[PHOTOS] All night, all neon: Take a look back at îLESONIQ 2025

From euphoric stage drops to sweat-drenched dance pits, here are our visual dispatches from îLESONIQ’s 10th anniversary blowout.

The Main

The Main

11 août 2025
[PHOTOS] All night, all neon: Take a look back at îLESONIQ 2025There’s no such thing as pacing yourself at îLESONIQ. | Photograph: Eva Blue / @evablue

There’s no such thing as pacing yourself at îLESONIQ. You show up, sunscreen already sweating off, with bass in your bones and glitter on your eyelids, and hope you survive the drop. This year marked the festival’s 10th anniversary—ten years of beat drops, crowd surges, pyrotechnics, and pure electronic mayhem at Parc Jean-Drapeau. From house to dubstep, from melodic to menacing, this was a weekend where every second was synced to BPM.

And no one had a closer view than Eva Blue (@evablue). Between the strobes and the smoke cannons, through packed crowds and into late-night afterparties, they caught the chaos in high definition. These are the moments they brought back from the edge.

Day 1

Saturday, August 9: Maximum Voltage, Zero Chill

îLESONIQ came out swinging with Saturday’s stacked roster. From early sets at the NEON stage to crowd eruptions under the OASIS tower, the island was fully activated by 3 p.m. LP Giobbi dropped a set laced with funk, glitter, and feminist fire, while BUNT. brought sun-soaked joy straight from Europe. Over at the Mirage stage, Kaskade’s sunset set was a full-blown serotonin surge—smooth, lush, and cinematic.

But it was Steve Aoki who took the whole thing nuclear. Cake? Thrown. Bass? Shattered. Shirtless fans? Everywhere. By the time Illenium’s headlining set hit, you could feel the entire island vibrating, his melodic storytelling crashing into dubstep breakdowns as fireworks lit the sky. It wasn’t just a set—it was a gut-punch wrapped in goosebumps.

Then came the afterparties. Sullivan King unleashed metal-infused madness at Le Studio TD while Stereo pulsed till sunrise. If you had anything left in the tank, you didn’t for long.

Eva Blue:

Day 2

Sunday, August 10: Bliss, Basslines, and the Big One

Sunday started slower—bodies sore, voices hoarse, hydration critical. But îLESONIQ doesn’t believe in cooldowns. Ludo Lacoste sparked things off at the OASIS stage with hometown energy, while the Mirage stage cooked with early sets that sent even the bleary-eyed faithful into motion.

Max Styler and Chase & Status delivered the most high-impact tag-team of the day, bouncing from house grooves to DnB chaos. Somewhere between fog bursts and laser grids, the main stage morphed into a raver’s cathedral.

And then John Summit. Pure charisma, sweat-drenched swagger, and hooks that turned strangers into soulmates for 90 minutes. He didn’t just headline the 10th anniversary—he baptized it in four-on-the-floor euphoria.

Afterparties roared again across the city—Newspeak’s sold-out secret B2B session pushed things into underground territory, while Guillaume Michaud and guests gave dancers their final release at Stereobar.

Eva Blue:

Only good vibes in your inbox.

Subscribe to our newsletter for a weekly dose of news and events.

SUPPORT THE MAIN
Article réservé aux membres

Découvrez Montréal autrement. Rejoignez la communauté The Main.

Lisez cet article gratuitement.

Entrez votre courriel pour débloquer votre premier article et recevoir The Bulletin, notre infolettre sur la bouffe, l’art et la culture locale.

  • 5 articles gratuits par mois
  • Sauvegardez vos adresses et guides
  • Infolettre hebdo The Main Brief
  • Restez branché sur la culture montréalaise

Allez plus loin. Devenez Insider.

Faites partie d’une communauté qui soutient les histoires montréalaises indépendantes et célèbre les gens qui font vivre la culture.

Subscribe
  • Accès illimité à tous les articles
  • Contenu exclusif & perspectives locales
  • Offres spéciales et invitations à nos événements
  • 10 % de rabais à la boutique
  • Soutenez les médias locaux indépendants

Déjà membre? Se connecter

Related articles

The unlikely third spaces emerging from Montreal’s bouldering culture
Version Anglaise
AnnaClare Sung

The unlikely third spaces emerging from Montreal’s bouldering culture

How climbing gyms like Café Bloc have become neighborhood hangouts—complete with coffee, bars, and saunas—that offer a compelling alternative to traditional gym culture.

Nirvana's bringing new school energy to Chinatown with an old school tattoo shop
Version Anglaise
Elle Magni

Nirvana's bringing new school energy to Chinatown with an old school tattoo shop

Traditional styles and apprenticeships keep the faith to the craft, while monthly block parties bring hundreds to the neighbourhood.

Inside CKUT, Montreal's 38-year experiment in community radio
Version Anglaise
Madeline Lines

Inside CKUT, Montreal's 38-year experiment in community radio

90.3 FM has been the mic for the mic-less for nearly four decades, kept alive by 300 volunteers and the belief that a homemade sound can be a beautiful thing.

We started a petition to make Montreal's ugly Christmas tree an annual tradition
Version Anglaise
J.P. Karwacki

We started a petition to make Montreal's ugly Christmas tree an annual tradition

Last year, we wrote about how the city should make the Ugly Tree official. This year, we're actually trying to make it happen.

Everyone dunks on Griffintown. Here's what they're missing.
Version Anglaise
Christopher DeWolf

Everyone dunks on Griffintown. Here's what they're missing.

Griffintown's become Montreal's favourite punching bag for anti-development sentiment, but its messy, diverse rebirth is actually turning into something good.

Things to do in Montreal this November
Version Anglaise
The Main

Things to do in Montreal this November

The best things to do in Montreal during November bring enough festivals, holiday markets, and cultural programming to make you forget the cold.