After the rain interrupted day 2, we were a little concerned for the last day of the fest – especially since Olivia Rodrigo was involved. But no worries were necessary as it was a hazy scorcher the entire day – it was only when the bright red sun fell below the horizon that a cool breeze picked up and made things a little more bearable. Though cliche, perhaps, the music was as hot as the weather. Over on the Valley and Forest stages, right next to the St Laurence river, an early set by Toronto’s Polaris Prize-winning Debby Friday started a run of Canadiana, providing the encouraging advice of her song “Good Luck” to the crowd: “You got shit to do, you got a lot to prove, you’re gonna make your way,” she insisted, drawing new fans to her alternative dance/r&b sound. West Coaster Jade Lemac got the crowd waving back and forth, and Quebec’s Rau_Ze (the duo of Rose Perron and Félix Paul) brought an intensity to the stage, with Perron literally throwing herself into the performance, writhing and crawling across the stage, singing directly to the enthusiastic crowd.

Debby Friday

Jade Lemac

On the other side of the festival site, Gigi Perez offered up a performance that felt equal parts confessional and cathartic. The repetition of “Are You Looking for God?” from her song “Twister” had the whole crowd singing along, and they continued through to her rousing rendition of her breakout hit “Sailor Song”. Perez, like so many artists on stage at Osheaga, seemed really thankful, mentioning just how great the festival and its audiences were. Perez also voiced her gratitude for the opportunity to open for Marina – turns out that Gigi is a big fan. While they may come from different musical generations and aesthetics, Perez seemed genuinely elated. Marina, perfect in pink and retro short shorts, got the crowd going with “Princess of Power,” a wonderfully campy standout from her most recent album, complete with falsetto trills. It’s worth noting that throughout the fest, a stage between the two main areas of the fest offers up dance music for those who want a change of pace. We took advantage and saw Oden & Fatzo host an uptempo house-inflected party that offered the perfect sonic breather before Canada’s answer to the Go-gos took the stage.

Gigi Perez

Marina

With a massive audience gathered before them, The Beaches charmed anyone who hadn’t heard of them before and clearly had some super fans in the audience, including one fan who got to climb on stage to act as front woman Jordan Miller’s “Jocelyn” while the band sang the song of the same name. Miller’s sister Kylie, sported a shirt declaring “Montreal’s bagels are better than New York’s,” clearly appealing to the locals. Though their hit “Blame My Ex” was played last and with gusto, the clear standout of the set was “Last Girls at the Party,” and it’s not hard to believe that they are.

The Beaches

Australia’s Royel Otis kept the momentum going, charming the crowd with their jangly indie pop and savvy covers—including Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s “Murder on the Dancefloor” and The Cranberries’ “Dreams.” The Beaches’ Jordan Miller came back to perform a more than adequate Delores Riardan impression, and the result was both joyful and slightly chaotic in the best way.

Royel Otis

Chet Faker

As evening fell, in was the perfect time for another Aussie: Chet Faker. His neo-funk and R&B vibe was airy but grounded—chill enough for swaying, but still danceable. “The Trouble With Us” got people moving, its funky groove the calm before the storm that was Olivia Rodrigo. The pop-rock-punk princess took the stage to adoring screaming from legions of young fans (often accompanied by equally enthusiastic adults). In her full-sparkle mini dress, she got started with “Obsessed” – it goes without saying that each song was a full singalong, but the sound at Osheaga was good enough that those of us who might have wanted to listen were able to hear Rodrigo over the choir. After she moved into a softer section with “Vampire” and “Driver’s License”, we ran back across the site to catch JamieXX. He didn’t draw the same size crowd as Olivia, but those who were there appreciated every ounce of his eclectic set that moved from techno to house to a calm ending with “The Lady With the Braid”, a 1971 song by singer-songwriter-poet Dory Previn. Different, yes. A perfect end to the night? Also yes.

The last day of Osheaga 2025 demonstrated that the fest still knows how to mix the iconic with the up-and-coming, the high-energy with the introspective. And if you left early, well… you definitely weren’t the last girl at the party.

Best moments:

1. The Killers starting their set with “Mr Brightside”.
2. The excitement of teen fans for Gracie Abrams and Olivia Rodrigo.
3. So much intergenerational fun at the fest – many adults with younger teens and kids. Makes for a lovely environment.
4. Programming that offers something for everyone and introduces new acts to new audiences (see Shermanology and Durand Bernarr for details)
5. The Beaches are the definition of a summer band.
6. TV on the Radio – please tour and come back to Montreal!
7. Tyler, The Creator holding the audience in the palm of his hand.
8. Shaboozey’s emotional enthusiasm (though I’m not sure we needed to hear “A Bar Song” more than once!)
9. Canadian content – every Canadian act on the bill was spectacular.
10. Montreal being Montreal – and having better bagels than everywhere!

Words by Erin MacLeod, photos by Jessica Andrews, Northern Transmissions social media throughout the fest by Cora MacLeod