This weekend, Montreal welcomes a brand-new festival to its vibrant summer scene. Introducing Palomosa—the latest brainchild from the creators of Piknic Électronik and Igloofest, taking place September 6th and 7th at Parc Jean-Drapeau. There will also be a fee block party on Thursday evening to get you warmed up.
Palomosa promises an eclectic mix of pop, rock, R&B, Latin, and EDM, featuring some of the year’s biggest names, including Jai Paul and Gesaffelstein.
Beyond the music, Palomosa offers an immersive experience with interactive art installations, gourmet food trucks, and stages designed to keep the energy flowing from day to night. With nearly two dozen artists on the lineup, festival-goers are in for an unforgettable ride.
To get an inside look at the vision behind this exciting new festival, I sat down with Nicolas Cournoyer, co-founder of Palomosa, to talk about the festival’s inspiration, its unique approach, and what Montrealers can expect from its inaugural edition.
Unfortunately, the original headliner, Kali Uchis had to cancel right before the event. The festival’s statement is below:
For reasons beyond our control and that of the artist, we regret to announce the cancellation of Kali Uchis’ performance this Saturday, September 7th, at Palomosa.
Despite this unforeseen event, our very first edition is moving forward, and our enthusiasm remains undiminished. Jai Paul, for his very first performance in Canada, will take over on the Vidéotron stage from 10:00 PM to 11:00 PM. We promise you an incredible event!
Montreal Rocks: So, I appreciate you taking some time to talk with me. You must be the busiest man in Montreal right now.
Nicolas Cournoyer: We’re a whole team, so I’m not the only one working on the festival.
Montreal Rocks: How many are on the team, roughly?
Nicolas Cournoyer: Of course, we do organize Palomosa, but we have a team that organizes Piknic Électronik, Igloofest during wintertime, and Vidéotron Pieds-Courants. So, basically, with all the divisions we have, we’re about 50 people working full-time all year long. But on-site, of course, we have between 600 and 700 employees because we’re doing everything apart from the food. I think we’re going to do the technical stuff, the bars, production, security. It’s all employees that we have, and we’re happy to have them.
Montreal Rocks: Yeah, so how long have you been involved in this industry yourself?
Nicolas Cournoyer: Ah, about 20 years. We started Piknic Électronik in 2003. Of course, it started really, really small. We had other jobs back then. But yeah, that’s when we started working in events, as far as my part. When we founded Piknic Électronik, we were four founders, four friends, music lovers, that decided to change a bit of the event industry. We wanted to take electronic music out of nightclubs, raves, and all the privileges that came with it, and make it happen during the daytime so people could discover that kind of music. But of course, it got broader in styles. Palomosa is one of the reasons why we’re heading in that direction.
Montreal Rocks: Well, I think Piknic is a perfect example of how something can go from grassroots, just for the people. It was free to begin with, right?
Nicolas Cournoyer: It was not free. People think it was free at the beginning, but it wasn’t. Our slogan was, “Ça coûte juste cinq piasses,” meaning it only cost five bucks. So, it was never free, but people had that feeling. Five bucks was a pretty cheap option for fun in the park in Montreal.
Montreal Rocks: Yeah, and it feels like it just grew naturally through the love of music. It never felt like a corporate thing.
Nicolas Cournoyer: Of course, there were phases. Some old-school friends would say, “It got bigger, too big, it’s commercial,” but we think we were able to keep that spirit. Even though it’s growing, it’s still the vibe of Montreal. There are a lot of people with different styles, ages, and everything. We think that even though we’re more popular, it’s kept that spirit we had when organizing those events.
Montreal Rocks: So, we’ve mentioned Piknic, we’ve mentioned Igloofest. Obviously, Montreal is famous for its festivals, whether it’s the Jazz Fest or Osheaga.
What made you want to start another one? And what sets this one apart from the others?
Nicolas Cournoyer: The thing is, it’s a brand new festival in terms of branding and bookings and everything else. But the ancestor of that festival is MEG, the Montreal Electronic Groove that Mustafa Teki created more than 20 years ago. It was part of the event industry for so long. We made a partnership in 2018 with Mustafa to revamp it and bring it somewhere new, which we did for a few years. But at some point, and especially due to COVID, I’d say the branding was fading out a bit. We wanted to go further in styles and vibes, which is why we created Palomosa, to move beyond just electronic music.
Montreal Rocks: So, for people who don’t know about the festival, what can they expect?
Nicolas Cournoyer: We wanted this festival to have a late summer vibe with a good mix for people to enjoy. There’s a wide variety of styles—hip hop, electronic, some pop music, experimental, and jazzy stuff. It’s a good opportunity to discover new artists, which is what drives me for this one.
Montreal Rocks: Yeah, that’s what I love about festivals. You go thinking you know what you’re going to see, and then you end up discovering new artists.
Nicolas Cournoyer: Exactly. And nowadays, there’s so much music. Even after the bookings were revealed, I discovered new styles and took time to listen to what the artists were doing, their message, and their artistic path. Sometimes, it feels eclectic, but you realize there’s a link, at least mentally, between the artists.
Montreal Rocks: Especially with this new generation, students seem more open to different styles. When I was a kid, there were groups for metal, punk, etc., but now people seem to embrace everything. It’s refreshing.
Nicolas Cournoyer: Yeah, people are more open-minded now. DJs back in the day would stick to one type of electronic music, but now they mix all kinds. That’s the same spirit we have for the festival.
Montreal Rocks: So, you’ve got the two main days, Friday and Saturday, but also a welcoming party on Thursday. Why did you decide to do that?
Nicolas Cournoyer: It’s a trend. The last few years, we’ve seen more appetizer events before the main festival. Thursday is more local, a block party vibe, with an artist we’ve been showcasing for years—Klassified. It’ll be a really cool vibe to start the festival.
Montreal Rocks: How important is it for you to involve the Montreal music scene in this festival?
Nicolas Cournoyer: In all our festivals, like Piknic, we start grassroots. It was all Montreal artists for the first four or five years, no international DJs. And that spirit continues today. About 60% of the lineups at Piknic and Igloofest are Montreal artists. For Palomosa, we needed a strong international lineup to make our mark, but we’ll definitely build up more local involvement in the future.
Montreal Rocks: So, you’re already planning for future editions?
Nicolas Cournoyer: We haven’t started booking for next year yet. It takes time for a new festival to gain a reputation, but we’re really happy with this first edition. We’ll experience it, and the word will grow.
Montreal Rocks: Festivals are facing a lot of challenges these days. What’s been the biggest challenge for you with this one?
Nicolas Cournoyer: We knew starting in September would be harder because it’s outside the usual summer season. It’s a new brand, and even though people know we organize serious events like Piknic and Igloofest, they might not know we’re behind Palomosa. So, it’s been a lot of work building the image, promotion, and word of mouth. Costs have increased since COVID, which is a reality for many festivals. But we’re focusing on the back-to-school crowd, especially international students.
Montreal Rocks: Do you get to enjoy the festival yourself?
Nicolas Cournoyer: Yeah, of course. I’ll be working, but I still make time to enjoy the DJs and artists because I’m a music lover.
Montreal Rocks: Well, we’re looking forward to it. Where can people find out more?
Nicolas Cournoyer: The website, Palomosa.com, has all the info. We’re also on Instagram and Facebook. You can click on artist links to discover some great music.
Montreal Rocks: We’ll be there doing a review. Looks like the weather’s going to be good too.
Nicolas Cournoyer: Yeah, it’s looking like 24, 25 degrees. Perfect for a late summer festival.
Watch the full interview below:
Share this :
