Yes, the FYI gang is off for the Canada Day weekend and won't be back in your inbox until Wednesday.
By David Farrell
Yes, the FYI gang is off for the Canada Day weekend and won't be back in your inbox until Wednesday, barring major breaking news when we can be counted to ditch our whatevers and tap out a bulletin to keep you in the loop.
So from us to you, enjoy; drive safe, act wisely and have a blast.
DF
The fifth edition of the country/roots fest will also feature Jon Pardo and Old Dominion. It will run at Montréal's Parc Jean-Drapeau on île Sainte-Hélène, Aug. 15 and 16.
LASSO Montreal is getting ready to round up country fans in 2026.
Co-produced by Evenko and Live Nation, the fest has just announced country hitmaker Thomas Rhett and Anglo-Americana outfit Mumford & Sons as the headliners on Aug. 15 and 16, respectively, and they're joined by Jon Pardi and Old Dominion. The full LASSO Montréal 2026 lineup will be unveiled in the new year.
Shifting to a Saturday-Sunday format for the first time in its five years of operation, LASSO Montreal returns to Parc Jean-Drapeau on île Sainte-Hélène. The event kicks off on Friday Aug. 14, with LASSO in the City, the official pre-party that traditionally features emerging talent at a downtown venue,
2025 was reportedly a record year for the event, with 51,500 fans checking out headliners Bailey Zimmerman and Jelly Roll and such Canadian stars as The Dead South and Cameron Whitcomb.
Major artists to have appeared at earlier editions of LASSO include Chris Stapleton, Sheryl Crow, Riley Green, Eric Church, Sam Hunt, Luke Bryan, Kane Brown, Kelsea Ballerini, Megan Moroney, Dierks Bentley and Brothers Osbourne.
That kind of star power will be in evidence again in 2026. Over the past year, American star Thomas Rhett has joined Morgan Wallen on the Still the Problem Tour, toured with Luke Combs on the My Kinda Saturday Night Tour and headlined his own Better in Boots Tour across North America in support of his latest album of the same name.
Though they fall more on the anthemic folk-pop side than country, Mumford & Sons are already established as Montreal favourites, having sold-out the Bell Centre in the city back in October. Across four acclaimed albums, they have earned many platinum-plus sales awards around the globe.
Of Note: LASSO Montreal co-producers Evenko are also behind two other major Montreal festivals, Osheaga and îleSoniq.
The Canadian country music festival scene continues to grow, and last week the popular Boots and Hearts fest announced its expansion to Edmonton in Aug. 2026, with Shaboozey and Russell Dickerson headlining.
Last month, the original Ontario version of Boots and Hearts named The Chicks and Rascal Flatts as headliners for its 2026 edition, again set for August in Oro-Medonte, Ontario.
General Admission two-Day tickets for LASSO Montreal go on sale to the public on Friday Aug. 12 here. Single day tickets will go on sale later.
