The first edition of Igloofest in Gatineau brought out more than 13,000 people despite the snowy weather. The popular outdoor music festival expanded to Gatineau for the first time this year, opening with a major winter storm that dropped 35 centimetres of snow on the Outaouais region. A second storm hit on the final day of the festival. Organizers say winter warriors came out to party despite the storms. “Despite the whims of the weather, the enthusiasm of the festivalgoers showed that winter in the Outaouais deserves to be celebrated in a big way. Thank you to all those who were brave enough to come along for the ride. The feedback from the public and the artists shows us that we’ve achieved something special,” said Orkestra co-CEO Colin Laramée-Plouffe in a news release Monday. The festival ran from Feb. 13 to 15 at Place des Festivals Zibi, with artists such as Dillon Francis, Eric Prydz and POPTRT. Igloofest started in 2007 in Montreal, expanding to Quebec City in 2023 and to Gatineau this year. Organizers say although the final results of the attendance study for the Gatineau event are still forthcoming, the event attracted a “large number” of tourists and day-trippers. “Seeing so many festivalgoers brave the storm to celebrate winter with us proves that Igloofest’s unique energy fits perfectly here. This is just the beginning of an exciting adventure, and we can’t wait to see what’s next,” said Multicolore CEO Pascal Lefebvre. More details about the future of Igloofest Gatineau will be shared at a later date.
