another possible future for festivals: https://consequence.net/2024/09/fme-2024-review-photos-recap/It’s no secret that the live music industry is in a weird spot at the moment, and that goes double for large-scale, multi-day events. As festival upon festival declares 2024 to be their last year — or even cancels its already planned programming — we here at Consequence have just about worn out our keyboards trying to get to the bottom of it. From sustainability issues to underwhelming lineups, it seems like the way forward is experiential and niche — and that’s exactly what Quebec’s Festival de Musique Émergente (or FME, for us anglophones) seems calibrated to.
Held in the small town of Rouyn-Noranda (which sits about seven hours north of Toronto and eight hours northwest of Montreal), FME is one part-music festival, one-part community gathering, and three-parts party. Think South by Southwest if it was modest, manageable, and French-Canadian; or, perhaps, your local block party if it had the budget to bring in bands from around the globe.
Unlike, say, Coachella or its Quebecois cousin Osheaga, you won’t find big-named, million-dollar headliners leading the charge at FME. What you will find is a series of intimate, genre-spanning shows scattered throughout the picturesque village, from clubs to venue basements to a parking lot in front of the late-night poutine place. It’s an electric environment full of surprises, excitement, and playful discovery.