Les FrancoFolies de Montréal was founded in 1989 by Jean-Louis Foulquier, Alain Simard and Guy Latraverse. They already had the experience of organizing similar music festivals: Foulquier founded Les Francofolies de La Rochelle and Simard is the founder of the Montreal International Jazz Festival. In 2017, the festival was renamed Les Francos de Montréal.
The mission of Les Francos de Montréal is to promote French-language songs and support Francophone performers. The festival encompasses a wide array of musical genres and styles including pop, rock, chanson, folk, hip-hop, punk, raï (a type of Algerian music), and more. All songs that can be heard at the festival have one thing in common: they are performed chiefly in French or by performers from about a dozen Francophone countries.
Over the years, Les Francos de Montréal has grown to become one of the world’s biggest music festivals and a major cultural event in the Francophone world. It runs over ten days in June and features about 1,000 performers and more than 250 shows. Performances are held on various stages in an around Place des Arts, the largest performing arts center in Montreal located in Quartier des Spectacles. There are about 180 free outdoor shows and nearly 70 ticketed indoor performances in nearby theaters.
Les Francos de Montréal welcomes both seasoned performers and up-and-coming musicians. Well-known artists who have performed at the festival include Patricia Kaas, Jane Birkin, Vanessa Paradis, Julien Doré, Loco Locass, Gatineau, Gabrial Yacoub, Oxmo Puccino, Gilbert Bécaud, and many more. The organizers strive to maintain a balance between local and international acts.
The festival is regarded as the biggest celebration of Francophone music and culture on both sides of the Atlantic. It showcases singers, musicians, songwriters and composers from over a dozen countries, helping them find new audiences and providing festival visitors with a diverse and high-quality program.
Photo: Alain Quevillon
