‘LASSO in the City’ brings country spirit to Montreal ahead of festival weekend
Posted August 4, 2026 3:27 pm.
Last Updated August 14, 2026 5:40 pm.
Before LASSO Montreal takes over Parc Jean-Drapeau this weekend, the festival is bringing its country spirit into the city.
The fifth edition of LASSO Montreal gets underway Saturday and Sunday, but the celebrations began Friday with “LASSO in the City,” a one-day event bringing free country music, line dancing, workshops, food and drinks to venues across Montreal.
Five locations — Riverside, Double’s, Brasseur de Montréal, Bon Délire and Spaghetti Western — are taking part, giving fans a chance to get into the LASSO spirit before the main festival begins.
From cowboy hats to country cocktails
Riverside in St-Henri kicked off the celebrations Friday afternoon with a line dancing introduction hosted by Girls Night and Winslow, along with a cowboy hat decoration workshop, a special LASSO mocktail and a DJ.
For Leisha Chalmers, a line dancing teacher and DJ with Winslow Dancers, the event is about more than simply learning a few steps.
“It really just adds a place for the community to come together and people who are curious to try it. It’s a great place to get your first steps in and just kind of see what the atmosphere is like,” Chalmers said.
Chalmers has watched the demand for line dancing grow since LASSO’s first edition.
“The first year they had LASSO, there wasn’t any line dancing, and there was such a huge demand for line dancing for the next years. That’s why they brought us in.”
Chalmers and Winslow Dancers will continue teaching throughout the festival weekend under the Ford Tent, with dance-alongs featuring popular line dancing music. The group has also been preparing dances connected to artists performing at LASSO, including music by Jon Pardi, Old Dominion and James Barker Band.
For those heading to LASSO for the first time, she sees the weekend as the perfect opportunity to give it a try.
Bringing country music into Montreal
The growth of LASSO comes as country music continues to find a larger audience in Montreal — something that hasn’t happened overnight.
Patrick Guay, who works on the booking team for acts that play the festival, said convincing artists that Montreal is a country music city has been an ongoing process.
“I think it’s been a slow build. Like, even though we’ve been doing some decent numbers the last couple years, just getting awareness out there and just kind of getting the artists to realize that there are country music lovers in Montreal.”
Guay said the festival has had to work to put Montreal on the radar of artists who have never performed here.
“A lot of artists have never been here. Like, a lot. Like, you know, we’re just talking about Ella Langley, who’s like one of the biggest artists in the world, has never played Montreal. Lainey Wilson’s never played Montreal. So, just trying to convince people to come here and then try to convince them to play the festival, it’s like we got a bunch of things that we’re working against, but it’s slowly, but surely it’s working. We’re going to Nashville a couple times a year. The word’s starting to make its way around.”
The festival’s fifth edition features a mix of international headliners, established country stars and emerging artists, including Mumford & Sons and Thomas Rhett.
Guay said the goal is to make sure there is something for different types of country and roots music fans.
“We always try to mix it up. We always try to have something for everyone that’s a fan of anything that kind of leans more in the alternative folk world, as well as obviously just straight up the middle country.”
For Guay, the return of Thomas Rhett is another sign that artists are beginning to recognize the audience that exists in Montreal.
“We don’t have country radio. We’re not a traditional country market, so it just takes a while for people to kind of realize that we’re on the map, but it’s happening.
And he believes the momentum is growing.
“We probably have 30 more country shows this year than we did last year, so that’s probably going to double next year.”
A homecoming for a new artist
Among the Montreal artists taking the stage this weekend is Theo Day, who will perform Saturday during the SiriusXM Backyard Sessions from 5:20 to 5:50 p.m.
We caught up with the Montreal-based singer-songwriter ahead of his LASSO appearance. Day released his first single in August 2025 and is now preparing to perform at a festival he used to attend as a fan.
“I started a year ago, so this was not at all in the cards when I first envisioned what I would do, but if I could have envisioned anything, it would be this.”
The performance will also be a family affair, with Day’s grandmother and father coming to see him play.
“I used to go there all the time, and the fact that my grandma is coming to see me, my dad is coming to see me, and I can give them special treatment and stuff, it just makes me feel pretty cool.”
After a year of building his career and playing shows in Montreal, Day said being on the road feels natural to him.
“It’s amazing for me. I grew up moving around all the time, so being on the road as a musician is kind of more home than anything else, so it just feels like I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing.”
Day describes his sound as raw and authentic, with a softer edge.
“Somebody told me it was soft but powerful, which I find really funny because those are contradictions, but that’s what I heard. I like more an authentic, raw sound that has a bit of softness to it.”
His message to Montreal fans is straightforward.
“Come to Lasso if you want to have a great party and come see my set. And we’re going to have some crazy shows.”
Montreal artists finding a home at LASSO
Another Montreal artist taking the stage this weekend is singer-songwriter Paige Somerville, who will perform Sunday as part of the SiriusXM Backyard Sessions from 6:25 to 6:55 p.m.
We also caught up with Somerville ahead of her appearance, which marks her first time playing the festival in her hometown after performing at last year’s opening show.
“I’m so excited, and honestly, it means the world to me. Getting to play my first festival in my city after doing the opening show last year, getting to play the actual festival, is like honestly an insane feeling to me.”
Somerville said playing LASSO was a milestone she had been working toward, but it arrived sooner than she expected.
“It was a big milestone I wanted to hit. I knew it was gonna happen if I worked hard enough for it, so getting to see it actually happen a lot quicker than I anticipated is such a real feeling for me.”
She also sees the festival as evidence that Montreal’s country community is finally getting a place of its own.
“Honestly, I think it kind of just shows a big community that’s developing that I think has needed to have its place. A lot of people I knew that loved country music didn’t really have a home for it in Montreal, so getting to see that happen and have that place for everybody is a really nice thing to see, especially for artists like myself that have been waiting for this to happen.”
Somerville’s set will feature high-energy material, including new music and her upcoming single.
“I’m very excited. We’re doing a lot of high-energy stuff. We’re playing some new music that’s not out yet. My next single we’re gonna be performing as well. My producer and guitarist from Nashville is gonna be in town playing too, so it’s kind of just all of my worlds meeting in one, and it’s gonna be a very fun show.”
Somerville said she enjoys writing upbeat heartbreak songs and wants her music to give listeners something energetic to connect with.
“A lot of upbeat heartbreak songs. I would like to say I’m not great at picking, so I write a lot of songs about that, but I like to keep it high-energy and happy because that’s kind of just how I live my life. So any girls that are experiencing that too are gonna have some fun little anthems to go along with that.”
For Somerville, the connection with listeners is one of the most rewarding parts of being an artist.
“Honestly, it warms my heart because that’s why we do it as artists: to build that connection with fans and give them an outlet too. Because as much as it’s therapeutic for them, it’s therapeutic for us. So getting to see us inspire them and impact them is such an incredible experience and feeling as well. It’s nothing I can ever compare it to. I don’t even have the proper words for it because it’s just such a unique feeling.”
From the city to the festival grounds
With Riverside’s afternoon programming already underway, the “LASSO in the City” celebrations continue across Montreal Friday evening.
At Double’s, the country atmosphere will continue throughout the afternoon and evening with a dedicated country playlist and a specially created cocktail inspired by the occasion.
Brasseur de Montréal will welcome country fans with free performances from Sarah Vanderzon and Kalsey Kulyk, while LASSO beer will be available at the brewery.
At Bon Délire, the celebration continues from 4:30 p.m. into the night with a country DJ, a LASSO-inspired menu and themed cocktails.
The final stop is Spaghetti Western, where guests can line dance, try a mechanical bull and catch a DJ set beginning at 10 p.m.
At each participating location, one attendee will also have the chance to win a pair of passes to LASSO Montreal and experience the festival weekend.
For fans taking part in Friday’s events, the appeal is as much about meeting other country music lovers as it is about getting ready for the festival.
One attendee said the event could help fans build their own communities before heading to Parc Jean-Drapeau.
“I think it’s a great idea. I think it brings people together. When they all go to Lasso tomorrow, they’ll have new friends, they’ll have people to dance with, they’ll be able to create their own little crowd, and I think it’ll be a good thing.”
Another attendee said the event was a fitting way to launch the weekend.
“I’m so excited for this event. I think it’s a good way to start the whole Lasso vibe festival going on.”
With “LASSO in the City,” the festival is extending its reach beyond Parc Jean-Drapeau and into the city itself — reflecting the growing country music community that organizers and artists say is taking shape in Montreal.
