)
(Credit: FEQ / Dylan Page)
MAREN MORRIS:
Effortlessly straddling the worlds of country and pop, the Tennessee-born superstar did much more than just set the table for Shania Twain
(Credit: FEQ / Dylan Page)
BOB SINCLAIR:
The legendary French DJ transforms Place George V into a vibrant party
(Credit: FEQ / Charline Cavlier)
MASTODON:
The veteran metalheads stun the crowd with their expert musicianship
(Credit: FEQ / Stephane Bourgeois)
DON DIABLO:
Don Diablo brings festive visuals and energetic tunes to hype up the crowd at the Plains of Abraham
(Credit: FEQ / Stephane Bourgeois)
KURT VILE:
The Philadelphia-born indie rock icon performs with his band, The Violators
(Credit: FEQ / Marion Desjardins)
SCENES FROM THE FESTIVAL:
(Credit: FEQ / Dylan Page)
(Credit: FEQ / Marion Desjardins)
(Credit: FEQ / Dylan Page)
(Credit: FEQ / Dylan Page)
(Credit: FEQ / Charline Cavlier)
(Credit: FEQ /Stephane Bourgeois)
(Credit: FEQ / Charline Cavlier)
Please contact Michelle or Annjie for more info.
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:
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Visit the FEQ website for FAQs and tickets: https://www.feq.ca/en