POP Montréal

What POP Montréal does

POP Montréal (legal name: POP Montréal International Music Festival) is a private not-for-profit and registered Canadian charity founded in 2002, headquartered at 5585 Avenue du Parc in Montreal, Quebec. It produces an annual September music festival that, in its 25th edition (September 23-27, 2026), presents more than 200 emerging and established artists across 50-plus Montreal venues including Théâtre Rialto, La Sotterenea, Piccolo Rialto, Casa del Popolo, Théâtre Fairmount, and Cinéma Moderne. The event is sold primarily through a Discovery Pass and individual show tickets on the VenuePilot platform with additional distribution across Universe, The Point of Sale, Blue Skies Turn Black, and Tixr.

Beyond the September anchor, POP Montréal operates a year-round programming architecture built on six vertical sub-brands: Puces POP (seasonal artisan craft/fashion markets at Église Saint-Denis), Film POP (music film/documentary premieres), Art POP (approximately 20 exhibitions annually), POP Symposium (industry panels and the Next Level mentorship program), Kids POP (family programming), and Marché des Possibles (summer open-air marketplace). Continuous activities include weekly artist listening sessions February-July, POP-Off Canadian and European tours, the year-round Espace POP gallery, and a curated Fringe POP stage drawing 20,000-plus attendees. Curation is democratic: every artist application is reviewed via committee listening sessions.

Revenue is diversified across Discovery Pass and ticket sales (transaction fees), tax-deductible donations (philanthropy), vendor application fees and marketplace commissions from Puces POP, multi-tier government grants (Canada Council for the Arts, SODEC, FACTOR, Conseil des arts de Montréal, Ville de Montréal, Gouvernement du Québec, Indigenous Screen Office), and corporate sponsors (SiriusXM as Principal, with Tourisme Montréal, Ubisoft Montréal, and Wills Beers as supporting partners). Marketing runs through the official website, Instagram (@popmontreal, @pucespop), email newsletter, third-party media (Polaris Music Prize, Stereogum, Exclaim!, Cult MTL), and international showcase partnerships with SXSW, The Great Escape, NXNE, CMW, JUNOS, and MUTEK.

Name

POP Montréal

Legal name

POP Montréal International Music Festival

Website

https://popmontreal.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

POP Montréal is a not-for-profit registered charity that produces an annual independent music festival (25th edition, September 23-27, 2026) across 50-plus Montreal venues, complemented by year-round sub-brands covering film, visual arts, symposium, kids programming, artisan markets, and artist development for emerging and established independent artists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Festival & Cultural Events

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111), Musical Groups and Artists (711130)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Concerts & Music Festivals (THAJAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts, Crafts & Maker Fairs (MPAGAFAJ), Fringe & Experimental Performing Arts (MPAGABAI)

Keywords

• Music festival
• Cultural events
• Live music programming
• Arts curation
• Artisan markets

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Festival Passes and Tickets: Discovery Pass provides priority access to over 200 bands, films, visual arts, crafts, conferences, workshops. Individual tickets available for specific shows. Early-bird pricing offered.
2. Donations: As a registered charity, POP Montreal accepts donations which provide tax receipts. The festival emphasizes donations help support artists and connect them with audiences.
3. Puces POP Markets: Artisan marketplace featuring locally-made clothing, jewelry, bodycare products, art, ceramics, prints, children's items. Markets occur in spring, fall, during festival, and December holiday season.
4. Vendor Fees: Application fees from artisan vendors applying to participate in Puces POP markets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

POP Montréal is an annual not-for-profit international music festival that champions independence in the arts by presenting emerging and celebrated artists across live music, film, visual art, conference, workshop, and marketplace programming. The 25th edition runs September 23-27, 2026 across 50+ Montreal venues, anchored by the Discovery Pass which provides priority access to 200+ bands and events. Year-round offerings include Puces POP artisan markets, Film POP screenings, Art POP exhibitions, POP Symposium panels, Kids POP children's programming, Marché des Possibles open-air marketplace, Espace POP gallery, POP-Off Tours, and Fringe POP stage.

Product overview

POP Montréal International Music Festival is an annual not-for-profit cultural event that champions independence in the arts by presenting emerging and celebrated artistic talent from around the world. The festival operates as a platform-plus-modules architecture centered around the main POP Montreal Music Festival (25th edition, September 23-27, 2026), with the Discovery Pass as the primary paid product offering priority access to over 200 events. The core festival is supplemented by six distinct program components: Puces POP (craft and fashion market), Film POP (music film screenings), Art POP (visual arts exhibitions), POP Symposium (industry panels and Next Level mentorship), Kids POP (children's programming), and Marché des Possibles (open-air summer marketplace). Year-round programming includes listening sessions, POP-Off Tours, Espace POP gallery, and Fringe POP stage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Puces POP: A market event where crafts and fashion unite, featuring artisans selling locally-made clothing, jewelry, bodycare products, art, ceramics, prints, and children's items.
• Film POP
• Art POP
• POP Symposium
• Kids POP
• Marché des Possibles
• Espace POP

Products and services

• POP Montreal Music Festival The annual international music festival featuring 200+ emerging and established artists performing across 50+ Montreal venues over five days, open to individual ticketholders and Discovery Pass holders.
• Discovery Pass Priority-access festival pass providing entry to 200+ bands, films, visual arts, crafts, conferences, and workshops during the festival week, sold via VenuePilot.
• Puces POP

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered core, principal and minor.

• Tourisme MontréalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial tourism partner helping promote Montreal as a cultural destination during the festival.
• SiriusXMprincipalGTM or Marketing PartnerPrincipal partner and radio broadcaster supporting the festival.
• Ubisoft MontrealminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPrivate sector partner and major Montreal employer.
• Wills BeersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBeverage partner supporting festival operations.
• SXSWcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPOP Montreal presents showcases at SXSW festival in Austin, Texas.
• JUNOScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Juno Awards and related events.
• MUTEK MontrealminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Montreal electronic music festival.
• NXNE (North by Northeast)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPOP presents showcases at NXNE festival in Toronto.
• GRIP PreventioncoreOthersHarm reduction partner providing drug checking services and support at festival venues, particularly Piccolo Rialto.
• REES (Respect, Educate, Empower Survivors)coreOthersOnline reporting platform for unwanted behaviors, harassment, discrimination. Allows anonymous incident reporting.
• RECI-QUÉBECminorOthersPartner helping with recycling education and environmental initiatives at festival sites.
• ConsignactionminorOthersRecycling partner helping deploy recycling bins at Rialto Complex and L'Entrepôt 77.
• Le Consortium Echo-logiqueminorOthersProduces waste/recycling/composting reports on festival sites to improve environmental performance.
• Cinéma PublicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFilm POP co-presenter for documentary programming.
• Goethe-InstitutminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman cultural institute co-presenting Film POP programming.
• Cinéma ModerneminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorScreening venue partner for Film POP at Cinéma Moderne location.
• FNC (Nouveau Cinéma Festival)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFilm festival partner for co-presentation and programming.
• PHIminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContemporary art center partner for film programming.
• Fantasia FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMontreal genre film festival partnership.
• esse arts + opinionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArt POP partner magazine for arts coverage.
• ACTRA RACSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPOP Symposium partner for performer rights and advocacy.
• ARC MTLminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMontreal arts and culture organization partner for symposium programming.
• ELAN (English-Language Arts Network)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuebec arts network partner for cultural programming.
• Les Amis du Champs des PossiblesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization partner for Kids POP and Marché des Possibles.
• David Suzuki FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental foundation partner for Kids programming.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Hillside Festival: Ontario-based non-profit community music festival with programming across multiple stages. Comparable as a Canadian non-profit multi-vertical festival and a listed POP partner.
• Festival International de Jazz de Montréal: Long-running Montreal music festival and likely the city's flagship, overlapping on dates, venues, and audience. Strong comparable on non-profit festival operations in the same market.

Direct peers

• Osheaga: Montreal-based multi-day music festival held annually, directly comparable in geography, customer base (Montreal music audiences), and multi-stage/sponsor-funded model. Competes for the same headliners, attendees, and corporate sponsors.
• MUTEK: Montreal-based electronic/forward-music festival with year-round programming and an international showcase network. Directly comparable in city, non-profit structure, and emphasis on emerging artists and discovery.
• NXNE (North by Northeast): Toronto-based multi-venue indie music festival with industry conference programming. Comparable offering and explicit co-presence at POP showcases; competes for indie/emerging artist slots.
• Canadian Music Week (CMW): Toronto-based music industry conference plus showcase festival. Comparable on the industry/symposium component of POP Montreal and an explicit POP co-showcase partner.

Broad incumbents

• SXSW: Large Austin-based multi-vertical festival (music, film, tech) and POP Montreal's principal international showcase partner. Wider scale and scope, but overlapping in artist discovery and indie-music programming thesis.
• Just for Laughs (Juste pour rire): Major Montreal-based comedy and arts festival. Comparable as a Quebec-rooted, multi-vertical, multi-venue non-profit festival brand serving a similar Montreal cultural tourism audience and sponsor base.

Emerging players

• Sled Island: Calgary-based multi-venue indie music and arts festival with similar curator-driven, emerging-artist focus. Comparable on multi-vertical, community-led programming model.
• Sappyfest: Small New Brunswick-based indie festival with a similar non-profit, emerging-artist, community-engagement ethos. Listed among POP's touring partners.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/popmontreal/?hl=en
• Xx.com/popmontreal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about POP Montréal