Montréal emblazons their incomparable fiery spirit at Igloofest, the self-proclaimed world’s coldest music competition – EDM All Day
What does it take to persuade 1000’s of attendees to enterprise out in bone-chilling, glacial temperatures, bearing umpteen layers of clothes to affix 1000’s of like-minded people in an out of doors winter dance get together? Citizens of Montréal will scoff on the query, placed on their winter apparel and head out their door with a way of pleasure and voracity, not wanting behind. What could appear to be a problem and an on the spot rejection for some, this metropolis says in any other case.
Illuminating the quaint and charismatic Old Port neighborhood for his or her 13th version is the infrastructure of Igloofest Montréal, the self-proclaimed, “coldest music competition on this planet.” Shipping containers artfully adorn their manner into the competition’s framework, paying homage to the character of the situation while introducing a notion of industrial consolation to the ambiance. Attendees flock gracefully in packs, a real expertise because of the limitations of sporting a number of layers. Dressed with poise within the brightest of colours, Igloofest hasn’t simply thrown a competition, however as an alternative fostered their very own winter motion.
“It comes with the vibe, nobody involves Igloofest to be posers or simply attend as a result of it’s not price simply to be standing there when it’s -15 and also you’re gonna die. Everyone’s in a superb spirit, and everybody’s having enjoyable” – Robert Robert
The 2019 version of Igloofest Montréal spanned the course of three weekends, with the opening evening hosted on the night January 17, adopted by the closing ceremonies on February 2. For the primary time in Igloofest historical past the out of doors competition bought out two separate nights, headlined by digital mass moguls Diplo, and Above & Beyond. During the opening weekend, temperatures dropped to an astonishing low of -31 levels Celsius, sufficient to freeze the Sapporo cans within the fingers of attendees, however not sufficient to maintain friends from dancing. Held over the course of 9 evenings, native and worldwide expertise was removed from few, welcoming headliners from every finish of the digital music spectrum. Akin to the town’s open-minded musical pursuits, headliners of the techno, entice and trance realms took the stage, attired in their very own brightly flashing jackets and signature Canadian tuques.
Igloofest first got here to fruition within the winter of 2007, yielding a mere 7000 attendees for his or her first version of the competition. With years of cultivation underway, the winter occasion collection has imprinted their existence right into a precept element of the town’s winter life-style. Each yr, artists from all corners of the world are regularly shocked on the frigid temperatures that encapsulate the occasion, but are met with the nice and cozy reception from 1000’s of attendees flashing their smiles, unbothered by the weather working in opposition to them. As their current version yr has accrued over 65,000 fervent attendees over three weekends, it bears the query, “How has Igloofest succeeded in attracting individuals to return get together in excessive polar temperatures?”
Nymra & Sofisticated communicate to the energetic spirit behind Quebec’s competition tradition, referring to the “joie de vivre”, or zest for all times, that makes Igloofest particular.
Familiar to the Montréal digital music scene are feminine duo and Igloofest second-time performers Nymra & Sofisticated, although their fondness of the occasion runs deeper than their efficiency historical past. When requested about their most memorable expertise from the competition, the 2 named Pascale and Sophie communicate with unfaltering enthusiasm, drawing power from one another as they recount their previous, “During one of many coldest Igloofest’s, it was like -40 and was chilly as hell. We’re enjoying within the dome, there was a lineup to return in, and it was an enormous get together. It was good as a result of we’re enjoying all evening like six hours within the dome…individuals had been dancing on the bar, the vibe was wow.”
Fresh off the uncooked adrenaline of opening the secondary Videotron stage, it’s clear that this competition occupies a mushy spot of their hearts.
Montréalers aren’t unfamiliar to the blustery, sub-zero circumstances that may characterize their winter. In truth, the temperature itself has turn into a pawn in an unstated problem of ‘who can one-up one another in partying the toughest’. The chill appears to deliver out the group’s cheeky antics, composed of people wearing astronaut helmets and spacesuits and matching the weekly #Iglooswag theme, “Space Odyssey”. Co-founder of Igloofest and seasoned competition maven Nicolas Cournoyer boasts concerning the pleasure of witnessing the competition’s affect on Montréal’s music scene, although it wasn’t obvious in a single day. Reflecting again on the method of conceptualizing an out of doors winter competition, he says “At first we laughed about it and thought it’s not a good suggestion, however the afterthought was, ‘why not?’Apart from household occasions, there’s no occasions for kids, for individuals who like digital music and nothing outdoors…We thought, give them a superb purpose to go outdoors, and what’s the most effective purpose? Throw a celebration! That was our problem at first as a result of we didn’t know if individuals would leap within the thought. Once we began, we knew we had one thing as a result of there was no competitors, nothing to match to Igloofest.”
Referring to the utilization of the delivery containers as a staple addition to the competition’s aesthetic, he continues, “It was particular to have that warehouse feeling, to be in a rave however outdoors along with your winter jacket, tuque in -10, -20 levels Celsius. It’s not solely concerning the music and going to see a present, you go there for the DJ and music. The scenography is actually vital for us to be in an immersive expertise, however the truth that we’re in winter ranges up all the pieces, as a result of you may actually really feel it. You can really feel the ambiance between the individuals when it’s chilly and everybody’s packed collectively.”
Complete with testimony from Tony McGuinness, one of many three faces behind Above & Beyond, he states “Igloofest is like Burning Man within the snow, distinctive and completely life affirming.” Arctic temperatures be damned, as festival-goers triumph by means of with nothing lower than unadulterated pleasure painted throughout their face. The succession of the 13th version has affirmed if not many, however one excellent assertion- Igloofest has cultivated and upholds a burgeoning competition scene unparalleled to some other on this planet.
Photo credit: Charles Prot and Sylvain Granier
