Festivals
Contact Festival 2025 – Recap & Photos
Contact Festival returned to Vancouver on December 27, 2025, taking over the Pacific Coliseum for a post-Christmas night built for bass, lights, and long drops. The 2-night format kept things tight and focused. Blueprint Events and Live Nation knows this crowd well, and it showed from doors to final beat.
We covered Day 2 sets from Karsten Sollors, Spencer Brown, Chris Lorenzo, Cloonee, and Eric Prydz. The night moved fast with no awkward gaps between sets. Music rolled straight through, which kept the energy high and the floor busy. Festival timing like that deserves credit.
Eric Prydz closed the night and reminded everyone why his name sits at the top of so many festival posters. His production was massive without feeling busy. The visuals carried just as much weight as the music. Long builds paid off. The room felt fully dialed in by the end.
It’s not secret that I am not an EDM fan ; that said, Contact Festival won me over in one clear way: the lighting. Each performer brought a distinct visual identity with lasers, LED walls, strobes, and color palettes that shifted with every set. Nothing felt recycled and the lights told their own story. From sharp, high-contrast beams to softer cinematic moments, the production kept pulling your eyes back to the stage.
The Pacific Coliseum worked well for this format. The enclosed space made the sound feel bigger and the lights hit harder. Contact Festival has built a reputation as a winter staple for a reason. It fills the gap between holiday downtime and the return of FVDED In The Park in the summer. For EDM fans, it’s a no-brainer. For skeptics like me, it still offers something worth seeing. At the very least, it’s one hell of a light show!
Check out our favourite photos of the festival below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
ERIC PRIDZ
CLOONEE
CHRIS LORENZO
SPENCER BROWN
KARSTEN SOLLORS
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer
Festivals
LASSO Montréal Announce 2026 Headliners
LASSO Montréal, presented by Bell in collaboration with Coors Original is back for a fifth edition! After a record year in 2025 that gathered 51,500 fans, we’re excited to finally announce the headline acts for 2026: Thomas Rhett and Mumford & Sons, joined by major performances from Jon Pardi and Old Dominion. All four artists will take over one of the most breathtaking festival sites in North America: Montréal’s Parc Jean-Drapeau on île Sainte-Hélène with the iconic Montréal skyline as the perfect backdrop for an unforgettable country-music weekend.
Taking place on August 15 & 16, 2026, the festival will shift to a Saturday-Sunday format for the first time, offering an all-new weekend experience! The celebrations will kick off on Friday, August 14 with LASSO in the City, delivering a night of twang-filled tunes to set the tone just right.
Always a Montreal favourite, Thomas Rhett returns to LASSO! As one of country music’s most beloved performers, he blends heartfelt songwriting and undeniable charisma in all of his chart-topping hits like “Die a Happy Man”, “Marry Me” and “Beer Can’t Fix”. With GRAMMY nominations, numerous awards, and a reputation for unforgettable live shows, he continues to redefine what a modern country superstar can be. Over the past year, Rhett has taken his music around the world, joining Morgan Wallen on the Still the Problem Tour, touring with Luke Combs on the My Kinda Saturday Night Tour, and headlining his own Better in Boots Tour across North America in support of his latest album of the same name. His headlining set at LASSO Montréal 2026 promises to be a landmark moment of the festival’s anniversary edition!
Mumford & Sons bring their signature Americana firepower to LASSO this year, fresh off a sold-out performance at the Bell Centre this October. Known for their soaring harmonies, anthemic instrumentation, and boundary-pushing artistry, the 2x GRAMMY-winning group has been a global touring force for over a decade. Across four acclaimed albums, the band has earned multiple chart-topping hits, multi-platinum album successes across the globe, and a string of sold-out arena tours. Their performances are nothing short of cathartic, and their appearance at LASSO Montréal marks a highly anticipated moment for fans eager to experience their powerful live presence in a festival setting.
Also revealed today are Jon Pardi and Old Dominion, rounding out the first wave of artists being announced at this time. Together, they add even more star power to the 2026 edition! Pardi, known for his punchy bravado, has never been afraid to break from the pack, releasing music that he calls “rock and roll with a country flair”. With his biggest hits like “Head Over Boots” and “Dirt On My Boots” (certified 6x-Platinum), the California native will bring his high energy set to Montreal for the very first time this summer. Old Dominion, known for crafting unforgettable hooks and their optimistic spirit, will also join the lineup for 2026. With nine #1 singles at country radio, over five billion streams and a dozen RIAA Platinum and Gold single certifications, the band explores the highs and lows of life with honesty and heart. It’s what earns them the title of “one of mainstream country music’s most popular live groups” (Rolling Stone, 2025). Having delivered a standout, fan-favourite performance at LASSO’s first edition in 2022, we’re thirlled to welcome them back for another round.
LASSO performers and fans remind us every year how the hospitality and festival experience are unmatched in country music in North America. As LASSO Montréal celebrates its 5th year, festivalgoers can expect a milestone edition worthy of the anniversary. See you there this summer for bigger energy, unforgettable performances, and summer nights filled with the spirit of country music at its very best.
The full LASSO Montréal 2026 lineup will be unveiled in the New Year, and single-day tickets will be available soon.
TICKET PRICES FOR LASSO MONTRÉAL 2026
(Prices are subject to change without notice. Taxes and service fees included.)
GENERAL ADMISSION TICKET / 2 DAYS: starting at $ 250 CAD
PARTY DECK / 2 DAYS : starting at $ 385 CAD
BIRKENSTOCK GOLD TICKET / 2 DAYS: starting at $ 475 CAD
BIRKENSTOCK SKY SALOON TICKET / 2 DAYS: starting at $ 625 CAD
DIAMOND TICKET / 2 DAYS: starting at $ 850 CAD
American Express Cardmembers can get Front Of The Line® Amex Presale Tickets™* access starting today, December 8 at 10 a.m. ET until Thursday, December 11 at 9: 59 p.m. ET. *Subject to availability. Ticket limits and terms apply.
Click HERE to take advantage of the offer.
Klarna offers to secure your tickets now and pay in 4 interest-free payments.
Info: lassomontreal.com
Single day tickets will go on sale at a later date.
2-day tickets on sale Friday, December 12 at 10 a.m. at lassomontreal.com
Festivals
Boots And Hearts Music Festival Is Coming To Alberta
Republic Live, the internationally acclaimed and multi-award-winning live entertainment company behind the Boots and Hearts Music Festival and OEG Sports & Entertainment (OEGSE), a North American leader in sports and entertainment, are bringing the iconic Boots and Hearts brand to Western Canada. Boots and Hearts West officially arrives in Edmonton on August 28 and 29, 2026, in Fan Park @ ICE District.
This exciting expansion marks a significant moment for the festival’s evolution, bringing the beloved Boots and Hearts experience—known for its unmatched fan community, immersive festival atmosphere, and world-class performances—to an all-new audience in Western Canada. The move reflects the brand’s growing national presence and the deep affinity fans have built over 15 years with the #BootsLife: unforgettable weekends rooted in connection, celebration, and country music culture.
To kick off its inaugural year, on the heels of his multi-week #1 hit at Canadian country radio, Platinum-selling artist Russell Dickerson will headline on Friday, August 28, followed by Grammy Award–nominated and genre-blending trailblazer Shaboozey on Saturday, August 29. The full festival lineup will be revealed at a later date.
Tickets will be available for pre-sale on Wednesday, December 3 at 10 a.m. MT, with public on-sale beginning Friday, December 5 at 10 a.m. MT exclusively at www.bootsandhearts.com. Fans can also take advantage of flexible payment options through PayPal or Klarna.
For over a decade, Boots and Hearts – Canada’s largest camping and music festival –has built a passionate, loyal fan base drawn to the festival’s signature mix of music, community, and memory-making. An eight-time CCMA Country Festival of the Year winner and recognized by the Academy of Country Music for Festival of the Year, Boots and Hearts continues to set the standard for world-class festival experiences. Boots and Hearts West will build on that legacy by bringing the same spirit to Western Canada—expanding reach, deepening the brand’s national footprint, and offering fans new ways to experience the festival they love.
“Boots and Hearts has always been about living the lifestyle of country music & celebrating its community. It is a feeling of connection and belonging. Bringing BootsLife to Edmonton is incredibly meaningful for us and is the perfect place for our next chapter,” shares Eva Dunford, Boots and Hearts Music Festival Co-Founder. “Alberta’s deep country roots and honest, grounded culture feel naturally aligned with the spirit our festival has cultivated over the past fifteen years. We are honoured to partner with OEG, a trusted leader in sports and live entertainment whose track record makes this possible. We can’t wait to share our stories, friendships, and music with a community that lives this spirit wholeheartedly. Our boots are on, and we’re heading west!”
“We’re excited to welcome Boots and Hearts to Alberta for its first-ever music festival outside of Ontario,” said Adam Oppenhiem, SVP, Live Entertainment and Events, OEGSE. “Boots and Hearts West combines one of Canada’s premier country music events with the unmatched energy, vibrancy, and excitement of ICE District—and some of Canada’s most passionate country music fans. These types of world-class festivals are exactly what venues like Fan Park @ ICE District and the future Event Park are made for, and Boots and Hearts West is yet another example of our tireless efforts to make Edmonton a must-stop destination for the biggest events in live entertainment. We look forward to delivering an unforgettable experience for country music fans from across Western Canada.”