From Seoul to Griffintown, this is your complete guide to POCHA MTL 2025

Four days of Korean street food, K-pop performances, fan culture, and strong summer energy by the Lachine Canal.

The Main

June 24, 2025- Read time: 6 min

The four-day fever dream of K-pop, Korean street snacks, fan fashion, and spontaneous dance battles known as POCHA MTL is back to unfold on the edge of the Lachine Canal in the Peel Basin.

From July 24 to 27, it transforms its lookout spot into a lit up hub for die-hard fandoms, first-time visitors, and anyone with a soft spot for spicy rice cakes and high-energy choreography.

Now in its fifth year, POCHA MTL blends the best of Seoul’s street markets and pop culture into a uniquely Montreal experience. You’ll find tteokbokki and kogos alongside skincare stalls, lightsticks waving to dance crews on stage, and maybe even a bichon in a hanbok posing for photos. It’s a community-powered celebration of Korean culture that's loud, joyful, and built to bring people together.

Quick Facts: What You Need To Know

📍 Location: Peel Basin in Griffintown

🗓 Dates: July 24–27, 2025

🕐 Hours:

Thursday, July 24: 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Friday, July 25: 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Saturday, July 26: 12:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Sunday, July 27: 12:00 PM – 7:00 PM (doors open 30 minutes early)

🎟 Admission:

$4 presale / $5 at the door (online only)
Free for: Kids under 12, seniors 65+, anyone in a hanbok, and anyone with a Pomeranian, Poodle, or Bichon.

🎫 Tickets: Buy them here

🌐 More info: asiasie.com/pochamtl

📲 Follow: @pocha_mtl on Instagram | Facebook Event

What To Eat at POCHA MTL: Straight outta Seoul

The food stalls at POCHA MTL aren’t a sideshow—it’s the beating heart of the festival. Supplying both the classics as well as lots more to discover, the lineup is built to deliver bold flavours, deep-fried joy, and plenty of reasons to come back for seconds.

There’s no one way to do POCHA right—but it probably involves one hand holding a kogo and the other waving along to a K-pop hook you only half know.

Here’s what to look for:

Tteokbokki – The MVP of Korean street food: chewy rice cakes simmered in a sweet-spicy gochujang sauce. Grab a toothpick and dive in.
Korean Fried Chicken – Double-fried for maximum crunch, then glazed in sweet soy garlic or spicy yangnyeom. Not optional.
Kogos – Korean-style corn dogs stuffed with cheese, sausage, or both, then rolled in everything from panko to sugar and ramen bits. Pure chaos, in the best way.
Dak Kochi – Skewered grilled chicken, brushed with sticky sauce and fire-kissed. A staple for a reason.
Japchae – Stir-fried glass noodles with vegetables. Light, savoury, and completely underrated. (Vegetarian option available!)

What To See and Do at POCHA MTL

You’ll hear it before you see it—bass lines thumping, crowd chants echoing, sneakers sliding across concrete as another dance group locks into formation. POCHA MTL is a full-throttle celebration of for K-pop. Whether you’re in it for the choreo, the costumes, or the community, the festival gives fans a space to be loud, proud, and fully themselves.

Here’s what’s on deck

🎤 K-pop Dance Performances: Catch high-energy sets from Montreal’s top fan crews, with choreography synced to the idols you love and the beats you’ve got on loop. This is full-out performance mode, curated by the team at KMTL Event in collaboration with KFMontreal, who together rep 17 fandoms and counting.
🕺 Random Play Dance: The ultimate crowd ritual: songs drop at random, and anyone who knows the choreo jumps in. It’s chaos. It’s electric. It’s better than cardio.
🏆 K-pop Dance Competition (New for 2025!): 15 groups. Over $1,500 in prizes. A live showdown judged on stage presence, technique, and sheer crowd control. If you only make it to one set this weekend, make it this one.
🎶 Small-Group Performances & DJ Sets: Between the big moments, the vibe stays high with curated mixes, smaller sets, and unexpected collabs. Bring your lightstick—or just vibe.

Shopping at POCHA MTL: K-Beauty, Merch, and Snacks

Yes, you’ll come for the food and the music—but don’t skip the rows of vendor booths packed with cult skincare, ultra-specific fan merch, and Korean snacks you won’t find at your dep.

Here’s what to keep an eye out for:

K-Beauty & Cosmetics: Sheet masks, lip tints, cleansing balms—casual fans and ten-step-routine lifers will both be at home here, as POCHA’s vendors stock all the essentials (and a few viral odds and ends). Expect deals, bundle kits, and impulse buys that pay off.
K-Pop Merch: Lightsticks, photocards, enamel pins, fan art, slogan towels, and more. Support local creators and score gear repping your fave group—without paying international shipping.
Stationery & Accessories: Mini notebooks, cute pens, keychains, earrings—half of it you don’t need, all of it you’ll want.
Snacks, Drinks, and Market Finds: From banana milk and Choco Pies to seaweed chips, impulse boba and instant ramyeon, the snack game is strong.

The Festival Vibe at POCHA MTL

POCHA MTL doesn’t just bring the heat—it keeps things cool in all the right ways. The open-air layout makes it easy to roam, snack, dance, and take it all in at your own pace. There’s room to breathe, space to move, and music everywhere.

At its core, POCHA isn’t just about Korea—it’s about community. Fandoms meet foodies, dancers meet dog walkers, and strangers share tables under the summer sky. It’s loud, joyful, and unexpectedly chill.

A few things that set the tone:

♻️ Low-Waste Setup: All food containers are reusable thanks to a collab with Bopaq, and RECYC-QUÉBEC provides clear signage and bins to keep things sorted. Bring a tote, bring a cup, and keep the vibe green.
🐶 Dog-Friendly by Design: Pomeranians, Poodles, and Bichons get their paw-rents in free—but all friendly pups are welcome. Bonus points if they’re in themed outfits.
🎟 Come and Go: Wristbands make it easy to leave and come back—perfect if you’re pacing yourself or planning to return for the night sets after a day in the sun.
🌤 Rain or Shine: Unless the weather’s dangerous, the show goes on. Come prepared for all conditions (and maybe bring an umbrella to match your fit).

About the Organizers: ASIASIE

POCHA MTL is produced by ASIASIE, a Montreal-based non-profit founded by Yasuko Tadokoro and Thien Vu Dang. Since 2018, ASIASIE has been building cultural bridges between Asia and Quebec—not through lectures or exhibitions, but through food, festivals, and street-level connection.

They’re the team behind YATAI MTL, Marché ASIASIE, and La Semaine Japon, and their events don’t just celebrate Asian cultures—they make them part of the city’s fabric. With POCHA, they’ve created a Korean market where fandom and tradition can share a stage, and where Montrealers can experience Seoul-style energy without boarding a plane.