Marcus Mumford told Parc Jean-Drapeau that his band had been thinking of itself as a country act for a while now, and the crowd loved it. Cameron Whitcomb landed a backflip in front of the Coors Prairie Stage with platinum-blonde hair, and the crowd loved it.
There’s no disputing how much this city loves a good country music festival.
Five editions in, LASSO doesn't have to argue for itself anymore, and it doesn't have to book a purist's lineup to fill the island. It moved to a Saturday-Sunday format for the first time this year, ran LASSO in the City on the Friday night to warm up the mainland, and then handed two days over acts whether they had Nashville credentials or not.
Here's what our photographers Lazer Cobra and Eva Blue saw across the festival grounds during the 2026 edition.
Day 1: Saturday, August 15
A new format and a first-time headliner
Jon Pardi and Koe Wetzel handled the heavy end of the afternoon. Waylon Wyatt headlined the Coca-Cola stage. James Barker Band arrived carrying five Canadian Country Music Association nominations and the easy confidence of a group that has figured out Quebec crowds are worth the drive. Max McNown made a rarer trip: Osheaga earlier in the summer, LASSO two weekends later, the second straight year the two festivals have shared an act after Shaboozey pulled it off in 2025.
Theo Day drew his best-attended set to date on the SiriusXM stage and spent the following day walking the grounds, shaking hands, still there.
Then Thomas Rhett, headlining LASSO for the first time after a Montreal history that only goes back to 2019. He came with a finished record he hadn't released yet and a set drawn deep enough into the back catalogue to catch the fans who found him late.
Keep reading “Backflips, Banjos 'N' Big Hats: More LASSO 2026 Through the Lens”
The Main is Montreal's city magazine. We write the stories about this city nobody else is telling.
We're independent and reader-supported. Your support keeps us going.
Your email costs you nothing and opens the rest of this story now. It also means the next one reaches you on a Thursday, instead of disappearing into a feed.
No password. No payment. Opens instantly.
Already a member? Sign in
Comments
Welcome to The Main's comments section!
Share your thoughts and join the conversation. Please be respectful and constructive.
No comments yet. Be the first!