September 22, 2011 was a huge day in Montreal for both the city and POP Montreal.
Arcade Fire put on a massive free outdoor concert at Place des Festivals in the Quartier des Spectacles—the same area where the Montreal International Jazz Festival takes place every summer.
The result? An estimated 101,000 people came out to see Montreal’s favourite band. The show was essentially Arcade Fire’s way of thanking the city for supporting them over the years, while also throwing a huge party right in the heart of downtown.
The show started with Kid Koala. It was actually my first time seeing him perform live. He even came out wearing a koala costume, which made the set even more memorable. It was a really fun performance, and I especially loved when he played “Moon River.”
Next up was Karkwa, who delivered an amazing set. It felt like a fitting pairing since Karkwa had won the Polaris Music Prize in 2010. With Arcade Fire winning the prize in 2011, it made the lineup feel like a perfect passing-of-the-torch moment between two celebrated Canadian bands.
Finally, it was time for the main event.
Arcade Fire kicked things off with a cinematic-style introduction before launching into “The Suburbs (Continued)” as the band came out on stage. While I was there, they played songs like “Ready to Start,” “Keep the Car Running,” “No Cars Go,” and “Haiti.”
Unfortunately, I didn’t stay for the entire set because I wanted to hop on a BIXI Montreal bike and check out other shows happening around the city during POP Montreal.
Overall, the experience was overwhelming in the best possible way. Seeing that many people gathered together for a free show was incredible. The stage was massive—honestly even taller than the one at RBC Bluesfest in Ottawa—which made getting good photos a bit challenging.
Still, it was an amazing experience and a perfect example of how Montreal celebrates music with huge free events like this.
Here are the photos.
