In January, Montreal might not seem like a hospitable place for outdoor activities of any kind – there’s a reason it has its Underground City, after all. But that little bit of common sense hasn’t gotten in the way of Igloofest, which has become one of the city’s most popular annual (and outdoor) events since its debut in 2007.
First of all: no, Igloofest is not a festival devoted to the art of igloo building. Rather, it’s one of the hottest events in the electronic music calendar, with more than 70 big-name house, techno, and bass DJs daring to enter the Canadian cold front for the chance to spin to crowds of thousands of revellers on two different stages.
Montreal denizens, being made of hardy stuff, aren’t dissuaded by the weather. Crowds pack out the DJ sets, and the event does its best to make light of the weather. A one-piece contest challenges dancers to come in the most garish ski-suits that they can find, and attendees bundle up in boots, hats, gloves, and thick layers on the dance floor.
Included in this year’s schedule, which runs on weekends from January 16 to February 8, will be names like Matthew Dear, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, and Skream. They’re guaranteed to get the crowds going, which is a good thing – all the better to stave off frostbite.
Written by insider city guide series Hg2 | A Hedonist’s guide to… whose guides cover all the best hotels, restaurants, bars, clubs, sights, shops and spas
(Our feature image is © Miguel Legaut)
