Tate McRae is a certified a-lister.
The Calgary-born hitmaker took the stage at Osheaga Saturday night (Aug. 1) to headline the second of its three nights, achieving off a major career milestone by headlining a major music festival for the first time.
In doing so, she reached a new apex for a young Canadian artist, becoming the first Canadian to headline what might be the country's highest-profile festival since Arcade Fire in 2022, and the second since The Weeknd in 2017, nearly a decade ago. (The scaled-back all-Canadian pandemic edition in 2021 also featured headliners like Charlotte Cardin.)
Playing for fully packed crowd on the main stage, the singer proved her status as an international star and a national treasure, delivering a 70-minute set filled with hit singles, athletic choreography and heavenly stage production and visuals, all while embracing her pride for her home country.
Tate McRae in Montreal at Osheaga 2026. Vincent St-Pierre / Billboard Canada
Although fans waited ten extra minutes for McRae to hit the stage past her scheduled set time, eager roars erupted as a visual appeared onscreen. It showed Tate's hand signing a medieval-style storybook, then cut to an elegant clip showing the singer spinning while a sparkle circled around her, a true fairytale scene. Emerging from a row of dancers and white flashing lights, the Canadian star immediately launched into her hit single "Just Keep Watching." Nearly immediately, fireworks launched above her, sending a wave of adrenaline across the crowd with just one song and setting the tone for the rest of the night.
“I am so f---ing excited to be back home," she later told the crowd during her first address. "Montreal, in my opinion, has always been one of the loudest crowds on tour. And y’all know I’m Canada down.”
She giggled, referencing her infamous phrase that launched a viral meme earlier this year after the singer controversially appeared in an NBC Olympic ad promoting Team USA instead of her home country. But it was Montreal where she graduated to a festival headliner, and where she launched her new era on Saturday night. She gave that to Canadian fans first, one day before also headlining Lollapalooza in Chicago on Sunday (Aug. 2).
It was clear that appearing like this in front of Canadian fans was special to McRae. After the ovation that greeted her after her first song, it took some time for her to wipe the infectious smile off her face and compose herself before launching back into the show.
The pop star wasted no time before treating the crowd to hits from her chart-topping 2025 album So Close to What, like the deluxe cut “Tit for Tat” and “Dear god.” She even made a live debut, playing So Close To What??? (deluxe) cut "Anything But Love" for the first time.
Surrounded by her crew of dancers who were dressed in white while she was dressed in black, she performed her set in front of ancient Greek pillars while a ring of light beamed down behind her like a halo. The scene presented her like a divinity shining in front of tens of thousands of fans, who sang her every lyric back to her.
Tate McRae in Montreal at Osheaga 2026. Vincent St-Pierre / Billboard Canada
She took a moment to express her gratitude for her formative years in Canada. Her trek to superstardom began in her hometown of Calgary, where she began her career as a singer and dancer as a young teenager.
"I started all of this back in Calgary in my bedroom," she told the audience. "I started writing songs, and it was a really vulnerable thing to do."
Reflecting on her early days posting videos to her YouTube channel, she left the crowd with an inspirational message about pursuing your dreams without fear, giving fans hope that their journey can become a success story just like hers.
The heartfelt speech introduced her breakthrough ballad, 2020's “You Broke Me First,” noting that she wrote when she was 16.
That added a layer of depth to the performances of her later hits, like "exes" and "greedy," which became her first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 in 2023. McRae brought the energy to a boiling point as the sirens on her smash hit "Sports Car" played across the festival.
Fireworks again rippled across the sky as she capped off the set. McRae dipped herself in a tub of golden paint, quite literally turning herself into a national trophy. She did so while staking her claim as a global superstar, one who proudly calls Canada home.
