Montreal’s Igloofest launched a virtual edition of its annual outdoor winter music festival on Feb. 13. Now in its 15th year, the 2021 event, dubbed Igloofest 2.0, is streaming free, live performances every weekend via Twitch, Facebook and YouTube, concluding with a 12-hour DJ marathon spinning until midnight on March 13. This year’s lineup, spotlighting French Canadian and international talent, includes Quebec City electronica artist CRi, Montreal-born experimental musician Jacques Green, Saint-Hubert rapper Lou Phelps and Italian-Canadian DJ Mistress Barbara.
Branded the coldest music festival on Earth, the event was originally conceived as “the little brother” to Piknic Électronik, which has taken place in Parc Jean-Drapeau every summer since 2003—and since expanded to Barcelona, Spain; Melbourne, Australia; Santiago, Chile; Austin, Texas; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. In February 2020, more than 80,000 Igloofest fans, or “winter warriors,” gathered in the Old Port of Montreal to see over 90 artists while dancing, sipping hot chocolate and playing in the snow. But after moving last summer’s Piknic Électronik 2020 online, Montreal-based event production team Multicolore was challenged to enable fans to tap into the spirit of an event rooted in the feeling of winter magic from a distance.
One of the outdoor venues selected for the virtual music festival was La Ronde, St Helen's Island’s amusement park.Photo: Courtesy of Igloofest/Mingotwo
“Being outside, feeling the cold night air under the stars, while listening to incredible artists perform with your friends is such a unique experience,” says Multicolore executive producer Mélanie Reeves. “Early on, we used our mascots, the Igloofest Yetis, to encourage fans to make some drinks and gather outdoors with family, friends or roommates to safely take part in the event the way it’s meant to be enjoyed. Our artists are also performing outdoors, which invites our winter warriors to bundle up, come outside and dance hard to stay warm!”
Once the decision to bring Igloofest online was made, organizers initiated a dialogue with Quebec’s greater community of music festival fans, artists, technicians and designers. Without ticketing and food and beverage sales, Multicolore needed to determine how to curate a free virtual experience that would meet fans’ expectations early on. In addition to a stellar lineup, this requires high-quality sound, lighting, set designs and cinematography, as well as crews prepared to livestream each performance outdoors in winter.
“We were really lucky to connect with terrific artists who were willing to perform,” says Reeves. “Our long-term partners also really believe in the festival and saw the value in creating a way for people to be part of it after being under lockdown for an extended period. So it was the combination of public and sponsor funding, as well as the generosity of our performers and expert production teams that made this year’s event happen.”
To really bring the project to life, the production crew utilized high-quality sound, lighting, set designs and cinematography, in addition to livestreaming each performance outdoors in winter.Photo: Courtesy of Igloofest/Mingotwo
Although one of this year’s headliners performed at Old Port Montreal, shows are taking place in new spaces not known for hosting electronic music events each weekend. Organizers scouted outdoor locations suited to bring the sound, lighting and visual effects behind each performance to life, while providing spectacular views of the city. The venues selected include St Helen's Island’s amusement park La Ronde and North American history museum Musée Stewart, as well as downtown Montreal’s immersive modular dome Satosphère and the rooftop at festival sponsor Vidéotron’s headquarters.
In addition to releasing new Igloofest thermal socks on top of the festival's vintage clothing merchandise line, organizers collaborated with principal sponsor Banque Nationale on a fan giveaway contest. The winner was gifted with $2,000 donated to the group of their choice, a prepaid credit card of $500, and a complete Igloofest merchandise package including a tuque, scarf, jersey, headband and socks.
“In a way, Igloofest 2.0 has been like a huge promotion that allows us to stay engaged with our fans until we’re able to gather all together again,” says Reeves. "As for the future, we’re exploring ways to merge live music with platforms that make artists’ performances and tracks available after their show. We’re really grateful for all the musicians who’ve helped us keep the party going, and want to share their talent with as many people as possible.”
Jacques Greene performed at Vieux-Port de Montréal in Old Port Montreal.Photo: Courtesy of Igloofest/Mingotwo
