Osheaga day one: The XX and Blood Orange deliver as festival opens on Jean-Drapeau
The 19th edition of Osheaga opened Friday at Parc Jean-Drapeau with The XX headlining after eight years apart, while Blood Orange and Wet Leg impressed early crowds.
Sources · local media reports
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Montréal's Osheaga festival opened Friday on Parc Jean-Drapeau with The XX delivering a headline performance that felt like a homecoming, the London trio returning to the main stage for the first time in eight years after pursuing solo work.
The band delivered a setlist heavy on hits—roughly twenty songs in just over an hour—without strain. Jamie XX handled production, percussion, and DJ duties while Oliver Sim sang on bass and Romy Madley Croft handled vocals and guitar. The performance shifted mood across the night, beginning with sparse, minimal versions of tracks like "Crystalised" and "Angels," then building into club-style house rhythms that recalled their collaborative album work. Sim sang "GMT" from the crowd, deepening the intimacy as the evening progressed.
Blood Orange, the project of British artist Dev Hynes, occupied the adjacent Mountain stage with sophisticated pop-grooves that highlighted his range as a songwriter—he has penned tracks for Lorde, FKA Twigs, and Mac Miller. Hynes opened alone with violoncello, covering Björk's "All is Full of Love," before stepping into rhythmic territory with tracks like "Charcoal Baby" from Negro Swan and the recent "Countryside" from Essex Honey, moving seamlessly between guitar and keyboards.
Wet Leg, the British indie duo of Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers, made their return to Osheaga four years after a modest debut on the festival's smaller Trees stage. Their second album Moisturizer, released last summer, has sharpened their songwriting—a blend of post-rock aspiration filtered through frank, catchy rock about seduction and desire. Teasdale's presence improved notably, projecting charisma and a direct gaze from custom plexiglass guitars while remaining understated vocally. The band's set, timed as the sun began to set, delivered on the promise of their growing reputation.
The festival's dual-stage setup created constant movement across the park as crowds migrated between the Mountain and River stages, shifting from Blood Orange's sophisticated arrangements to Twenty One Pilots' rock energy.
The details
When does Osheaga run?
Osheaga opened on Friday, July 31, 2026, at Parc Jean-Drapeau in Montréal.
Who headlined Osheaga's opening night?
The XX headlined on the main stage, marking their first appearance there in eight years. The London trio—Jamie XX, Oliver Sim, and Romy Madley Croft—performed roughly twenty songs in just over an hour.
What other artists performed on day one?
Blood Orange, the project of British artist Dev Hynes, performed on the Mountain stage, and Wet Leg, the British indie duo of Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers, also took the stage as the sun began to set.
