After making an appearance at Justin Bieber’s Coachella set, Sexyy Red comes to Bieber’s home country, along with more artists playing some of this week's biggest Canadian concerts.
Following two years of unpredictable weather and attendance pressure, Montreal’s Palomosa Festival is slated for May, moving up from its previous September slot. Underscoring the festival’s emphasis on boundary-pushing electronic and post-internet sounds, the festival is a unique opportunity to spotlight rising artists on a grand scale.
Also this week, rapper Baby Keem, will headline a night in Vancouver, while buzzy British singer and producer PinkPantheress wraps up her North American tour in Montreal. After hitting the stage with Justin Bieber during Coachella, rapper Sexyy Red is taking over his home country with stops in Toronto and Calgary.
Concert of the Week
Palomosa Festival, Parc Jean-Drapeau, Montreal — May 14-16
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This year, Palomosa Festival is kicking off earlier than usual.
The genre-bending Montreal music event moves from September to May, with the three-day event starting today. After a period marked by low attendance rates and weather challenges, this year’s festival may serve as a taste of the forthcoming summer festival season.
Known for its digitally driven, cross-scene programming, Palomosa has mastered the art of bringing some of the internet’s biggest acts from all eras to the stage (including last year's controversial set by M.I.A.), which is evident in the lineup for its third edition.
The three-day event will kick off with an outdoor block party helmed by X-Coast and his Deejay Academy collective, immediately setting the festival’s high-intensity tone. Over the next two days — unfolding across two main stages — headliners MGMT perform a rare DJ set, reflecting the duo's nostalgic 2000s and 2010s indie resurgence on social media. Meanwhile, A.G. Cook protégé Hannah Diamond will drive the digital pop energy during her headlining set.
This year’s lineup is filled with rising online stars, including hip-hop act Fakemink, 100 gecs’ Dylan Brady and Vancouver underground artist Sophia Stel. Xaviersobased, Ouri, Doss, CFCF, POiSON GiRL FRiEND, DJ Smokey and Kinji00 and more will also take the stage.
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Channeling online culture and the city’s youth-driven underground scenes into a large-scale live setting, it carves out a distinct space from bigger late-summer festivals at the same venue, like Osheaga.
West coast rap fans — get ready to hit the jackpot. Baby Keem, is coming to town in support of his new album, Ca$ino. The buzzy rapper is also Kendrick Lamar's cousin, and he makes an appearance on the rapper and record producer’s latest release, which peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart. It’s Keem’s time to shine.
Buzzy singer and producer PinkPantheress is wrapping up her North American tour in Montreal. Playing to a sold-out crowd, the charming British act is reaping the rewards after a steady rise. The “Illegal” singer is everywhere right now, following the release of her Fancy That mixtape and its recent remix album. The latter project resulted in the Zara Larsson-featuring “Stateside,” and earned the singer her second top 10 entry on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100.
Sexyy Red, Rebel, Toronto — May 15; Grey Eagle Event Centre, Calgary — May 17
Did you miss Sexyy Red’s performance with Justin Bieber during his second Coachella headline set? While that happened in the wee hours of the morning in eastern time, the rapper is hitting up Bieber’s home country, playing two shows in Toronto and Calgary. She returns to Rebel after performing her first-ever headline date there last November, then makes her debut at the Grey Eagle Event Centre.
